Mar 20, 2003 - Sale 1964

Sale 1964 - Lot 80

Unsold
Estimate: $ 300 - $ 400
(DIAMONDS.) An Hour's Adjournment: Diamond Cut Diamond--United Diamond Fields of British Guiana, Limited v. Soloman Barnato Joel et al. Printed note of Proceedings of the King's Bench Division of the High Courts of Justice Before Mr. Justice McCardie, Monday, 17th March, 1930. Copy of the settlement check mounted to page 612. 4to, gilt-lettered morocco, joints cracked and covers becoming loose. (London, 1930)

Additional Details



Published transcript of the proceedings of the trial of the United Diamond Fields of British Guiana, Ltd. against the monopolistic diamond empire family Oppenheimer. Essentially, Oppenheimer (DeBeers) controlled the United Diamond Fields and, by contract, that company could only sell their diamonds to the Oppenheimers. The Oppenheimer family, however, developed their own system of grading and pricing, leveling (and lowering) the average price of diamonds, eventually bankrupting the mine.