The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-10

mines py the various mining compan-
les and licensed buyers they are
shipped by mail steamers direct from
uhe Cape of London, which, until two
years ago, was the greatest market in
the world for rough diamonds. These
parcels were frequently sold within
| one or two days after their arrival in
London. When the owners reside in
South Africa, and the price expected is
not realized, the parcels are sealed
while the offers are cabled, and the
! transaction is often closed within
tWenty-four hours.
On the arrival Of mail steamers, buy
efs from Amsterdam, Paris, and Ant
Mtrp visit London 10 make purchases
ne stones are tllen cut; exceptionally
me ones are sold separately. and tine
o1hers in parcels according to size and
| quality.
\ clever trick was resorted to during
] some negotiations in 1889 by Mr. Cecil
Rhodes, the Napoleon of the diamond
world. and the organizer of the mining
combinations. a fellow director, Bar
! haeo. made an offer for the entire
STOCK on hand. which Rhodes agreed
! TO- provided all should be weighed to-
Setner, saying that he would like to
see a bucletful of diamonds. They
! were all put into a pail, which they
nearly filled. and as the market had no
CURED to separate the stones again
! according to grades, the price was sus-
tanned. and the company tided over
the difficulty.
! In January Of the present year The
Antwerp and Amsterdam dealers en-
deaVored TO break the English control
! OF the rough diamond market by offer
ing higher figure than the English
syndicate had bid for d three months
a
lish syndicate then made higher offer
for the whole product of 1895. and a
sale to them took place of over ST.
100000 the limit fixed for the output
J this year.
The Extensive Trade in Diamond
Waste.
One of the curious phases of the
Amsterdam diamond cutting industry
is the extent Of the trade in diamond
waste. Most of this material comes
new from the cleavers. Formerly,
when diamonds were still very expen-
sive. cleavers did not deign to set to
work upon stone unless it was main
ly of fair quality, and the most of it
could be turned out as valuable dia-
monds But now, through the great
competition in price, nothing may be
rejected. If a piece CT boart contains
but one good corner, though not more
than one-eiShth of carat in weight,
and consequently less than half that
weight when polished. it must be turn
ed to account, and if this little avail
able portion lies in the center of the
stone it can only be reached by a great
deal of cleaVing, which will unaVOid-
ably produce many splinters and much
dust. Cleaver's waste is Of several
kinds, generally sold in lump to deal
ers. First, there is the boart, or the
remnants of stones from which small
corners have been taken off; these re-
alize the full market price of boart.
Out Of the other waste are picked the
few splinters yet fit to be worked into
rose diamonds, next the long pointed
splinters which, when inserted in a
handle, are used for points in engrav-
ing upon stone, glass. etc. After these
come the smaller bits. some of which
may also be used for engraving, and
the stronger ones for boring holes in
porcelain and glacs. etc. The smallest
material of this kind is generally
stamped into powder, and employed in
polishing diamonds and arts. Some of
the coarser pieces. when smooth, are
used for slabs, in which holes are
drilled, and they are sold for wire
drawing, being much harder and more
durable than any other substances for
this purpose.
a great deal of waste also comes
from the cutters. During the cutting
a variety of splinters and fine frag-
ments are thrown off; hence, the waste
material furnished by cutters. and to
some extent by the cleavers, is the
sweepings. of which there are again
two kinds, viz: First, "bak fulles,"
l.
which the friction Of the two diamonds
occurs-a mixture of minute diamond
particles and scrapings of cement;
second, table fulles," or sweepings of
the floor Of the shop. All these pass
through complicated processes of
cleaning, by deXterous and experienced
hands. At first nothing is seen but
black. dusty fragments Of the cement
used to fit the diamonds on the han
dies, with here and there a-glimmering
bit hardly visible to the inexperienced
eye. The buyer, however, knows how
to treat. 1T by Sitting, burning and boil
ing in nitric acid, so that out of this
black mass is brought a fine snow,
white powder mixed with minute
fragments of diamond used for stamp
ing. An extensive trade is done in
these different kinds of waste, and it
is exported from Holland to various
technical purposes. Over 200 persons
in Amsterdam gain tlreir living as
dealers in diamond waste and sweep
ings
Diamond Cutting in the United
States.
The subject of diamond-cutting in the |
United States is worthy of considera- !
tion. Since 1868 more than one hun
dred and seventy-five million dollars !
worth of diamonds have been imported !
into the United States. of which about |
fifteen million dollars worth came in !
the eleven years between June, 1882 and !
June. 1898. Of these the original !
rough stones could not have cost
more than one-half. Ii these stones |
would have given employment to five |
thousand men for the past twelve years !
at the average yearly wages of one thou /
sand dollars. The difficulty in establish !
ing the diamond cutting industry in this |
country is the inability of dealers TO OBJ
the fact that diamond cutting is an old
established industry, and in many ways
waste is prevented by Il more economic
system of working.
In the years of 1882 to 1885 number of !
American jewelers. opened a diamond
cutting establishment, but the cutting has I
not been protitably carried on in this
country on scale large enough to Justify
branch houses in London, the great mar
ket for rough diamonds, where advant-
ages can be taken of every fiuctuation in
the market and large parcels purchased
which can be cut Immediately and con-
Verted into cash. for nothing is bought
During 1893 diamond cutting was oar