"
"I know about that," bowed Nick.
"Now, then," continued Pylotte, with an unconscious display of
enthusiasm; "while diamonds certainly have been made by artificial
means, the great difficulty has been that of producing them at a low
cost. Moissan, in my country, produced diamonds by heating charcoal and
iron to a high degree, and letting the mixture cool under enormous
pressure. He succeeded in obtaining very small crystals, or diamonds,
but the cost of production made his method impracticable from a
commercial standpoint."
"Ah! I see."
"In 1872 a chemist named Rose converted graphite into diamonds by a
similar process, but with the same result."
"The cost of production being too great?" observed Nick.
"Precisely."
"Do you think that difficulty has now been overcome?"
"I am compelled to think so, Mr. Carter," cried Pylotte, pointing to the
two diamonds on the table.
"You purchased them at a price compelling that belief?"
"Exactly."
"Then you think the man of whom you got them has discovered a way to
make such perfect artificial diamonds at a low price?"
"I certainly do, Mr. Carter."
"Have you any idea of the machinery and ingredients he might require?"
asked Nick, with a view to getting points by which to locate the diamond
plant.
Pages:
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165