The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-11-06
CUTTING DIAMONDS,

y
cutting and polishing diamonds has
greatly advanced in America. Not
many years ago few uncut stones of
considerable size were imported, and
in proportion to the number of gems
brought here diamonds in the rough
were few and almost always small.
There seemed little to gain in introduc-
ing an industry which could apparently
be prosecuted at much less cost and
therefore more profit in Europe, where
i was solidly established.
The growth of the industry here has
been very gradual. Nearly all the
workmen engaged in it learned the art
in Europe, and they are still few in
number. There are only from seven
ty-five to one hundred diamond cut
ters in the country. With the eXcep-
ton of a few III Philadelphia, and pos
sibly a couple in Chicago, the diamond
cutters in this country are confined to
Boston and New York. The work
pays well, though not SO well as might
be imagined. In Europe an apprentice
to diamond cutter serves from five
to seven years. At the end of his
term of service he may be a mechanic,
but often he is not. The work requires
keenness of sight and delicacy oftouch,
aswell as what is termed q correct eye.
1t is only within short time that the
work of the eye has been lessened by
the introduction af a gauge invented
by Mr.. Morse, of Boston, and called
the Morse gauge. This, according to
diamond cutters here, has not been
introduced, or at least adopted, in
Europe, where they still depend upon
the eye for accurate measurement.
The strain on the visual organs in
cutting stones of small size must be
very great, yet comparatively few OF
the cutters use artificial aids to the
eye. A cutter who had been working
at his trade for nearly fifteen years
was rash enough to boast recently
that he could cut diamond one sixty
fourth of q carat in weight without
any artificial aid to his natural sight.
In America apprentices serve for
three years, but like their brethren in
Europe only a moderate percentage
becomes skilled workmen. When the
African diamond fields were discover
ed the market value of the gems drop
ped suddenly, and there was large
demand for stones of all kinds and
sizes. In Europe cutters were in such
a demand that from 200 to 500 guild
ems week were offered for their ser
vices. When the market steadied
wages dropped, and European work
men now receive from $50 to $40 per
week, though but few receive the lat
ter rate. Wages here range from $52
to $50 per week.
The rules which govern diamond
cutting shop are much the same as
those in force in jewelry manufactor-
les. In the morning the men receive a
certain number ofstones. Before they
leave the shops, even for q minute,
they must account for everything en-
trusted to them. A diamond cutting
establishment is hive of industry.
The cutter works by hand. The pol
Usher is aided by machinery. The cut
ter kills two birds with one stone by
cutting one diamond with another
The stones in the rough are unsightly
looking objects. The ordinary pebble
is quite as pretty, and to the unini-
tiated a lot of uncut diamonds looks
as much like bits. of gum arabic as
anything But even the uninitiated
are likely to observe that most of the
stones are octahedron in form. Color
less spinels, pieces of quartz, topaz,
ETC., have the same form, SO that
much care and knowledge is re-
quired in buying rough diamonds.
Hard as the diamonds are an unex-
perienced workman can cut and polish
from two to four carats in a day.
Much depends upon the quality of the
stone. II it has q knob OF a cavity in
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difficulty Sometimes this is impossi-
BILE, and a fair sized stone may become
almost valueless from some imper-
fection other than color.
Diamonds of less than a carat are
majority OF shops nothing less than
two-carat stones are handled. As
labor is cheaper in Europe than here,
it is most rGftable to buy small stones
already cut and polished. They think
nothing ON the other side of the water
of cutting diamonds which weigh ten
to the carat. Diamonds SO infinitesi-
NAL that it required 1 800 to weigh a
carat have been cut in Europe When
the number of facets on each are con-
sidered some idea can be obtained of
the delicacy of the work. A breath
would scatter a package of such .di-
minutive sparklefs. They are some
times used for jeweling watches, though
rubies are preferred.
The implements OF the cutter are few
and simple. He has a little brass
bound box, about four inches square,
open at the top. 1t is furnished with
two small uprlghts, against which he
rests his hands when at work He
takes two diamonds and fastens them
on to two ''sticks." The head of the
stick is hollow and resembles an in
verted bowl. The bowl is filled with
cement. 1t is heated until it becomes
soft. The dismond is inserted into
the cement, with one of the covers ex-
posed. When the cement has cooled
each ''stick" is furnished with a dia-
mond. The cutter dons leather half
gloves, and ON his right thumb he
wears a. stall. Taking stick in each
hand, he brings the exposed points to-
esther and rubs them, one against the
either, until he has produced a fat
sGrface, a facet. By this means fac
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