The Cullinan Diamond was a diamond of over 3000 carats found in Cullinan mine in the Transvaal in 1907. It was bought by the Transvaal government for 150,000 pounds and presented to King Edward VII as the largest diamond known. It has subsequently been cut into 9 large stones. Research Cullinan Diamond
The Diamond necklace scandal occurred in 1785 when a diamond necklace was presented through Madame de Lamotte by Cardinal de Rohan to Marie Antoinette. The cardinal, a profligate churchman, entertained a passion for the queen and the Countess de Lamotte induced him to purchase for the queen a diamond necklace costing 85,000 pounds, which had been made for Madame Dubarry, from a jeweller named Boehmer. The cardinal handed the necklace to the countess, who rather than presenting it to the queen sold it to an English jeweller and pocketed the money. When the time for payment arrived , Boehmer sent his bill to the queen, who denied all knowledge of the matter. The matter went to court, and a trial lasting nine months ensued which caused great scandal. Research Diamond Necklace Scandal
Grinding is a mechanical process in which certain effects are produced by attrition. This process prevails in various mechanical arts, as in grinding corn, etc, the object of which is to reduce the materials to a fine powder; or in grinding metals for the purpose of giving them a certain figure, polish, or edge. In the first case the grinding or crushing is effected by rough stones, or, as in crushing ores, between heavy metal cylinders, or by a heavy stone or iron cylinder revolving upon a smooth plate. The grinding of cutlery is effected by means of the grindstone; emery powder grinds glass lenses and specula. Ornamental glass is ground into facets by stones and lap-wheels. Diamonds and other precious stones are ground with diamond dust.
What is called dry grinding is the grinding of steel with dry grindstones. The points of needles are produced by this means, also the finishing of steel pens. Sand-jet grinding is a process in which abrasion is effected by the percussion of small hard particles on a plain surface, sharp siliceous sand being impelled by a blast artificially produced of steam or of air. By the use of flexible jointed connecting tubes the jet can be turned in any direction. Research Grinding
Prince Rupert's Drops are drops of glass thrown while in a state of fusion into water, and thus suddenly consolidated, taking generally a form somewhat like a tadpole. The thick end may be struck with a hammer without breaking, but should the smallest part of the tail be nipped off, or the surface scratched with a diamond, the whole flies into fine dust with an almost explosive force. This phenomena is due to the state of strain in the interior of the mass of glass, caused by the sudden consolidation of the crust which is formed while the internal mass is still liquid. This tends to contract on cooling, but is prevented by the molecular forces which attach it to the crust. This philosophical toy gets its name from being invented or being brought first into notice by Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I. Research Prince Rupert's Drops
The ring drop swindle was a popular confidence trick employed by criminals in Victorian London. In the swindle, a stranger makes a show of picking up a diamond ring from the floor close by to the victim. The confidence trickster then offers to sell the valuable diamond ring to the victim for a fraction of its obvious worth, on the pretext that he is far too busy to seek a more lucrative market. Naturally the ring was not found, but rather dropped deliberately by the confidence trickster, and is worth far less than the money extracted from the victim, who in fairness is swindled in part by his own greed. Research Ring Drop
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Bort
