The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-04-03
DiAMOND-CU CTING.
New B-aneh NJ aasi assrx-AsasEtea Oons-
pesisG with AzssIerdAns ana LOsdsa-

ways new. The gem in its finished
state is so perfect that few persons give
i thought to the processes by which its
beauties have been revealed. A dia-
mond in the rough resembles nothing so
much as q pebble Of rock sat. When
found it is usually an egg shaped or pear
shaped stone, lustreless snd white, with
no more pretensions to value in its looks
than thousands of the'pebbles scattered
along the sesshOfe. TIE file and bril-
liancy of the gem are developed by the
lapidsry at great expenditure of time
and labor. For many years, centuries
even. the headquarters of the diamond
cutting trade has been in Holland, and
it is only within this century that the
workmen of other countries have begun
to compete with the patient, skilful and
careful Dutchmen. In 1851 the dia-
mond-cutting business in London was
sufficiently advanced to admit of the
recuttiDg Of the famous Koh-i>noor in
that city, but even then it was considered
necessary to send to Amsterdam for an
expert to superintend the work. 1t was
reduced from 1S6 to LOG 1-16 csrsts, in
order to give it shape which would adj
equstely set off its great beauty.
In this country no establishment for
cutting diamonds wss opened until 1871,
when large company was formed by
some Dutch experts in New York and
another in Boston.
1t is very tedious operation to cut
diamond and polish it. If the stone in
the rough is SO shaped ss to need split
ting, the workman decides what part is
to be removed and makes a small cleft
with another diamond. A diamond
edged tool is then used as q cleaver, and
the fragment is then split OIL. The
greatest care is necessary, Of course, to
determine what will be the direction and
extent of the cleavage, and as it cannot
be made except with the grain, emily
long experienced workman can tel, how
to make the cut.
The stone now passes to the cutter,
who uses two stones at once mutually to
cut each other. Each one is secured at
the end of q stick in a cement made OF
rosin and marble dust. Holding a stick
in each hand over a box to catch the
dismond dust, the workman steadily
rUbs one against the other until the
attritiOn wears down one face of each
diamond. As soon as clear space has
been cut through the rough outer coat
ing e. making a window" the experts
call it), the diamond is carefully exam
ined for flaws and its shape determined
If flaw lies near the outside it can, of
course, be easily cut away in shaping it;
but if it is ar in the interior the stone,
if large, must he cut in two, making two
haIt-sized gems instead of one large one.
The shape having been decided, the
cutter goes on to cut the stone to CORES
spond in general form to that determined
upon. There is little attempt made to
cut regular fasces, but the position OF the
Goblet" and the table is defined
The " collet" is the small>pointed lower
apex of diamond cut in brilliant"
ashton, and the table" is the fat sur
face on top.
When the diamond is passed over to
the polisher it is set in pewter setting
held in a kind OF socket about an inch in
diameter. This has copper rod about
two inches long ard quarter of an inch
in diameter, extending from the back,
which is grssped by the jaws OF the rest
in which the socket is held VIII le the
polishing is done. The rest is heavy, 90
As to press the diamond down upon the
polishing disk with sufficient force. The
disk is circular plate made OF steel and
iron revolving horiz 1ntally at a velocity
of two thousand revolutions a minute.
The face of the dix is covered with oil
containing diamond dust which is res
tanned in the pores Of the iron and acts
as a polishing agent. The diamond is
carefully set in the pewter as nearly as
possible at the right angle, but if slight
variation either way is needed the cop
per stem which holds the diamond socket
can be bent sufficiently to give the exact
angle required. Two, or even more
diamonds, can be polished at the same
time on one disk, and as the process ia
necessarily very slow, three or more re Is
can be watched by che skilled workman.
The "dop" which holds the diamond in
the solder resembles a large acorn in
shape, the diamond being at the point
and the copper wire representing the
stem.
The NEST fashionable and elegant shape
now cut is the brilliant" which has an
upper table, generally oetsgonsl in shape,
thirty-two faces TO the girdle, or broadcast
part of the stone, and pyramid below
running to an apex called the "eollet."
The proper proportion for showing the
full brilliancy OF stone is one third
shove the girdle and two-thirds below.
If the upper part is too deep in proper
ton to the lower, the stone will lack
sparkle at tie edges, while if the reverse
ha th. case Ii will have no hrilliancY at