Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-04-22
Something About Diamonds and Dia-
mond CuttinS.

| Something About DIAMONDS 3nQ DE
mond Cutting.
THE Boston Herald, describing local
demonstrating works, thus gossips
One of the greatest curiositics OF the
works Is the salamander man, or rather
| the man with salamander fingers. His
work is to set the diamonds for polishing
After some five or six facets are cut 1t
| becomes necessary to have the stone re-
| set. A brilliant has usually to be set IN
this way eighteen times during the work
| of polishing. To reset, the acorn Is
placed over spreading gas-jet, which IN
short time reduces the solder TO
| doughy consistence. With forceps DE
| Young takes out the stone and with his
bare fingers remolds the metal into shape,
sinks in his diamond with the forceps,
and If the metal be too rounding scrapes
it off with the end of his fingers as If it
were butter. Then, when the work Is
completed, he takes the acorn in his nm
gers and leisurely puts 1t into tub OF
| cold water, where it steams and sizzles
for a while. He then takes 1t out, hands
1t to the astonished SPECTATOR such
| there be-who takes hold of 1t to find 1t
still too hot for comfort In his hands
Thick skin? No. The skin OF his I'm
gers is thin, but evidently fire-proof, for
it will not burn. He says he feels the
heat but it don't hurt him. He is, no
doubt, of the race of salamanders we
read about.
Diamonds will bear very high degree
of heat. After the Chicago fire some
brilliants which had passed through the
scorching and were covered with white
cnot;pU IF nviHo u-aro bran Uhf hnra RI
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 inffnitesimal bits of carbon are used
to ornament watches, lockets, rings, etc.
the smallest, not larger than one
fourth the size of a 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 u
Morse cut and 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 is somewhat
curious story connected with this gem.
Before having it cut, the owner (who, by
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 1t 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
a fifty-three carat African diamond which
when finished weighed twenty three car
ats. This stone is equal in size and su-
perior 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 aud is valued at the same
rate 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 yellowish
color. They have also, among variety
of cut diamonds of various shades of col
or, brown brilliant, which Is one of the
most beautiful and rare gems we have
ever seen. Diamonds of rare and beauti-
full colors command fancy prices A jet
black diamond even, from its variety,
would bring more than white stone.
Such diamond has been found in Bra.
I'll.
In 1879 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 it
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 a
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 Geir way
to Boston andlare now employed here.
To give some idea of the fiuctuatlon in
the value of diamonds within thirty
years it may be stated that in 1845 q
fair price for one-carat stone was $50
gold. The old system of reckoning
was to take the value of carat TO
multiply it by the square of the stone rs
be sold. For instance, If a stone wit
three carats, the square being nine,
would be worth $3.50 at $50 per carat.
At this rate the twenty-three carat stone
ought to be worth over $26, 600; but rat
ings in value of diamonds have changed.
From 1845 the price advanced until the
occurrence of the French revolution of
1848, 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 $261a carat. Rumors of large
discoveries Of the precious stones in
South Africa soon after checked the ad-
vance, and in 1872 decline in prices
commenced, and values became so unr
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 40 great that the miners in So,,,h