Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-11-19
DIAMONDS.
CUTTING AND POLISHING THE
PRECIOUS STONES.
The Diamonds in Rough State
How They Are Cut Into Various
Shapes and POlished-Delicate and
Difficult Operations.

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Difficult Operations.
When the diamond is brought out of
its rough state it is simply tested and
registered by the diamond experts, and q
duty paid upon it. 1t is then carefully
packed, and shipped to the cutting estab-
| lishments thousands of miles away, for
very little of this work is done in South
| Africa. In India the ancients cut their
own diamonds, but they never followed
the rules which are adopted to-day. and
| the brilliancy of their stones was never
thoroughly developed.
The precious gems are soon sorted out
in the cutting establishment, and each
one registered and marked with certain
directions for cutting. Now the size and
shape of the diamond generally decides
its value after all. Some are elongated
and not very thick while others are nearly
round. Owing to the shape, some cannot
be cut after the most approved fashion
without losing nearly one-half of their
size. They are then cut after other pat
terms which seem better suited to their
general shape. The most precious dia-
monds are worked into the shape of the
brilliant, which is like two truncated
pyramids placed base to base. The less
precious ones are cut with less regularity,
and after simpler patterns. The value
of diamond can thus often be partly
determined by the number of angles
which it has. A poor one will not have
many, while an exceptionally rich one
will have many to develop its full bril-
liancy.
The more angles that any white stone
or piece of glass is cut into the more it
will flash, for the rays of light will be
cut up by the angles, and made to flash
out into innumerable smaller rays. This
is one of the principles of diamond cut
ting, but the angles must all be cut after
some general rule, or the whole work
will be spoilt Also there is certain
point beyond which the rays of light be-
come mingled and confused so that the
good effect is ruined.
Of late years paste diamonds, imita-
ton diamonds, and glass diamonds have
been placed upon the market in quanti-
ties, and it is difficult to distinguish
many of these from the genuine article.
They are cut in the most approved style,
and good quartz diamond, cut in the
shape of a brilliant, makes very effec-
tive show. Its value, however, is less
than one-twentieth of that of diamond
of similar size and shape. Glass cut in
prism shape will illustrate the value of
angles in any transparent body, and
glass diamonds can often be cut so ther
they resemble greatly the pure watat
gems. Fine, large diamonds are so very
expensive that many wealthy people pre-
fer to wear the limitations on general oc-
casions, and leave the genuine stones for
only very important and special times.
After the diamonds have been assigned
to their respective cases in the cutting
establishment, the cleaving operation is
the first one through which they pass.
This is done generally by hand, and it
consists in splitting off pieces of the
rough gem. Every stone and mineral
has its line of cleavage, as it is termed
in geology, and the diamond has minute
situations which determine its cleavage
plane. The stone is mounted on q wood
en- handle by cement, and the cleaver is
then pressed slowly against it until
notch is formed. The fragment of an
other diamond, mounted on handle, and
placed in n machine, generally does this
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on the table, and a sharp-edged knife is
placed in the notch, and the back of the
knife struck sharply with an iron rod
The piece is split off with one blow, and
brig ght clear face is left exposed. All
rough diamonds are treated in this way,
and great deal of skill and knowledge
is required to do the work successfully.
After the cleaving the cutting opera
ton is brought into requisition. A ma
chine has been introduced to do this
work, and very little of it now is per-
formed by hand. But the operation is
nearly the same, only the machine is.
more accurate. One diamond is rubbed
against another until they are cut in the
proper way. The operator has to watch
carefully, and as soon as the face is
properly worn upon the stone the work
must cease, or the gem will be ruined.
One extra stroke or turn of the machine
may decrease the value of the diamond
greatly. Even when the stone is taken
from the machine the finishing of the
edges and faces must be done by hand.
The polishing follows the cutting. The
diamond is placed in another handle, or
"dopp," as it is called. A horizontal
at speed of twenty thousand revolu-
tions per minute, but with motion so
steady that the wheel appea RS to be mo-
tionless. The disk is wetted we'll with
olive oil and diamond dust, and the dia-
mond is placed upon this disk at the
proper angle. The polishing consists in
cutting as well as rubbing, and the dia-
mond is thus finished off and made as
brilliant as possible. The time required
for polishing depends upon the diamond,
and some require near double the time
and work that others do. After the pol
isher is thoroughly arranged, the opera
tor can leave it to do its work alone, but
he frequently has to inspect the gem to
see that it is not bearing on too much at
one angle.
The setting of the diamonds is an en-
tirely distinct work, and is not generally
performed in the same factory. The
diamonds, after being polished, are ready
for the wholesale dealers, and they are
shipped to all parts of the globe. Each
Individual jeweler sets them to suit him
self, in rings, watches, breast-pins, ear
drops, and hundreds of other pieces of
jewelry.-[ The Epoch.