[meteorite-list] NPA, 06-1894 How Kunz recognized diamond in Canyon Diablo

From: David Freeman <dfreeman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Aug 14 17:44:59 2004
Message-ID: <411E87DD.9000104_at_fascination.com>

Dear Mark, List;
The date of the article says a great deal.
Queer as diamonds found in the United States....about a quarter of the
50 states have had a diamond found in them today.

 It wasn't until 1975 that the first of many (over 100 kimberlite pipes
and dikes) evidents of diamonds had been discovered here in Wyoming.
Would be currious where the Arkansas Diamond Company was at this point
in the world, maybe 20 years later?
I feel by taking this entertaining look at the past, that in the future,
we will learn so much more about all things terresterial and from 'out
of this world".
thanks Mark for an interesting retrospect,
Dave F.


MARK BOSTICK wrote:

> Paper: Delphos Daily Herald
> City: Delphos, Ohio
> Date: June 21, 1894
> Page: 2
>
>
> DIAMONDS ARE FREAKS
>
> The stones Are Found in the Queerest of Places
>
> In a report made by George F. Kunz to the U.S. Geological Survey
> (not yet in print) an interesting account is given of an experiment
> made at Chicago during the World's Fair in determining the character
> of what appeared to be a diamond carbon found in a meteorite by Prof.
> George A. Koenig, of the University of Pennsylvania.
>
> Prof. A. F. Foote, of Philadelphia, obtained a piece of meteorite
> from Canyon Diablo, Arizona, in 1891. He sent it to Prof. Koenig for
> examination. The piece weighed about sixteen pounds. When an attempt
> was made to cut it, it was found to be remarkably hard. The edge of a
> half-inch chisel was repeatedly broken by it. One spot in particular,
> was so hard that the tools produced a black powder instead of chips.
> When the meteorite was being cut, an attempt was made to polish the
> sections on an emery wheel. The emery wheel was ruined.
>
> Diamonds had been noted previously in Russian meteoric stones, and
> Prof. Koenig pronounced the black particles from this Arizona to be
> diamond. The particles of this substance obtained were so minute that
> the ordinary chemical tests could not be applied to them, but Mr..
> Krunz suggested at the meeting of the Academy of Arts and Sciences
> that if enough clean grains could be obtained to polish a diamond, the
> nature of the substance would be definitely determined. About 200
> pounds of the meteoric iron was examined, and specimens which appeared
> to contain diamonds were dissolved. The exhibition of diamond-cutting
> in the Mining Building of the World's Fair gave the opportunity for
> trying the experiment, and Tiffany & Co. made preparations for the
> test. A diamond-polishing wheel was specially planed downs, and
> prepared with radiating scratches so as to be easily charge with
> diamond powder.
>
> The wheel was run at 2,500 revolutions to the minute, and a
> diamond was tried on it for five minutes without any polish
> resulting. The wheel was then charged with the meteorite powder mixed
> with oil. As soon as the diamond was placed on the wheel as hissing
> noise showing that it was being cut. In three minutes one face of the
> diamond was polished. After a series of experiments with this powder,
> Mr.. Kunz says he is satisfied that it is diamond, "or a substance
> with the same hardness, color and brilliancy."
>
> This experiment is interesting only as showing one of the queer
> freaks of nature. Why a meteorite should be charged with diamond-dust
> is no apparent than is the reason for the discovery of a single
> diamond in a Kentucky field. There has been but one diamond
> discovered in Kentucky, though certain sections of the State has been
> studied minutely with a view to probable development of diamond
> mines. The diamond in the United States is almost as great a freak as
> the diamond-dust in a meteorite.
>
>
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Received on Sat 14 Aug 2004 05:45:01 PM PDT