Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-12

inches long, with sliding top to hold
the diamonds to be cut; the other five
inches long and the width of the box,
with Il movable fine sieve about half down
to catch the dust coming from rubbing
the two stones together This dust, after
going through line sieve, is received in
small drawer which comes out through
the front of the box. The cutting is the
most important and hardest part of the
preparation OF the stone. From the con
slant rubbing the fingers become dislig-
urcd and knotted, and to save them
in the heavy blocking of stone n
small machine has been invented. Only
two of these machines are in use. The
machinc works on the same principle of
rubbing two stones together MS the sticks,
but cannot do such fine work rs is done
by hand.
The po!isher takes charge of the stone
after it has passed through the hands of
the cutter, and judges his work from the
condition Of the stone when received. To
polish the stone with mathematical
exactncss, as has to be done to get the
best effect, the operator has whecl-or
'lapp," as it is technically called made
of an alloy of iron and lead or copper.
This lapp makes $500 revolutions IL
minute, and has to run with the lenst posi-
bile friction and be perfectly balanced. In
order to get the least friction either end
of the spindle of the lnpp rests on a small
piece of lamp wick saturated with lubri-
eating oil. The polisher has little cup
shaped piece of lead, with copper rod
shank-calIcd u "dnpp"--that he fills
with mixture of lead and pewter, in
which he puts the Diamond The shank
OF the dupp is then put in the end of the
clamp.
This clamp insurcs the diamond being
held in IL steady position, and by weight
ing it any amount of pressure can be
brought to bear on the diamond. On this
lapp is used the diamond dust made by
the cutting, and so practically but little
of the valuable stone is wasted. The
greatest care il taken to prevent the
dupp getting heated and this is done by
repeatedly dipping it in the small tub OF
water that stands in front of the polisher
ON the table. II the dupp should &c.
heated the metal holding the diamond
would soften and the stone get turned,
either fracturing it or cutting it uneven.
ly. In polishing the girdlc of the dia
mond Is never reduced las this determines
its size and consequently its value to a
certain extent. Never more than four
stones are put on the lapp at one time us
the polishcr has TO be on the alert to pre-
vent the dupp heating from the rapid
revolution Of the lapp. In the case of
very fine work two stones on the lapp ut
one time give the polisher all he can at
tend to. The shank of the dupp is made
of copper so that it may be bent and thus
present different facet to the lapp with
out removing the diamond from tho
dupp.
The stone after the polishcr has finished
with it, is given to the designers depart
mens, and the design made of which it
is to be part. The diamond, with the
design and quantity of gold, is given
to one of the gold workers. This gold is
then made into the required shape, and
the gold finishcr proceeds to dress and
polish it until it is ready for the diamond.
Now comes most important part of
the work in making a perfect piece of
jcwelry, and that is the setting of the
stone into the gold. The setting must he
done so that the beads of the gold only
lap sufficiently TO secure the stone and
not to take away any of its brillianc..
The gold setting for the stone is put on
the end of conc shaped stick in shelIac,
and is thus held perfectly steady while
the diamond is being fitted in its future
resting place. The diamond is carefully
put into the hole intended for it
and the beads bent over just enough
to hold it. The upper part
OF a stone is always larger than
the bottom, 50 when the top is held
firmly the stone is secure. Set in this
way the greatest possible extent of sur
face is exposed to the light, and SO the
greatest brilliancy secured.
Then the completed piece of jewclry
is sent to the finishcr, and the piece made
ready for the salcsroom. ~ -