The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-12-08
DIAMOND CUTTING.
THE WORK THAT IS DONE BY
THE JEWS OF AMSTERDAM.

ntiyeIy Modern One-IIow the Work Is
Carried On-A Tedious Process-Polish-
crs at Their Wheels.
The quarter of Amsterdam inhabited
by the Jews is curious, but in respect TO
neatness contrasts uDfavorably with the
rest of the city. 1t is visited principally
to see the workshops of the diamond cut
tiers, which are near Joden Bree STRAIT, in
the vicinity of the Portuguese syna-
gogue. These form one of the leading
industrial features of the Dutch metropo-
lis. There are engaged in the business
forty merchants and proprietors OF IT.
ting and polishing works, and some 49,
600 persons in subordinate capacities,
whom It maintains in comfort or in lux
ury, and to whom it is said to be worth
over SO, 100000 Nine thousand of the
10, 600 are Jews, that race having had
from very distant times an extraordinary
affinity for this form of wealth.
A COMPARATIVELY MODERN ART.
It is strange to think that the art of
cutting the diamond, though the stone
itself has been held precious from
period which antedates history, should
only have been discovered in the Six
teenth century. Before that time rough
diamonds only were used, and those
were preferred which presented naturally
pyramidal figure, and which were set
with the point projecting. In 1915
Louis de Berguem discovered the art OF
cutting the stone and of polishing 1t with
its own dust. Then for the first time its
true beauty was revealed, 1t has from
time to time been cut in many forms, as
any one may see who examines models of
fuyp hf1t only fUn a 70
employed by skilfUl lapidaries-thc rose
and the brilliant. The rose cutting is
only for thin stones. 1t presents on
one side pyramid of triangular facets
and on the other nat surface, to be hid
den by the mounting. The brilliant, on
the contrary, presents on one side n fiat
surface, surrounded by triangular fac
cts, and on the other pyramid of facets,
intended to be placed openly in the set
ting and to reflect the light.
Most of the diamond cutting and pol
ishing establishments are In Zwangen-
burger straat, and unless one has guide
he finds the locality with difficulty. Once
found, there Is no trouble about seeing
the operations. The proprietors arc only
too glad to receive visitors, who may be-
come customers, for there is n good deal
of rivalry in the business. The conci-
erge conducts them through the place,
receiving half ilorin (21 cents for tho
service
HOW TIE WORK is DONE.
The work is carried on on several
floors, and the processes, though nice,
are simple, uniform and easily under
stood The power is supplied by hand
some steam engine in the basement in q
very simple manner BY means Of cogs
it is transferred to upright shafts run
ming up through the different floors.
These have great horizontal pullics from
which it is conveyed to the polishing
wheels ranged along the sides of the
rooms. These are also horizontal. The
first operation consists in dividing the
diamond as many times as is deemed nee
essary. Technically this is called cleav-
age, and it Is one of the miracles of ma
ture that the hardest substance known
is capable of such minute separation.
1t is the business of the skilful work.
man to find the cleavage by following the
seams of its crystalline forms, which run
parallel to the faces of regular octahe-
dron Having found it he fixes the rough
diamond on the end Of short stick, OF
mandrel, by means Of u cement which is
easily softened by heat, but hardens
QuiCklyj HoluiHS tuc otohc III ltS piuCo
with the requisite tenacity. Then by
the aid of another diamond having n cut
ting edge and fixed to another mandrel
in the same manner, he traces line
along the face Of the hard crystal. 1t is
only necessary then to apply the edge Of
small sharp instrument to the line he
has traced, give a smart blow and tho
diamond quickly separates ut the point
desired.
A TEDIOUS PROCESS.
The FIRST cutting is done by workman
whose hands are protected by thick
gloves, who having fixed two diamonds
immovably in the manner just described,
rubs them briskly together, which re-
suits in giving the form rose or the form
brilliant, according to the nature of the
stone or the preference OF the master.
These manpulations of the diamond are
performed over little boxes, that not a
particle of the powder be lost. The men
engaged In 1t sit ut little table or bench
adjacent to the main room, whose ap-
performances are all Of the most primitive
description. The polishing is performed
with great exactitude. The horizontal
wheels or discs used for 1t are Of steel,
about a foot In diameter. The diamond
dust is mixed with oil before being ap-
piled. Tho diamond Is firmly fixed in an
egg shaped piece of lead in such manner
that only the surface to be applied to the
disc is exposed. To the lead is attached
q sort of stem or short handle, which is
taken by tho polsher by means of pair
of pincers. When touched to the disc
the pincers arc held immovable by two
pieces of iron, one Of which presses it
firmly on one side and the other on the
other.
Tho polishers sit at their wheels in n
long row along either wall, but at n little
distance from it and facing the middle Of
the room. The diamonds are fixed in the
lcaden eggs by set Of workmen, much
less in number, who sit at little furnaces
along the wall. 1t takes keen eye to
determine when the facet has been cut
just enough and not too much.-Amster-
dam Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.