New-York tribune., 1908-10-25
THE GREAT CULLINAN DIAMOND.

Consul Henry H Morgan, Of Amsterdam writes
concerning the polishing of the great CulIinan dia
rnond in that city:
LAS the work of polishing progresses to compile
ton great interest attaches TO the Cullinan dia-
mond, although several months viii elapse before
1t viii be completely finished. There has been a
ing Of this stone, but have been able to obtain
certain facts E connection Herewith which may
be of general interest.
The delicacy of the work undertaken by the pol
allied. 1t necessary in the first instance
two very bad flaws therein. This cIeaving is done
by first making an incsion into the stone with
diamond cutting saw at the point where 1t is to be
ceaved. and following the grain (as all diamonds
have grain as wood hasl TO a depth Of one-haf
operation was undertaken crystal models were
made and ceayed. in order to ascertain. as far as
process was applied TO the real stone.
- AFTER the IN Inesion was made the eeayer insert
steel rod struck it hard blow and cut the stone
in twain exactly at the point where it was pro
posed % 1t SHOULD io be cut Tas an efceednsy %
looked that the cleaving of a diamond is not al
ways done along the line it is intended and it not
hies into great number of pieces -.
next and final operation is the polishing thereof
and this process is now being carried on,
this diamond is being polished, which is made Of
iutiops minute The diemend is pressed down
rars GR 81 aust d OIL sBPS BP %Ths T q
htteen to twenty-five pounds, and the disk will
constantly turn from a m. 70 9 p. including
SUNDAYS for ten 70 eleven months before the poll
ishirs operation win be completed.
at has mot vet been positivelv decided In what
shape the stone will be finished but the general
impression Is THAT II will be pear shaped II will
be, when polished, many times larger than the
Fxce1sier which up to the discovery OF the
Cullinan, the largest diamond in the world. The
clllinan weighed IN its roueh state 9o27 carats
The part OF the stone which is on the mill will
possibly be given hfty-eight facets. which is the
number given 70 ali other diamonds Of whatever
size. and II Will weigh, when finished. between 500
and 800 carats
The actual Commercial value Of the connpls sted
stone viii be about 81 500 900 but It's unique char
acter will possibly make II priceless
When the cuilinan found about three years
ago it problem OF the Premier Company
TO what disposition could be made of it. It's
size. weighing il did. something and
one-haf pounds. made IL unmarketabe and unsal-
able, and cut it up into small pieces would
destroy. TO large extent not only It's intrinsic
but its sentimental value The diamond hence
mained in the vaults OF the Premier Company for
nearly three years, when it decided ny the
TransvaaI government TO present Il to the King of
England on the anniversary Of his sixty-sixth
birthday. In the rough the was valued at
about 81, ,oo00oe ana about this price actually
paid therefor viz $4,000 IN cash and $500 600 rep
resentng 60 cent Of the interest they had there
in on account of the fact that the government Is
entitled to this percentage of the outRut
mond mines in South Africa II WIN possibly be
ready for delivery within seven eight monGhz."