Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-14
WOMEN CUT DIAMONDS.
The Most Delicate Work Is lntrusted
TO Feminine Hands.

Women have always eXcelled in the
art of wearing diamonds, but how
many people know that they excel in
the art of cutting them, too? Yet they
do. Word comes from Amsterdam in
the annual report Of Frank ID. Hill,
consul al that Dutch port, that in
great diamond cutting factory three
women are intrusted with the most
delicate and difficult part of the pro-
cesses.
1t is an important industry in Am
sterdam, is diamond cutting. Thou
sands of the gems that come from the
mines in South Africa are taken to that
city to be split and cut and polished,
made over from rough stones into the
sparkling wells of light that shine on
women's necks. In this factory where
women are employed over 100000 dia-
monds were cut and polished in one
year. For thirty years only men were
employed. but in 1875, as an expert
ment, a few women were taken on,
and so dexterous did they prove that
now the most important part the cut
ting of the diamond, is done by them.
When the rough gems come in they
are first taken in hand by men. They
do the splitting. that is, divide the
stones that have flaws into pure and
flawless gems. The men do this by
hand, holding the diamond, which has
been firmly waXed in little frame, in
one hand, and with the other pressing
the diamond-tip tool on the weak
spot where the flaw is in the stone.
Then the women take the divided
sections and perfect them. 1t is tick
lish task, this diamond cutting, and
trying to the eyes Some of the dia-
mOnds are so minute that 400 of them
will weigh less than half a carat. Yet
even the most infnitesimal angle on
their surface must be detected and cut
off. The diamonds are still held by be-
ing waXed in Il little frame, and before
the women burn jets Of gas, ready to
be used when melted wax is needed
For eight hours a day the women
work welding their little pear-shaped
diamond-tipped tools. And they re-
ceive for this work the magnificent re-
enumeration of from s to 20 guilders
($S.21 to $500 a week. To be sure,
living is not so expensive in Amster-
dam as it is in America, and these
women have at least a pleasant place
to work in. A shop has been built for
them right on the quay, close to the
factory, and they have it all to them
selves and plenty Of large windows to
give them light. Fortunately for them,
light is necessary to their work.
The stones are given to the women
in pockets by the forewoman, and if by
chance a worker loses a gem and can
not find it she must refund its value.
This cutting is responsible work, there
fore, and it is slow and patient work.
An ordinary stone, weighing about 10
carats, will take a woman a whole day
to finish
There are twenty women doing this
II.
the diamonds go for the final process
the polishing-there are 800 men
working 1t is interesting to note that
the highest wage any foreman receives
30 guilders a week-is the average
of the pay for these men, machinery is
used in this department, where the
diamonds are polished and given
what is technically called their 'sides."
A good many celebrated diamonds
have passed through this factory
where the women work. 1t was here
that the Victoria, weighing 400 carats,
was cut and polished, and the Mogul,
297 carats in weight, and the great
Regent of France, which is now in the
Louvre. The Kohinoor was recut
here, losing half its weight in the pro-
cess. but more than doubling us value.