Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-11-21

Polished D,amends.

EOssue0 DiomomoDs ..sf4-r
Amsterdam is much engaged in manufactures,
and some of them are peculiar to the country
The one Of these which was most curious 10
see is that for the polishing or cutting Of dia.
'nonds. There arc several 10 the city, and
they are exclusively the property Of the Jews.
who are quite numerous. In the lower story Of
large building were six or eight horses, driven
round and round bya number Of boys. and turn.
ing large wheel. From this ascended mar.
row aud steep stairway, lined with dust, smut
and cobwebs, to the second floor. Here were
about forty workmen, seated at their benches
round the sides Of the room. The large wheel
below turned four smaller cylinders in the mid.
die Of this roop, and from these bands ran Il all
the benches snd kept in motion a number of cir.
cular iron plates, horizontal and even with the
surface Of the table. The superintendent sat
In the centre. busy At his work, and overlooking
the rom. He spoke English. and took much
pains to explain and show me the whole pro-
cess. % s'a dii~ "sdsilas s7f ot'ea17A 9ai h's
The fat plate Of soft iron 10 about ten inches
in diameter. and FURNISHED with. file or piece
Of course sandstone so as to be full of fine lines
radisting from the centre. This lasts work.
msn one or two days, and must then be prepa-
red once again. The rough diamonds are small,
irregular, round pebbles, just sbOut the size Of
the shot sportsman 10 accustomed to use, from
the smallest size TO buckshot sssot fadi a-5i
The workman takes small copper cup, one
inch in diameter, which is fastened to a strong
wire, and fills il with composition Of zinc and
quicksilver. This compi.ition. when hot, has
the consistency of wax, and ie easily moulded
into any shape. The workman filled cup and
roonded it off with fiat piece Of iron in bis
hand--an experiment which. he told me would
be i,ficu,t sor an inexperienced person to Try
without burning his fingers. but upon his horny
hand the red hot metal made no impression
When finished. il looked just like an scorn upon
ito stem. with the diamond partially embedded
in the apex. 9ao @Hfa aHi na gmr's oogu
The whole was then plunged into cold va.
ter, and the stone was held firmly in its place by
the solid zinc, snd ready for polishing. This
acorn Of zinc and diamond 10 then fastened
firmly in an iron eiamp. which is whirling
round and grinds it off, Sometimes weight
Of lead is put on to press il down and grind Il
down faster Each workmsn sttends two at
.he same time, and takes them up every minute,
TO apply with camcl.h2ir pencil the smalIest
quantity Of diamond dust, which is the only
substances vii! cut upon them, and is much
more precious than gold; or to bend the stiff
wire with the thumb and form 4 new face.
His hrst step is 70 mike table, a. Il is call
ed; that is. to grind down considerable sur.
face on one side. around which the other facets
are arranged. Every diamond is here finished
with sixty -four fscets, and dcse entirely BY the
eye. ' ''-s' '' Lo.i-t'.@' .-fIj
I, The workmer arc employed twelve hours and
finish three or :ear day. The diamond mer.
chants Of Amsterdam pay from four to tea guild.
ers-that is. from two " Tour dollars-each 70.
polishing. The best place for buying the rough
stones 10 FraEce, and the best market for eel.
ling the Polished jewels is England. Any %.
Ior ipjnfes the yaiue of the stone. The clear
''mpid diamond is the most valued. A workman
! showed me three of the same, just finished
weighing abou, three carats Zach, half as large
.s pea, and said they were worth 600 forins,
that is. about ninety dollars each. Doubtless
they will soon sparkle in marble halls,' and in
unison with sPlendour and beauty bat doub,
it they will ever again sparkle in more striking
and brilliant contrast than when saw them in
the scnny hands Of the workman. aai~o'iH
The pisce was Covered with smut dust and
OIL, The wheels ratified and the workmen shou'
| ted rough jokes At each other above the noise
and griraed and dashed about their duties ss
merriy IS ever The Cyclpps could have wrought
when they made the precious shield Of Eneas
And now and then the tortured diamonds sen,
forth . shriek, the like Of what comes from &.
ling saw, but to which, that is : mere whisper
that pierced the ears and contracted the muscles
| Of the yery workmen themselves.
iS's Jusr FAsHrox.-The pious Mr.---
who ,v The wnv In sx,snected 0f beinr no better