Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-09-01
DIAMOND CUTTERS.
WOMEN ARE EMPLOYED IN ONE or
THE LARGEST HOUSES.

ting Jewels from Rough ssenes-seisct-
ing asd Dividing the Jewels Before
They Reach the workreom.
Not all diamonds used In this part OF
Europe are cut In Paris or in Amster
dam; but in Geneva. close by the Quai
de La Poste, there Is the "Taillere de Dia
mants" Of the Dupuis Bros. Not only
that, but most Of tho diamond cut
tiers here are young women, tires In
telligente," and most attractive. They
receive, too, for work Of the same
kind AZ that done by men the same rate
of compensation. and many Of them
earn, though their hours are not long. |
from ten to fifteen dollars q week. The
establishment Of Dupuis Freres Is in u
handsome granite building, just at the
head Of the Coulouvreniere. and occu
pies its second etage. The building IL
triangular In form, with it's private Of
fices near the apex. The first OF these
Offices Is q coy room where the precious
stones are kept after cutting in q huge
iron safe. which win be brought at your
desire.
Quarter and half and almost pound
packets Of the beautiful gems that are
like showers of dew in brilliant sunshine
as you bury your hands among them.
There are all sizes, from the tiniest rose
diamond to others that are like second
kohinoors as they fash from the velvet
beds, for these larger diamonds are kept
carefully selected In cases instead Of In
the little tissue paper covered packets.
The variety Of tint Is simply wonderful
brown diamonds, green diamonds, vel.
low diamonds, purest white diamonds,
and rarest of all, the MN. Dupuis told
me, blue diamonds. Nearly opposite the
private Office is the bookkeeping and re-
cording room and the counter at which
the elder Nj. Dupuis sits asserting the
gems as they come from the cutting. and
II diamond In the rough Is Of such
shape that his skilled eye tells him II
could not be cut to advantage as found
he divides ii into two or three parts be-
fore it is carried to the workroom.
Both the asserting and the dividing re-
| quire the greatest skill and most perfect
knowledge-both intuitive and practice
| gained-of the stones. which In their
crude condition resemble. it seems to me.
bits and pieces of different tinted gum
arabic more than anything else. As
have told you. the serior member Of the
firm asserts and divides the diamonds,
while the Junior partner himself keeps
all books and records and apportions the
stones to their cutters. five at time tc
each. marking the weight. date and all
opposite the cutters name. until they are
returned completed. In this room. too
diamonds ARE received for repair and re-
cutting. That reminds me that in cut
ting almost one-half the original weight
Of the stone Is lost. or. more properly
cut away, for not grain Of the dust Ii
lost, az You will see.
The chief workroom OF Htelier Is q
large, bright. airy room. splendidly ven
tilated and exquisitely neat. In it, abou
the walls that form two sides Of the tri
angle. there are sufficient number o
cutting machines for about seventy-fiv'
employees, and back of these close b.
the windows are seats and benches fo
. the girls who place the diamonds in tn,
| solder, beds for the machine cutting. M
: operation that must be completed yer,
deity, for. first, there is the placing o
one solder oval in the cup Of the instru
ment that receives the diamond, an,
that much resembles the cup of '.cul
and ball" handle and all; then the othe
half must receive just the right degree o
fusion at the gas and be applied SO as h
finish the oval. II Is in the top of this mp
per part that the stone Is placed Will
the solder Is warm enough TO be modes
back sufficiently to leave one little fac
OF the gem visible. When ready for tn
machine the entire oval is little large
than a robins egg. Dipping quickly in
dish Of water hardens the solder, an
then the cup and ball, with the stick en-
up, Is applied TO the machine, whic
does the cutting by revolving 2.400 time
minute, so as to hold the diamond fac
closely down TO a steel disk perhaps
foot In diameter and covered with mi
croscopic lines, ON which diamond dus
has been scattered and Is held In psac
by minute particles of oil dropping from
quill above. The dust from one diamond
being caught ON this disk. serves to po
ish the next diamond. So, as you SEE
nothing is lost. The girls to whom thi
work Is intrusted must necessarily Civ
} IL their undivided attention.
In the lower center OF this room th
J walls are 30 constructed that secon
} triangle is formed. also with pleasau
J outlook. At the counters facing thes
windows the actual diamond cut dis
mond" process, one of the first TO whic
! the stones are subjected. is seen. The
J are imbedded in wax. and then one
used &c cut another by the most skillfu
J workmen. Ii is this process that pre-
duces the chips so much used In srnal
jewelry. Al the other side Of this inne
triangle men are always busy repairin
J and inspecting the machinery. especial
, the disks. whose condition must be abss
lutely perfect.
There Is one female operative In th
atelier Of great natural ability and man
years Of experience whose aid Is yer
J valuable. because she can Instant
! judge the weight Of even the most mir
. ute stones handed her for inspection
The recompense for cutting stones mp {
] those Of more than medium weight Ia.
believe. the same. because the amount Q
care and labor required Is the sam.
With the exception Of the light whir q
the machinery this large atelier In abs
iutely quiet, for there must not be eve
! singing here. lest 1t distract. though NJ
! consciously, from the attention require
by the work.-Paris Letter.