Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-12-09
DIAMOND CUTTING.
THE WORK THAT IS DONE BY
THE JEWS OF AMSTERDAM.


sfivery Modern One-How the Work is
I Carried On-A Tedious Process-Polish-
ers at Their Wheels.
The quarter of Amsterdam inhabited
~ the Jews is curious, but In respect to
nestness contrasts unfavorably with the
sasf Of the city. 1t is visited principally
- zee the workshops Of the diamond cut
ters, which are near Joden Bree STRAIT, in
fhe vicinity Of the Portuguese syna-
gogue. These form one of the leading
Industrial features of the Dutch metropo-
N. There are engaged In the business
forty merchants and proprietors OF 1T
ting and polishing works, and some TO-
600 persons in subordinate capacities,
Uhom IL maintains in comfort or in lux
uxy, and to whom IL is said TO be worth
ever Sc, 900, 900. Nine thousand Of the
10000 are Jews, that race having had
from very distant times an extraordinary
afinity for this form OF wealth.
COMPARATIVELY MODERN ART.
It is strange 10 think that the art Of
emitting the diamond, though the stone
itself has been held precious from a
period which antcdates history, should
only have been discovered i'm the Six
diamonds only were used, and those
were preferred which presented naturally
apyramidal figure, and which were set
with the point projecting. In 1879
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. Ii has from
time to time been cut in many forms, as
hn avo aipa dale -
those most famous, but only two are now
employed by skilful lapidaries-the rose
and the brilliant The rose cutting is
only for thin stones. Il presents on
one side pyramid of triangular facets
and on the other fiat surface, TO be hid
den by the mounting. The brilliant, on
the contrary, presents ON one side a fat
surface, surrounded by triangular fac
cts, and on the other pyramid of facets,
intended 10 be placed openly in the set
ting and 10 reflect the light
Most OF the diamond cutting and pol
ishing establishment 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 are only
too glad to receive visitors, who may be-
come customers, for there Is a good deal
Of rivalry in the business. The conci-
erge conducts them through the place,
receiving half ilorin (21 cents for the
service.
now 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
II is transferred to upright shafts run
ming mp through the different floors.
These have great horizontal pullies 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 IL Is one of the miracles of ma
ture that the hardest substance known
il capable of such minute separation.
1t Is the business of the skillul work
man to find the cleavage by following the
seams Of its crystalline forms, which run
parallel to the faces Of q regular octahe-
dron. Having found it lie fixes the rough
diamond on the end Of short stick, or
mandrel, by means CT q cement which is
easily softened by heat, but hardens
quickly, holding the stone in, its place
with the requisite tenacity Then by
the aid of another diamond having cut
ting edge and fixed to another mandrel
in the same manner, he traces line
along the face Of the hard crystal II is
only necessary then to apply the edge OF
a small sharp instrument to the line lie
has traced, give a smart blow and the
diamond quickly separates at the point
desired.
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 Ic-
suits in giving the form rose or tic fern
brilliant, according to the nature ~ t.c
stone or the preference of the rlcr.tr.
These manipulations Cf the diarlCEd :re
performed over little boxes, that ret a
particle OF the powder be lest. Tie i.,n
engaged in IL sit at little table or lc..ch
adjacent to the mnin roorI, vkcsc -.
prrtenances are ell Of the most rrir.itA =
description. The polishing is performed
with great exactitude. The horizontal
wheels OF discs used for it are Of steel.
about a foot in diameter. The diamond
dust is mixed with oil before being Gp-
Piled. The diamond is firmly fixed in TN
egg shaped piece of lead in such O manner
that only the surface TO be applied to the
disc is exposed. To the lead is attached
sort OF stem or short handle, which is
taken by the polisher by means Of pair
OF pineers. When touched to the disc
the pincers are held immovable by two
pieces OF iron, one Of which presses it
hrmly on one side and the other On the
other.
The polishers sit at their wheels in
long row along either wall, but at a little
distance from 1t and facing the middle of
the room. The diamonds are fixed in the
leaden eggs by set Of workmen, much
less in number, who sit at little furnaces
along the wall Ii takes a keen eve to
determine when the facet has been cut
Just enough and not too much.-Amster.
dam Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.
An Uncslled For Remark.
Young lady trending card just brought