The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-30

dam lapidaries. The huge diamond which
fastened the coronation robe of Charlemagne
was natural" and dare say, as grubby-
looking as piece of bottle glass.
Nor, perhaps, need tell you that there are
four cardinal points on the diamond. cutters
card. The first is pierre fable, or "table," the
most ancient of all. The next is pierre 6pdisse,
or ''lndian cutting" ''Table," as its name
implies, is fiat at the top, with bevelled sides.
1t is generally square or an oblong. 'Indian
cutting" is tubular at the top, but the inferior
portion is in the form of an inverted pyramid
slightly truncated. A diamond of this kind
is more valuable than q table one; first be-
cause of its greater density, and next because
itspyramidal form below increases its reflective
power, and consequently its brilliance. The
third is the "rose cutting" so called from the
resemblance of the section of the diamond so
cut TO a rosebud unbio,Cn This is slightly on
the hcuS a non lucendo principle; but it sufiices
for jewellers. The entire surface of the rose
diamond is cut into triangular facets, and at
the summit it comes to a point formed
by six triangles in the shape of a star.
stone approximating to the circular in
form is the best one for cutting in rose
fashion. "Brilliant-cutting'' is the fourth
and last taiLe, and the brilliant is the most
valuable of all diamonds. This method of
cutting only dates in France from the time
of the Fronde; and Cardinal Mazarin is said
crown of young Louis XIV, twelve beautiful
diamonds, which have ever since gone by
the name of the "twelve Mazarins." The
entire surface of brilliant is cut into facets,
but it comes to no point at the summit, which
is gently convex. It is much more valuable
than the rose, because much more of the
original stone must be cut away by the
lapidary to make a brilliant than to make a
rose. There are said to be three hundred and
flfty-seven distinct ways of cutting brilliants,
which may prove very sufficient apology for
my saying no more on the technioalities Of the
lapidary's art.
STOLEN DIAMONDS.
With the supplementary guardianship of
Sergent de UiLie outside and of the criminal code
and Cayenne in perspective diamonds may be
said to be much safer in Paris than they are
in their native Brazil. There the unhappy
slaves who are employed to wash the gravel in
which the precious toys are found are
forced to work naked, lest they should secrete
them about their garments, and to sing Justify
while they wash, to obviate the possibility of
their occasionally popping diamond in their
mouths. The slave who finds stone is bound
to clap his hahds three times; thereupon comes
an inspector who takes the diamond and weighs
it. Ifit be above certain weight the burly
negro gets qualification, and in certain cases
his freedom. If he endeavors to steal or to
hide diamond, he is mercilessly fogged.
With all these precautions it is calculated that
one-third of the diamonds found in Brazil are,
as preliminary measure, stolen and
'smugged" by their servile finders. After
reasonable time has elapsed the slave-owners
are glad to compound the felony, and to buy
the jewels from the agents of the thieves; so
that in the end, although by very round
about and clumsy process, something like
balance of power between capital and labor is
obtained.