At Panne, diamonds are only known certainly to occur in situ in a conglomerate which is referred geologically to the Rowe group, but there are also numerous workings in alluvial or superficial deposits.
In the Cuddepak district, the principal workings have been at Cunnapurti and Ovalumpilly, near Chennur, on opposite banks of the Pennar river, and Lamdur and Pinchetgapu, west of Chennur.
In the Kurnool district, the mines are at Balla ganapilly, Mnnimadagu, llamulkotta, Thnapuram, Yembye, Byanpully, Guramkonda, Gudipad, Bannur, Devanur, Shaitan Kottah, Dewmarruh, Tandrapad, and 13aswapur.
In the Kistaa and Godavery districts, diamonds are obtained at Golapilly, Malavilly, Purtial, Ganicoulur or kullur, etc., the pits at Golapilly and Malavilly being sunk in conglomerates and pebble beds of tertiary age.
In the bed of the Mahanadi, at Sumbn'pore, and about the mouths of the Hebe Khelu and Nand streams, large diamonds have occasionally been found. The place of working is called Ileera Khond.
At lVeiragarli, in lat. 20° 36' N., and long. 31' 30" E., 80 miles S.E. of Nagpur, the diamonds are found in a lateritic grit ; and at the sources of the Hebe river, in Gangpur, in the Icha river, a tributary of the Hebe, and also in the Sunk t fiver.
In Burnielkliand, the diamond bed proper near Palma is a conglomerate. The rock diggings do not cover a space of more than 20 acres, and the miners excavate great pits, 25 feet broad and often 00 feet deep. At Kumerea (or Kalimura), locally called Kakru, to the east of Panne, the diamonds are found in a conglomerate sandstone made up of small pebbles. There are diamond mines also at Udesna, Sakeriva, Mujgaon, Boghin.
An inventory of the precious stones of the crown of France was made in 1832, showing the number to be 64,812, of value £845,000. The value of thaw of the Brazil sovereign la said to be .£5,000,000.
The British crown jewels comprise 1 largo ruby, 4 rubies, 1 large sapphire, 1G sapphires, 11 eineraltLi, 1363 brilliants, 1272 rose diamonds, 147 table diamonds, 4 drop-shaped pearls, 273 pearl..
Precious SWIM ar1.1 trams CC* • l'rec4m.as.ss sad peade lat.
ported from India. port4 Int° fed* wort.
1874-75, . Its. 5,56,683 1874.75, . Ile. 1875.76, . 4,80,859 1875-76, . . 13,93,591 1876-77, . . 6,24,666 1876-77, . . 10,40,391 1877.78, . . 6,75,649 1877.78, . . 19,40,611 1878.79, . . 3,04,56.3 1878.79, . . 13,15,032 1879-80, . . 2,55,639 1879.80, . . 15,52,799 1880-81, . . 1,60,075 1850.81, . 36,82,177 1881.82, . . 1,56,197 18.31.82, . 21,:n,629 1882.83, . . 1,87,362 1882-83, . . 17,25,170 Artificial Gems are largely made, and many of the precious stones are well iminated. Doublets are partly true gems above, and partly false, being a portion of a true joined artistically to glass or other gem below. Lapidaries and jewellers even are sometimes deceived by false gems, and of others entertain grave doubts. Birmingham sends many blue cut-glass false geMs to Colombo for sale. The glass of bottle bottoms is even sold in Ceylon and other places as emeralds. Emeralds are rarely without defects, called flaws, Rag,' HIND., and manufacturers, aware of this, make false emeralds with flaws. Of all precious stones, the emerald is most liable to defects, and their absence should excite suspicion, as they can be very easily imitated. Stress is a technical term for the base of the artificial gems.
Precious stones are not exclusively articles of luxury ; diamonds are largely used in the glazing and other trades, and rubies and sapphires in the manufacture of watches. They are lavishly used by Indian jewellers, who care less for their purity and commercial value than for the general effect produced by a blaze of splendour. And Sir George Birdwood remarks, nothing can exceed the skill, artistic feeling, and effectiveness with which gems are used in India, whether in jewellery proper, in the jewelled decoration of arms, and by Ilindus in the ornamentation of the images in their temples.
The quantity of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies in the Srirangam shrine surpasses all imagination, though perhaps few of them are without flaws. It is a marvellous sight.