The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-06-10
how Brilliant Gems are Cut.

4 "
the diamond products in various parts
of the world. His opinion of the nan
u~facture of diamonds was given, and is
the same as that Of Tiffany IL Co., and
other large dealers.
"When the report was made public, y
he said THAT diamonds could be manu-
featured in the la~bratory, people became
timid about investing large sums OF
money in valuable briiliants. During
the last holiday season, in consequence
n great many cheap diamonds were sold.
But the depression was only temporary,
in fact. valuable stones, but in the rough
and in the form of brilliants, are appre-
ciating in value all the time. 1t is not
thought possible by diamonds to produce
diamonds of any practical value. AS
yet, 1t is only claimed that crystals of Il
verv minute size-not larger than a
grain of sand-have been produced 10y
chemical processes. Should the chemist
succeed in making diamonds OF Il SIZE
sufficiently large TO cut, 1t would cost as
much TO bring them into the requisite
shape as i, does the stones found IN ma
ture. As lon. as small crystals only
are produced, the discovery amounts to
nothing. There are natural diamonds,
such as are used in The mechanical arts
bv lapidaries and jewellers, that sell as
low as a dollar a piece"
"Where are the diamonds mainly pro-
duced that are sold in New York.
"The principal diamord fields of the
world are in South Africa and in Brazil
Owing to the great production In the
Kimberly mines in South Africa and the
consequence reduction in price, the Bra
I'll mines are not worked as much as for
merry. A few stones are found In In
dia. some small ones in China, and occa-
~sionaliv one has been found in California.
1t is claimed that Il or two nave been
found in Indiana and n or two IN
Georgia. But those that have been sent
from Georgia have turned out to be
either beryl or common crystal. The
peculiarly of the great Kimberly mines
which are now $50 feet below the sur
face and cover a large area is that the
diamonds are found imbedded in stea-
tite or soapstone. Those found IN the
Bahia district n grazil-which is about
400 miles below Rio Janeiro-are usu-
ally imbedded in a cong.omerate COM
posed of small pebbles.
"The diamonds which are not fit to
cut for gems are used for mechanical
PURPOSES. Those most used are what
-. ..1f.I .a-bo.- fron, thn RaHIa dis
trict. They are irregular in shape and
of a dark brown color, about the size OF
a hazel-nut. When broken ihere Is a
gray fracture. They were discovered
many years before they were known to
have any value. Since the discovery
that they were diamonds by an Amster-
dam diamond cutter they have risen in
price to IS a carat and more. They are
used in burning mill-stones and in dla-
mond drills. Another variety, known
as Brazilian boart, is too poor to cut,
and is used for drilling. They are Of
different %colors, and vary in size from a
pin-heal TO a pea. These little Whit
ones, too small for gems, have good cut
ting angles, and are used by Autograph
ers and book-note engravers in prepar-
ing plates. the labor connected with
cutting and polishing a diamond ADDS
greatly to its cost. Some are very diff
cult to shape and polish. a particular
seven-caret diamond took seven month,
labor-more or less work every day-to
get 1t cut and polished ready for tie
ieweler, and cold at a loss of $1,000.
Such diamonds are not crystalized in
regular planes, and may be compared to
a knotty piece of wood A. a rule,
however, diamonds have regular c.eav &c
planes. The cutter just makes a hue On
the face of the stone where he wishes to
cut with the point or angle OF another
diamond. Then he uses a short instru-
ment OF steel and a mallet to effect the
cleavage.
as every stone cut into the samr
general form
.srhev ali have the same number Of
tacets-hfty-six-bu may be round at
the girdle circumference or oblons, ac-
cordlng to die original st ape OF TIM
stone. They are cut, as a rule, With a.
lit lie waste as possible"
"To what extent does color affect the
value Of hrilliants2'
"Ihe white are the most brilliant.
- d, seouentlv the most valuable