Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-01


uncut stone in the
laying of tariff duties. Ii is an extraordin-
airy fact that for many years the American
diamond cutters have mad the reputation of
being the best workmen in the world. and
that many fine stones, which have been cut
abroad, have been recut in this country TO
improve their appearance and increase their
value. But with only 10 per cent protection
for the industry IL mas languished. and last
year American importers received only
$S02.U75 worth of uncut stones. CT rough
diamonds: of which S355. 1888 worth were
GLACIERS diamonds. and ssl. 255 worth were
In the form Of diamond dust. That left
OILY si44.137 worth OF diamonds sent to
this country for cutting, while the total
importation OF Diamonds was worth &c.
49,, sos.
There had been some complaint, recently,
from the diamond cutters CT New York
the workmen-that men from Holland were
coming here under contract with the own
ers OF new diamond establishments. Here
tcfore, there has been no special induce
n.ent for the diamond workers from abroad
to come to America. The average pay OF
diamond cutters in New York is the same
as the pay of diamond cutters in Amster-
dam-<2 a carat And the bench expenses
of the Dutch workmen are less. An artist
among diamond cutters might have found
IL profitable TO come 70 this country, be-
cause the American public de nands a much
better class of work than II done usually
abroad: and the best workmen in New
York make 81 a carat, while the average in
Boston is 81 a carat. The best-paid work.
en-, however. do not earn double as much
as their fellows who receive s. a carat; for
they work much more slowly.
Experts fn This Country.
But. even n the new tariff should induce
a great many workmen to come 20 Amer
| lea from Amsterdam and London, IL lis like
ly that there viii be plenty of work for
them and for the American workmen, too.
Diamond cutting is not learned i'm a day,
and We win need a supply of diamond cut
tiers from abroad TO do the work of the
new establishments which are bound to
spring up in the larger cities.
Unfortunately. tine diamonds found in this
country are simply freaks. and diamond
| mining is not known here; so there are no
stones of domestic production TO give the
diamond cutters occupation. They must
depend on the stones bought abroad-chief-
~ IN London Heretofore. the diamond cut
ters OF the United States have not done
business enough to warrant them i'm MAIN
tanning branch houses in London and they
could hot enter into the keen competition
among purchasers there. take advantage Of
fluctuations i'm the market. and buy at a
slight reduction large parcels OF uncut gems
suddenly offered for immediate sale SO The
10 per cent protection has not awaited them
much.
Nevertheless the business of diamond cut
ting has increased very steadily Of late
years.
A Recent Industry.
The importance OF this industry and its
possibilities are well illustrated by the
statement that from 1865 to the present
day We have imported more than $780,
100000 worth Of diamonds: and that the
value OF these If imported in the rough.
would have been less than s95.oco.aoo.
Therefore, the people OF the United States
have paid $100.0C0V0 in twenty-six years 10
the diamond cutters OF Europe and their
employers. In the same period there have
been imported into the United States less
than a.Wo.o0 worth Of rough diamonds
The dfamond-cutting industry of the United
states Is only quarter OF a century old.
The first diamond was cut in this country
I'm 1862 But IL was three years later that
the first regular establishment for cutting
diamonds was established I'm Boston
Loss and Gain I'm Cutting.
Diamond cutting is not alone an industry:
IT is an art. Many of the best cutters are
known the world over: their diamonds are
named and cataiogued and ara easily recos-
nizable by any one who is familiar with the
diamond trade. Many men will 20 down
In history as the cutters OF certain famous
diamonds. The art in shaping the stone Is
TO give IL the most attractive appearance
at the least sacrifice of weight. An average
OF more than 80 per cert of the weight OF
a diamond is lost in cutting But a recut
ting will often more than double a stones
valCe. The recruiting of the Pitt diamond
paid for itself In the chips which came
from the stone. and the cost of that cnt
ting was $4,000. AS to the increase IN the
value Of the gem from the Improvement IN
Its appearance, that was enormous IL was
SOLD In III, for Sco.eoo, and It is estimated
TO be worth today s20000oo But the valne
OF these extraordinarily large gems depends
a great deal on the demand Being un,oue
they cannot be valued at SO much a carat
The first operation in handling the rough
diamond is splitting or cleaving The stones
must be split with the veins and great care IN
needed In this part Of the work as n mis-
take Is costly The cleaver is a general
He studies the field OF action, and deter
mir es on a plan of attack, according 10
the structure Of the particular stone in
hand. Then he fastens the stone in a bed
OF cement and marks the proposed line of
cleavage with a dull diamond. The line "a
deepened with a sharper diamond and made
still deeper with a diamond OF razor edge
Ihen steel knife is laid IN the line and
struck a quick sharp blow. This breaks
the stone into two parts. With the cleaver
rests the responsibility for getting the
greatest number of gems from a single
stone. He is the best paid workman in the
cutting establishment
Use Of Machines.
From the cleaver the stones go 20 the
cutter. The old method Of cutting was by
rubbing two stones together-in fact, until
49, diamond cutting was done entirely by
hand BY the mechanical process the stone as
II comes from the cleaver is put in the chuck
of lathe and there II revolves at great
speed, coming in contact with the face OF
another stone. by which IL is brought down
TO the desired shape. This machinery cam
not be used in handling the very small
gems. They must be fastened in beds of
cement and rubbed by hand.
From the cutter the stone goes TO the
setter and polishcr, who work together.
The polisher indicates how he wants
stone set The setter beds IL in a cone
Of molten lead. with the selected face ex-
posed. Each setter works for FIVE or six
poiishers ami each polisher handles four
stones at one time; SO the setter has
busy time. When the lead mas hardened
around the stone. the polisher puts il on his
wheel, which revolves at the rate of 300
times a minute. This wheel is an emery
wheel and IL is fed with diamond dust
The importation Of diamond dust is quite
a large business.
Each polisher has four stones on his
wheel at one time. As fast as one face IS
polished. the stone is handed back 10 the
setter, who resets il with another face ex-
posed, and IL is returned to the polisher
Each stone is reset twenty-five or thirty
times. When all OF the facets heve been
polished, the stone is returned to the cut
tor WI 0atS hoe &c