MANUFACTURE OF DIAMONDS

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2147, 7 February 1880, Page 3

MANUFACTURE OF DIAMONDS

The “ Scotsman,” of December 18, has the following with reference to the alleged discovery by a Glasgow chemist of how to make diamonds; —At a meeting of the Glasgow Philosophical Society last 'night, - Mr dames M‘Tear, of the St. Ilollox Chemical Works, made the announcement that lie had discovered the way to produce diamonds. He said he had "submitted the result of his cxpericncnts'to Professors Tyndall ,and Smith and oilier scientific gcnllcmpn in London, and they were now in the hands of Mr Maskelyne, of the British museum, as lie was desirous of having some competent opinion as to its correctness. After having thought very carefully from lime to time, for a period which dated back to about 18GG, and having made various abortive experiments, he had at last succeeded in obtaining ..crystalline form's -of ■•'carbon'. They were perfectly pure and transparent, and had all the refractive power of a diamond. They had its crystalline form, resisted acids, alkalis, and the intense heat of the blowpipe. They :also scratched glass. The only other test to which they could be put was whether they would scrat ch a diamond, or a diamond would scratch them. The refractive index of the crystal and the measurement of the angle of the crystal had not yet been taken, but would be very shortly. Pic would bring some of the diamonds before them on a future occasion. In the meantime, he was pledged to let the Loyal Society have the first sight of them. There was no doubt in his mind, or in the minds of the scientific gentlemen Jic had considled, that they were diamonds, but he had in the meantime called them pure crystalline forms of carbon. He had obtained them of the size of one thirtysecond of an inch.