The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-09-01
THE DIAMOND TRADE.


mines, the largest being the Kimberley,
which covers some 20 acres Of land. In the
last 10 years these mines have yielded large
", many fine stones having been found.
But the Kimberley stones-with the excep-
ton of the celebrated Peter Rhodes stone,
which weighed $50 carats In the rough-are
not always Of the finest quality. Though
large (they get them as high as 800 carats),
many of them are only worth cutting into
smaller stones.
India once did but no longer does enter
into trade considerations as a great diamond
producing country. The Brazilian diamond,
though small, is often of finer quality than
the African or Indian stone. In Brazil the
diamond is usually found In the sandy
beds of rivers, while the Cape stones are
dug out at depth of from 800 to 500 feet
below the surface earth. The Brazilian
stones are found in kind Of soft, soapy
muck called blue earth. Some are almost
round, while others have eight sides In
weight they will average from to 10 carata,
comparatively few stones above 10 carats
being found. This is in the rough. Cut
ting reduces them nearly half their natural
size.
1.-The carat speak of is one peculiar to
diamonds, rubies, sapphires and opals. A
carat is a trifle over seven pennyweight,
troy weight.
Most Of the Cape stones are sent to Lon
dtn, where they are reshipped to Amster-
dam and Antwerp, the great cutting cities.
Diamonds are also cut as well in Maiden
lane as in Amsterdam. In cutting dia-
monds there is general rule that one-third
of the stone should be above the girdle and
two-thirds below it. This proportion is
sometimes sacrificed in order to avoid inn
perfection in a stone, such az black spots
and feathers, and at least one-half Of the
stones are more or less imperfect.
Again, the size and shape of q stone in
the rough will determine whether it shall
be single cut, full cut or a rose cut dia-
mond.r
''You have noticed the many little places
or sides to cut diamond. These are tech
nically called facets. A single cut diamond
has IS facets, and a full cut stone has So
facets, distributed above and below the CIR
die in the proportion have just mentioned.
A small stone will usually have only the
single cut of IS Sides A full cut diamond
is called brilliant, and this term is incor-
rectly applied sometimes to Partisan or
paste diamonds
1.-The third or rose cut is given to stones
which are too small and thin for either Of
the other cuts. The shape Of the rose cut
diamond is peculiar, inasmuch as the stone
is fiat on the bottom and faceted on top,
and you will understand how small the rose
cut stones are when tell you that it often
takes several hundred of them to make
carat weight. They are very useful, how
ever, in filling in corners, etc.
apart from the consideration / have
noted, the diamond cutter Is guided by his
own discretion and taste in modelling a
stone. The operation is simple enough. It
is the old saying about diamond cut diar
mond, illustrated. The workman merely
rubs one rough diamond against the other.
Then comes the polishing, which is done by
holding the cut stone down against wheel
which re- Gives at an extremely rapid rate.
In applying the stone to the wheel the cut
ter must look out for flaws, or the diamond
will be caught on some rough point and be
ruined in less than the traditional jiffy. AS
to the time taken to cut and polish stone,
one cutter will work fast enough to keep
half q dozen polishers busy, and a good
polisher will polish about 90 carats Il week.
Regarding the color Of diamonds" con-
tinued the speaker, there is every iuagina-
BILE tint, but the principal trade colors are
the standard white, the blush tint, the
yellow and the brown. The white, while
the most valuable, is not always the most
brilliant. The blush tint is favorite and
much sought after. The yellow stone is
the most common, and there is growing
taste for dark brown, bright yellow or
canary, as it is called, and other natural
colors.
"Peoplen not acquainted with the diamond
market abroad cannot comprehend the
difficulties and perplexities that harass a
diamond buyer. He has to be constantly
on the alert for sharp practices, for the per-
sons holding the stock Of diamonds in
Europe are among the shrewdest merchants
to be found anywhere, and they not only
work in collision, but play one customer
against another to obtain higher prices.
They are wonderfully given to romancing,
and their statements, like their goods, are
only to be taken after investigation.
1.-THE diamond merchants abroad do not
grade their gools but when a purchaser
comes along II parcel comprising good, bad
and Indifferent stones is shown to him, and
he usually has to bid for the whole parcel.
The grading, pairing and selecting are done
for the American market after the stones
have reached our shore.
by this means a purchaser is compelled
to buy many goods that he would not were
he allowed the privilege Of selection. Some
diamonds thus purchased are actually sold
here at less than they cost abroad
1T is Il conceded fact that the American
consumers of precious stones are the most
critical Of any that merchants have to cater
to, and European holders of diamonds ap-
preciate this fact. In this country but three
grades OF diamonds are really marketable
the first being rare and exceptionable gems
the second first water goods, and the third
must be above the average quality sold to
Europeans. Fashion also has something to
do in enhancing the value Of diamonds by
proclaiming one day in favor OF one par
ticular style of cutting or Of color and again
changing a setting in the post q honor to
those which had been previously rejected
The experts of 10 years ago would be sadly
puzzled today to make a selection Of first
class diamonds for the American market
Indeed the trade is most difficult one to
cater to, full Of annoyances and hazards
and requiring special training and unhag-
ging vigilance. New York Times.
What the English Cannot Do.