The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-17
IMPORTANCE OF THE INDUS.
TRY IN AMSTERDAM.
Women Make the Best workers-Their
Task Is Delicate and Difficult.
Sales to America.

OF Inc extensive cut uidhlbila DAIAAh0'a
of this country last year were made In
Holland. the following report on this sub
iect from the consul is of considerable in
terest:
Among the many industries of Amster-
dam. that of diamond cutting has been
been an important one. Since the fifteenth
century (when It was started it has been
extensively carried on, and today no fewer
than sixty films are registered in Amster-
dam as misunderstanding or tamond-
polishing companies. Some OF the firms re-
strict themselves entirely to one process,
that of diamond polishing. while others
carry out the whole Of the three processes,
diamond splitting, diamond cutting and
diamond polishing. In one OF these typi-
cal complete factories 90 per cent. Of all
the many thousands OF rough uncut dia-
monds received every year come from
South Africa. and those principally from
the De Beers mine at Kimberley. 1t gives
one a little idea of the Importance OF this
industry in Amsterdam to realize that 400
600 diamonds were cut and polished In this
factory IN one year alone. and that 800 70
$50 men are daily employed in the diff
ferent workrooms by this one company.
which also employs about twenty women,
who deserve to be mentioned, since they
are intrusted with the very important
work of diamond cutting. Although the
firm was established In 1913. IL was not
until 1875 that women were employed in
the factory. but so satisfactory was the
experiment that now nearly the entire
work of diamond cutting Is done by them,
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through their skillful fingers.
Splitting Process.
The first of the three processes through
which the rough, uncut diamond has to
pass Is that of splitting the stone. About
twelve men are employed in this work.,
which is all done by hand without the aid
Of machinery. 1t is not n lengthy process
unless the stone contains a great many
flaws, for an ordinary diamond Weighing
about ten knrats enn generally be split IN
fifteen minutes. The object is to divide
the rough, uncut dlamond eeontainlng
naws) into several pure, flawless stones,
and In order to do this strong pressure is
exerted on the weak spots t%caused by
flnws) by means of a diamond-tipped tool.
which is held in the right hand. 1t is an
old and well-%reoognized principle that
nothing but a diamond will cut a dia-
mend" In the left hand is held a curl
ously shaped little frame. into which the
rough m now to be split has been
firmly waxed. Great pressure Is then used
on the weak spot, and in a few moments
the diamond splits into two portions.
of these sections the process Is repeated
until several pure, fiawless diamonds lie
on the rough wooden ables of the work
men, ready now for the second process,
that of cutting. This process, like the
first, Is almost entirely performed by hand,
but with one striking difference-the work
is done by women and girls instead OF
men. Only in the case of very hard, diff
cult stones is machinery necessary, and
then "a mere man" Is employed to use 1t.
A pleasant workshop has been built for
the women on the quay close to the fac
tory. In this room about twenty women
and girls sit at several tables, placed where
the light from the six large windows can
fall on their work. They work eight hours
q day, their wages varying from 5 to 20
guilders 1921 to $500 n week.
The work of diamond cutting is a delicate
and difficult task, very trying TO the eyes,
too, for some Of the diamonds are so min
ute that 400 of them or more may weigh
only half a karat, Each worker is respon-
sible for the packet OF diamonds she re-
and IL by accident she loses one of the
[ precious stones she has either to find il
ogain or refund Its value.
The Cutting Operation.
The tools employed in diamond cutting
are very similar In appearance to those
employed in the first process, that of dia-
mond splitting. In both cases diamonds
are used as knives after having been
firmly waxed into the tip of pear-shaped
tools. The women hold In the left hand
the rough diamond they wish to cut.
which has also been firmly waxed into
q wooden frame. Little jets of gas are
always kept burning on the various tables,
ready to be. used at any moment when
melted wax is necessary.
The only real difference In the two
processes Of diamond splitting and dia-
mond cutting lies in the fact that whereas
the men who split the diamonds use pres
o%ccurs), the women spend their energies
in rounding the whole stone and carefully
cutting off all angles to be seen on its
surface by means of the sharp diamonds
they hold in their right hands. Occa-
sionally they have very large diamonds to
cut, which take a great deal of time, but
an ordinary stone weighing about ten
karats would take on an average of a
whole days work-a day Of eight hours.
When the diamond has been sufficiently
cut and rounded, 1t is then ready for the
third and last process, that of polishing.
This work requires a great deal of time
and skill. and Is performed entirely by
machinery, a huge steam engine supplying
the motive power for all the iron disks.
There are ten large workrooms. In which
300 men work who are engaged In the diff
cult process Of diamond polishing, their
wages averaging about twenty guilders a
week ($S.40). The process consists in Civ
ing to the rounded diamonds what is
termed In technical language their neces-
sary Sides" All diamonds are divided
into two classes, 'brilliants' and roses, I"
although the only real difference between
them lies in the number of sides" they
individually possess after having been
polished in one Of the many diamond fac
tories.
Number of Faces.
A brilliant must possess fifty-eight
sides Ga few years ago the lowest num-
Der was sixty-four, for there are fashions
possess. twenty-four sides" Another
though slight difference between them is
hat a brilliant is pointed at both ends,
while a rose diamond has one end flat
Niiea hiAA IN VNiAN 49, AAAI
diamond is ready to be polished It has to
be first soldered into a pear-shaped frame
made of zinc and then dipped into a prep
aration of oil and dlamond dust before be-
ing fastened with three others) into a
strong frame placed in close proximity to
an iron wheel. This little disk is then set
in motion by connecting it with the great
engine on the ground floor, and the wheel
/ Immediately turns at the rate of 1000 revo
buttons to the minute. As it r~evolves the
four diamonds set In the adjacent frame
are gradually polished by means Of the
friction produced on their surface by the
particles of diamond dust still adhering
to the oil into which they a been previ-
ously dipped.
Only one portion of q diamond can be
polished at once, and Consequently when
this part has been dealt with the stone
has to be resoldered, so that another por-
tion of Its surface may be subjected to
the friction Of the wheel. This process of
resolderlng takes. place about twenty times
In the case of every brilliant before It
can be considered to be thoroughly polish
ed and to have acquired all the necessary
hfty-eight sides" The rose diamond,
with its smaller complement Of twenty
49, ~ - IL a. L -.