The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-04-08
Something About Diamonds and Ola.
mOnd Cutting.

fHE Boston Herald, describing local
diamond cutting works, thus gossips
One of the greatest curiosities of the
works Is the saiamander man, or rather
the, man with salamander ingerA His
work is TO set the diamonds for polishing
After some five or six facets are cut it
becomes necessary to have the stone re-
set "A brilliant has usually to be set in
this way eighteen timessduring the work
of polishing. To reset, the acorn is
placed over spreading gas-jet, which in
short time reduces the solder TO a
doughty consistence. With forceps De
Young takes out the stone and with his
bare fingers remolds the metal into shape,
sinks in his diamond NTH the forceps,
and if the metal be too rounding scrapes
ii off with the end of his fingers as if it
were butter. Then, when the work is
completed, he takes the acorn in his fin
gers and leisurely puts it into tub of
cold water, where it steamss and siZZles
for a while. He then takes it out, hands
it to the astonishcd spectator-if such
there, be-who takes hold of it TO find il
stu too bet for comfort in his hands.
Thick skin. No, The skin of his fin
gersis thin, but evidently fre-proof, for
it wflf not burn. He says he feels the
heat but it don't. hurt him. He is, no
doubt of the race of sdamanders we
read about.
Diamonds will bear a very high degree
Of heat After the Chicago fire some
brilliants which had passed through the
scoEchiDg and were covered with white
coating of oxide were brought here to
be repolished. Strange to. relate, after
being restored to their original luster, no
perceptible loss in weight could be dis
covered. 1t is astonishing to see what
small diamonds are cut and polished.
The infinitesimal bits of carbon are used
to ornament watches, lockets, rings, etc.
the smallest, not larger than one
fourth the size of pins head, having
from ten to twenty-four faces on them
The principal cost of these specks is the
labor of cutting and polishing.
In 1862 Messrs. Crosby, Hunnewell &
Morse cut end polished the famous
American diamond which was found in
the upper part of North Carolina, near
the Blue Ridge, and weighed in the
rough twenty-three carats. 1t was then
held to be worth $4,000; but now it
would not command more than one
third that sum. There liz a somewhat
curious story connected with this gem.
oSlOlC IL Cub, tuC wv uCl knuO, ny
the way, was the man who cut from the
frigate Constitution the fgurehead of
Jackson, fearing it might be stolen, had
two or three limitations made in glass,
which he usually carried about him. On
one occasion when exhibiting his diamond
and an imitation he missed the diamond,
while the imitation remained in his
hand. He searched in vain for the miss
ing gem, when, just as he was about to
give it up for lost, he looked again at the
stone in his hand, which he discovered,
to his joy and relief, to. be the genuine
one. The thief secured only the imita-
ton.
The first work done by the new cutting
machine to which we have referred was
fifty. thfee-carat African diamond which
when finished weighed twenty-three car
ats. This stone is.eaual in size and su
perioI in brilliancy to the one now in
New York, which was formerly owned
by the Duke of Brunswick and for which
that nobleman paid 100000. 1t is OF
citron color and is valued at the same
nate as the Brunswick stone, which is
now much less than the original cost OF
that stone. The firm are now engaged
in cutting forty-six and one-half. carat
African diamond, which is of a yellowisil
color. They have also, among variety
of cut diamonds of various shades Of col
or, a brown brilliant, which is one of the
most beautiful and rare gems we have
ever seen. Diamonds of rare and bcauti
full colors command fancy prices. \ jet
black diamond even, from its variety
would bring more than white stone
Such diamond has been found in Bra
Zil.
In 1872 a joint-stock company was
formed in New York for diamond cut
ting. 1t had quite force of men in its
employ, and for two years prosecuted the
| work with vigor. But in pecuniary
| sense it was not a success, and in 1874 il
was dissolved. The business in that city
| is now confined to one individual, who
| has only few workmen in his employ
The business of diamond cutting is one
| requiring not only large capital, but q
| peculiar tact and experience, which
cannot always be happily combined in
one concern. The workmen thrown out
| of employment by the dissolution of the
New York firm have all found their way
to Boston and are now employed here
| To give some. idea of the fuciuation in
/ the value of diamonds within thirty
years it may be stated that in 1915 .
| fair price for one-carat stone was S5(
| gold. The old system of reckoning
was to take the value of carat and
multiply Thy the square of the stone to
be sold. For instance, if stone was
| three carats, the square being nine, il
would be worth $3.50 at so per carat
| At this rate the twenty-three carat stone
| ought to be worth over $4,000; but rat
| ings in value of diamonds have changed
From 1915 the price advanced until the
| occurrence of the French revolution OF
1S4S, when it receded some per cent
But it soon recovered, and from that pc.
Rod there was gradual and regular ad
vance of some 10 per cent. per annum in
value until, in 1871, good stones were
worth $3.50 a carat. Rumors of large
discoveries of the precious stones IL
South Africa soon after checked the ad.
vance, and in 1872 decline in prices
commenced, and values became so un
| settled that it was difficult to find any
two experts to agree ON the real value OF
stones. In 1874 the lowest point was
reached. The decrease in prices soon
became so great that the miners in South
| Africa could not make wages at theiI
work, SO they abandoned the diamond
fields and went to the newly-discovered
gold diggings, which paid better
After its abandonment by the miners
the diamond country was visited by
heavy rams, which filled up most of the
pits and shafts SO that no miner could
pump out the water and work to profit
This put an end to the excessive produc-
ton in that region, and led to an imme.
date advance in prices at the mines and
corresponding rise in the great diamond
marts OF the world-Amsterdam London
and Paris, and it looks now as if the bot
tom of the decline having been reached
and passed fine quality diamonds al
least will continue to steadily advance
in price, as they have already advanced
in London 10 per cent. This decline is
by no means new in diamond history.
Precisely the same thing was experienced
century ago. When the Brazilian mines
were discovered there was, as a result
at first decided fall in prices, and after
ward gradual and ste ady advance AT
the time of the Brazilian discoveries there
was also the same kind of prejudice
against the new stone that there has been
against the. African. Tie old India
stones then were the great favorites But
they cid not exclude the Brazilian prod
ucts, the really fine stones of which ri
vailed Them in purity and brilliancy But
/ when the South African mines began to
yield their products came into COMPETE
ton with both India and Brazilian dia-
mohds and to the disadvantage of the
African stones. But this prejudice is be-
ing rapidly overcome.
The old India mines yielded mostly
oeiahedral stones, while the Brazilian