Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-06-21
TIE DIAMOND CUTTERS.
HOW THEY WORK AND WxHAT THEY
EARN IN NEW YORK CITY.

~ EARN IN NEW YORK CITY.
One Hundred Men Who Make High Wages
Vt the Nice Understanding About the
Method Of Grinding and Polishing ths
Beautiful Stones.
The fifteen diamond cutting concerns
of New York polish 10000 carats OF
rough diamonds each year. rather moro
than the annual output Of the Brazilian
mines One hundred skilled workmer
are employed in the trade, and the
bosses say that the diamond cutters Of
New York are the best in the world
The business has grown up within ten
or fifteen years. but already most of the
apprentices are native Americans. A
clever lad beginning the trade at IS may
become skilled workman in five or sia
years. The best diamond cutters undea
favorable conditions earn from $40 to
$50 week These are better wages
than those earned by any save the most
famous foreign diamond cutters. Work
men here are more intelligent and trust
worthy than those of Holland, France
or England, the chief diamond cutting
countries of Europe. Theft is common
abroad, but unusual here.
KEEPING THE RECORDS.
In looking about diamond cutting es-
Establishment one would hardly suspect
the precious character of the material in
use. The floors are bare, the windows are
open, and any one may enter by the door
unchaIlenged. Much is trusted to the
honesty of the workman, but some simple
precautions are taken. When diamond
cutter receives an invoice of stones he
carefully studies each one. and takes note
of it's color, size, weight and shape. The
whittier ones look like bits of clear alum,
the darker like clouded quartz. The
rarest and costliest stones are of sky blue,
pink and black. Ordinarily, however.
the pure water colored diamond without
tint or flaw is most sought after.
When the boss cutter has made accu-
rate record of his rough diamonds he
divides them into groups of four or five
and gives group to each workman.
From that time forth the man to whom
they are intrusted is responsible for the
stones He returns them each night to
the boss, and the progress of the work is
carefully noted. In this way it is made
extremely difficult for fraud to be prac-
ticed cutter is seldom permitted to
polish q stone belonging to any one but
the boss. Doubtless the workman would
he careful to avoid confusion, but mis-.
takes might arise. Now and then clever
substitution is managed, and once in a
long while outright theft is committed.
The first work done upon the rough |
diamond is cleaving. The stone is placed
in peculiar cement that sOftens easily
and hardens quickly. A little notch on
the line of cleavage is made with another
diamond, the edge of an old razor lie
placed in this notch. and with smart
blow of the hammer the diamond is split.
Of course, when diamond can be worked
whole it is not split. After cleaving comes
cutting. The diamond is placed in
little mass of cement on the end of a
stick, and scraped with another diamond
similarly imbedded. The cutter has sis
points presented to him, and he begin'
with the one that seems most promising
HIS choice decides which shall be the up
DEF surface of the diamond, for in the
"brilliant" cutting, which is the most
difficult and the one almost generally
practiced here, the exposed surface is
slightly flattened, while the under side
runs to the apex of a pyramid. In this
way eight OF ten facets are made.
From the cutter the stone goes to the
grinder or poIisher. who patiently turns
It and turns it until the swiftly whirling