Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-03-19
DIAMOND-CUTTING.

The Koh-i-noor, the great diamond that, thanl
to the still greater Exhibition, so many have seel
and so many more have heard of, is now in til
hands of Skilful diamond cutters, that unlike til
sable beauties of Abyssinia, it's charms NAV \
augmented by judicious reduction in magn
tude and gravity. Cut at first with the view
preserving intact as much of the stone as posi-
BILE, it never possessed the sparkling lustre d.
rived from the scientific disposition of the sew
raj sides and angles, technically termed facets,
awell polished diamond. 1t is now intended
be fashioned into brilliant that is, to have II
form of two fattened pyramids joined at the basI
the upper pyramid much flatter than the low
one. In England, the art of diamond -cuttiI
has ceased to exist but in Holland it still mail
talnS llts ancient pre-. eminence; and from them
the cutters of the Koh-i-noor have been broug1
to perform an operation, which, taking into col
sideration the size of the stone, had never prev
ously been accomplished in this country.
1t is not known, with any degree of certaintI
whether the ancient inhabitants of the East I'D
any knowledge of the art of diamond. cuttin}
but it is at the same time very clear, that the d
tons Of the West knew nothing of it till vel
late period Even to the latter part of the q
teenth century, the diamond was appreciate
principally for its supposed talislnanic prcpert1
and its hardness; and as that hardness prevent
its hidden beauties from being brought to lid
by cutting and spolishing, it was regarded md
as rare cabalistlc curiosity than precious ord
ment. Some diamonds, however, whose natu !
form and polish were more favorable to the /
velopment of their clouded brilliancy, foretd
the splendour they would display were it pos
BILE to cut and polish them as other gems. N
ner0uS attempts were made to attain this desiI
end, but all in vain, until, about 1850, Louis
Berghen, young jeweler of Bruges, succeed
I'M N ha tInct dIno,o
The invention of the art of diamond. cutti
has, like many others, whether mythicaly
not, been mixed up with love.story. Berghl
it is said, was poor working -jeweller who
the audacity to fall in love with his wealthy m
ter's daughter. The young lady was favora
to his suit /; but on proposing to her father,
old man reproached him for poverty, and sne
ingly said, in allusion to the supposed utter
possibility of the feat "When you can cut
diamond, you may marry my daughter, but
before" These dscouraging words induce
train of reflection in the mind of the young m
He considered how other hard substances W
cut; iron, he mentally cogitated, is cut by ST
What is steel, he exclaimed, a light break
upon him, but iron ?-the diamond then,
be cut by diamond" Laying out all his av
able means in the purchase of two small d
monds. he contrived, by cementing them
two pieces of wood, to rub them against
other till they were reduced to dust. With
dust, and machine which he invented, he
two facets on another diamond, which he tri
phantly exhibited to the old jeweller. But a
almond had never previously been cut
wise in their generation, had said that dis
never could be cut ; and consequently, &C
to the general mode Of treating inventors
days. charge of sorcery was brought
the first diamond cutter. Berghen, thrt
prison, had abundant leisure for delt
Two courses were open to him one was =,
his secret, and be burned as a sorcerer the
er, to clear himself of that charge by she,
how he cut the diamond by natural means
thus lose the exclusive benefit of this inven
to which he considered he was so Justly enli
He adopted neither Fortunately, Charles
Bold, Duke of Burgundy, the ruler of Fland
came to hold his court in the city of Burgess.
was soon informed of the diabolical art O
young jeweller. Charles was passionately
of Jewels and possessed a very large diam
Like the Spaniard, who. if the miracle were
formed, did not care if Mohammed himself d
the Bold Duke sent for Berghen, and comm
ed him to cut and polish the large damon
he best could, either by aid of the Primo
Darkness. OF his own unassisted efforts. Ia
time the work was completed; and Charles