Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-03-25
DIAMOND POLISHING.
CUTTING IND PUTTING A Lus1es
ON THE FIERY STONE.

ehouSh u Do able to wear diamonds
KNOW what amount Of labor has been
expended upon them from the time thew
were mined until finally they appear in
the showcases of the jewellers ready for
use. Fewer still are aware OF the fact
that tho labor Of the cutter and polisher
ADDS at least $40 carat to the value of
the uncut diamond. These would souirm
at the idea of taking even a seemingly
hnished and polished brilliant and split.
ting it into two pieces, doubling the OK.
pediency Of the act on common sense
grounds. The loss in weight from cut.
ting is over one.half, but it so adds to
the value of the diamond that stone
OF one carat, costing in the rough per.
haps $40, would sell for $110 when cut
and polished, and the refuse or leav
ings from the cutting might bring a
tidy sum besides. The value, however,
does not depend alone upon the weight
OF the stone, but it is affected also by
blemishes and impurity of color. It is
the stone with blemish, which is some
times left in it in the hope that the
ignorant and inexperienced purchaser
may not discover it, which goes to the
diamond cutter second time, that the
oonnoisseur thinks needs cutting and
necessarily reducing to take the blemish
out Of, and thus increased its brilliancy
and value.
Less than Is years ago two diamond
cutters cut and finished all the rough
diamonds which came to this market
In fact, there was not a sufflciency of
work even for these two workmen, for
the brilliants were nearly all imported
in o finished state, ready for setting in
any shape for the wearers. But the du.
ties upon these became an important
matter, as there was nothing to pay up
on the rough stone, at least nothing to
speak of, and the finished article cost
high because Of the demands of Uncle
Sam. He argued that people who could
afford to wear diamonds should be will
ing to pay high for the privilege. This
matter Of duty paid to the customs off,
GERS became an incentive to the dia-
mond cutting profession, and the num-
Der of workmen was increased and the
inventive genius Of our bright Ameri.
can inventors set at work to make labor
saving machines for cutting and polish
ing diamonds.
Another fact that increased the incen.
tive to encouraging American diamond
cutters was that the work on the bril-
liapts was too frequently done il care,
less manner in Europe, particularly out
side Of the Dutch city Of Amsterdam,
and that American workmen could
rnnch better satisfy the critical taste of
our people who deal in and wear pre-
cious stones, for the trade takes In all
precious stones as well as diamonds. At
hat time the difference between q dia.
pond imported and one cut and finished
iere was SO marked that the demand for
tones finished here was greatly In
reased, and within five years some six
pore diamond cutters had established |
In New York, and all had |
rore work than IL was possible for them |
o do. The eight diamond cutters dressed |
md polished at least ne-twentieth Of
IL the diamonds sold in the city of New
FORK, and the superior excellence of
heir work was recognized by all deal
RS and became the envy of the older
workers in Holland, who had heretofore
ad almost complete monopoly Of the
rade. This showed that some things as
veil as others might be done on this
ide of the water better than the work
len of Europe could do.
Diamonds are imported, as q rule,
rom South Africa, where as large and
8 fine stones are found as in all Of the
last Indies and Brazil, although many
+ the African diamonds are off color.
hey come to this country In the rough
a all sorts of shapes and almost always
neveg in shape. These lack entirely
hat luster which is the beauty Of the
rilliant and attaches to the name 30
losely, for it Is the brilliancy and lus-
er which make the diamond most valu-
bic, added, Of course. to the fact Of its
ardness and consequent ability to take
nd keep very high polish. BY the
roeess of "cleaving" the irregularities
{ the ropgh stones are chipped of, and
he general form OF the diamond Is So
uFed, but without It's possession OF any
I the circles which separate tho face
'bese Clipped off pieces, II Of suitable
oloF and without flaws, are used for
iaking what srs denominated rose"
iamonds. What arc called, IN the par
anoe Of the trade, "fasces" OF the dia'
,ond are cut by the rubbing together
I two stones, and when this process Is
ompleted and tho stones have been suf'
oiently rubbed down they resemble two
regular glass pebbles, but ground on
no fasces so that there is no sign nor
nv suggestion even Of brillianoy In
,et, they are entirely without luster or
sauty, aud 10 the inexperienced eye
lorthless pieces u glass But when the
olishing OF these dull looking stones u
nished, and tho process concluded
aere is a vast difference IN the appear
noe OF the diamonds. philadelphia