New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-30
OLfuoyDS IND OTHER PREcI0rS STONES
INTERESTING TALK WITH LARGE DiAN"Np iN-
TER-DIAMoND-cCTTtNG.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
GHOST of the diamonds found IN the tiade'
said member Of OF the largest diamond hrns N tn'
city, come from the Cape mines at the southern end
OF Africa These mines number onr or nFe inc largest
being the Kimberley, covering Is acres. For the
last ten years they have yielded largely, mary
large stones having been taken out though the-c WIN
the execution of the Porter Rhodes stone are moi o. pro-
portionaiely good quality The Porter Rhodes DIAMOND
manned after its owner, Enghshman) weighs about
$50 clrats IN the rough and Is highly valued II i saiu
that the owner once refused offer OF tjoooo cor
half interest I'm the stone. Iatterly understand be has
been Offering it for 100000 This IS the diamond when
Mrs Mackey. OF Paris. was said 10 have thought
OF buying last year, you may remember Bt
most Of the Cape diamonds OF large SIZE ana INC! set
them as high as 300 caras) are only worth cutting INTO
smaller stones The amount Of trade heret IL i est
mated that each weeks cargo Of rough diamonds sem 10
London represents a value Of $4,000 A. TO othef
sources of supply India no longer enters into trade con
slderation new mine discovered last year IN Bra
I'll called Cannaireres but its yield is small as yet The
Brazilian diamonds may say here are usually i"lhh III
the sandy beds OF rivers, while the Cape damOnds arr
dug ont at depth of from 300 TO 500 feet they are us
ally found imbe Ided there in kind 81 soft s)apy mucA
called blue earth Some almost round. but most
have eight sides In weight they run. In the average
from two 10 ten carat comparatively few stones above
Ten carat being found This ia In the rongh, remember
Cutting reduces them about One-halr The tencarnt
stones, thus reduced by cutting TO Ave- average mout
$3.50 each in value This carat weight
that speak OF Is one peculiar 10
diamonds, rubles opals and sapphres. Il takes over
seven caras 10 make pennywetght IN Troy weight
Gan you tell me something about diamoad-cattihgF
asked the reporter.
Most Of the stones to London from the Cape arc
resi- ipped to Amsterdam and Antwerp the great cutting
places Cutting done also in this country though only
within the last few years suppose there can't be over
three dozen cutters the whole country and OF these We
have one Dozen all foreigners. On this point II h To be
noted however that the demand here for inc cutting has
about reyOluOnZed the style OF cutting abroad As 10
anv principles In cutting there Il the general rule that
oueth OF the should be above the gre aud two
thirds below it, This proportion is sometimes sacrificed
in order 10 avoid mperfectons in stoncsuch as black
spots and feathers and at least hao the stones are
more or less imperfect Again the SIC ana shape OF tHe
stone In the rough viii determine whether shall nave
single cut or the full cut or the rose cut what l.
the difference between theinl You must have noticed
the many lilc planes sides 10 cut diamond Iha'o
are technically called facets Now. snclccu diamond
has eighteen facets and fucut stone ha' hitY lsnt
facets distributed above and below tie Circ In the pro
norton before mentioned. small stone Is likcly ~
course have only the single en- OF eighteen sides
fy-eut diamond Is called also brilliant though this
term is Incorrectly applied, sometimes. 10 Partisan or
paste diamonds The third or rosc cut, = given to
stones TOO small and thin tor either Of the other cuts
is peculiar this that the stone D. at on thc bottom and
facecd On top You viii undersJ nd hOT small the re- 30
cut stones are when rll You that It often takes thou
sand OF N ia to make carat weight. They are useful
however IN filing IN corners etc. Apart from the con-
.ideraton- have noted the cutter guided ny III, o~n
discretion and taste The operation You bu0w the Old
sayr,. about diamond cutting diamondi II = hier
ally true with US The workman simply rut> one rough
diamond against the other Polishing Is necessary after
ward and {, done by holding The cut ston" down
against wheel revolving extremely rapid rate or
tha xheal firm lime Ia d
must look out for flaws or the Diamond viii he caught IN
some rough pou, and he smashed in less than he ira
ditiona Ufy. As to the time taken to cut anu polish one
cutter will Do work enough 10 keep half Oxen polish -
busy and good pOsher viii polish about twenty cSras
About the color OF damonds" suggested the re-
There "a every inaeiaahe tint but The prn.pa, trade
coors arc the standard white the blush tint the yrow
and the brown. he white, while most yaluahe' = no
always the most brilliant The blush ut much sougat
after now. yellow is tho most common OF tng lou.
Apparently there is glowing taste toI fancy coiors IA
diamonds dark brown, BRIGHT yCloN, " Chby a. a. =,
called and other natural co!9Te Yes, atlnClai colo h6
has been done by the Use OF aniune yellow sN,ho
dipped IN THIS receives blush tint, hut this cones on oy
exposure to the air or by use liner. va sreHt sNes
neui about the matter last year you may recii boil
here and in Europe don't think II Is piac1lsed much
OF the other coored stones" continued the speaker.
finest rubes come from Ceyon and Siam. They are roe
expensive than diamonds OF the same SIZE OWING 10 FER
bit ihes are very TT b neg Sod many ~ the
and after all are not black but sort OF smoky hUs
The duo white pearls come from Australia We nav
| frOm Hungary, but opals sell rather
noOrly now, though trfe better IN popular Favor
than few years ago. The Empress Eugen In her time
dd much 10 discourage the sale ~ the opal a. she sGh
scrfbed 10 the superstition that the Mother oi sor
rows The Central American opal + affected by heat 50
that II II has a II will Dc likely to split A. 70 the
s, peSiF S nsS @ne ccn The color Of TIE
! Stone found there Is lighter than that a. Burmah
| but II Is more Brilliant We have very niue eau
| nowadays for emeralds There are mutations
| You know. OF saPplIlres and emerald.; and
fhe French initiate pearls also IN composition that NJ
| most defes detection by the unframed eye:
the trade in general may say thai w'fhin th'
Last thirteen II has increased eight IL q my
that 1870 not more than one million dollars
worth precious stones imported Last year accord
ing TO the Custom House authorities eight million do rs
worth was imported. the bulk bcipg OF diamonds N!hs
ten years also the number Of importing houses has ~
creased this city alone from eha dozen 20 noart
fifty The tari lRvOrs the business there's no duty
on The In the rough aud only ten per ecnt ON il
| cut stone.