ALFRED FOREST DIAMONDS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1307, 8 October 1883, Page 2

ALFRED FOREST DIAMONDS.

London, August 8, 1883. T. B. Craig, Esq., Christchurch, New Zealand. Dear Sir, Since writing per s.s. Doric, I received your cable message, which required me to immediately acquaint you (although the stones were then being cut) whether they had been declared genuine or not. I accordingly cabled you that a fair proportion had been declared genuine. Subsequently the brokers waited upou me and acquainted me with the fact that the diamonds would not cut, but flew to powder upon being put to the stone. They also said the crystals were the most deceptive they had ever seen. However, being so nearly perfect, they left impressed with the fact that by expending a little more money in prospecting, you might obtain bigger and more val uable specimens. I accordingly cabled you to that effect, and now strongly urge that say a call of £100 be made upon the shareholders, and that, under the superVision of one of the Directors, a careful prospecting he carried on, sinking to a certain extent, or crushing the matrix rock, in whicii you will undoubtedly find the best specimens. I The brokers who acted for us in the I matter were Messrs Alexander Bros., |of Hatton Garden. Regarding value, presuming the specimens to be diamonds, their value would he about 3s to 4s a caiTat, a price which certainly would not pay. The only hope is in larger specimens, and I purpose waiting them here, as I feel sure they are to he found* You will however, doubtless cable me shortly, and act promptly. Since the above result I have had the opportunity of submitting them to another large diamond merchant, a Mr Klein, who unhesitatingly pronounced the stones genuine diamonds, and offered to buy all we could send, provided only they were larger, as he felt convinced that these were specimen samples, and larger stones would necessarily be found in the vicinity. I ! c further stated that he considered them in point of quality and brightness superior to the Kimberley stones, and equal to Brazilian. He was so sure of their being genuine that he scarcely thought it neccessary to apply further j tests, but said he would obtain for us a certificate from the Mineralogical Museum authorities of the" specific gravity, and then hand me his written j sta ement regarding their genuineness. I can scarcely hope that the result of this test will be favorable, ; ecause the Messrs Mexander applied this test and found the stones light. However, Mr Klein is so positive that his judgment is correct that there may be a possibility of a favora de report. You may rely on my doing all in my power in the matter. I shall now await the arrival of the larger stones and cable you the result then. I would impress on you the necessity of losing no time in the matter. I am, yours faithfully, Thos. 0. Kelsey.