New-York tribune., 1909-05-02
CUTTING THE cULLNAo5 DIAMOND.

1
After the diamond was received at the factory
4 was photographed in all possible positions,
And after long and tedious examination ana
consultation il was found that Two important
and other minor flaws existed IN the stone
which made il necessary that Il be cut INTO
certainly TWO and perhaps more pieces. Such a
task carried responsibility that even tlle most
expert diamond cutter would be reluctant 10 as
sumo. but il was decided that Of all the diamond
experts in Amsterdam Joseph Asscher was rne
one who could best be trusted with the work
Casts we're made Of the stone both in clay ana
IN crystal, END nUnb6rlesS experiments "Si0
made in cleaving these casts in order to ascer-
tain what would happen when the Original Stone
vas cleaved. The master hand was soon III
possession Of Just what was necessary 70 pe
done Two incisions were made with an AInerl-
can saving machine along the grain TO q depi1
ef one-half 70 three-quarters OF an inch' anu
Fhen the fate1ui day arrived AsSciieI' VIII q
Specially constructed knife blade made OF the
finest steel and covered up 10 the neck with an
Epron 10 save any Of the flying precious pieces
Inserted il into the slit, and with two terrllc
Blows cut the stone in twain exactly along the
grain and through the flaws precisely al the
point he had calculated Such GOOD fortune
does not always follow the cleaVing OF q ola-
mond L sometimes happens that when tl9
stone is struck with the blade that cleaVeS IL
instead Of splitting along the grain, II rles lnIo
number OF pieces. Imagine, then, AsscheT
JOY when his work was successfully executed
and he saw in two Of the pieces possibilities OF
making two diamonds larger than any stone
before dreamed OF. In speaking arterWard OF
MS achievement ne was asked II he had not
telt nervous before striking the 1atetul BLOWS
but he replied that II was only after MS WORK
vas ACCOMPLISHED that he realized what strain
e had been under, and for rhree hlshIs never
closed his eyes.
After the operation Of cIeaving the stone was
completed the question Of polishing il came up
room specially built for the polishing was
constructed, and IL was there that the now
celebrated Koe took UP his quarters, and Tor
nine months, from Z in the morning until
o'clock al night without interruption. and every
cay in the week except Saturday. he stood TO
MS task watching the precious stones beihg
ground into shape on a mammoth disk revolving
a. the rate Of 2,7O0 revolutions a minute In
the Enclosures he was guarded by two detectives,
eno another stood at the door, barring the en-
trance TO any one The process, as may be
Imagined was intensely absorbing, for the
slightest mistake would have meant the loss OF
saonsanos OF dollars and, more Inan Ina, ,L tho
reputation Of the diamond firm But the fa1tn-
M Koe stood 10 his task day In and day out
nour after hour, watching with jealous care MS
SnSrge, until the disk ceased 10 reEoNe anu ms
work was done, one Of the most intricate and
herYs racking tasks ever undertaken In gen
ets all diamonds or so-called br1lnanLs. are
given ffty-eight facets, but in order 10 prlne
o1l the prisnatic fires in the Culhnan seventy
so facets were given to it--Frank U. Bauslset-
e The Technical World
TIE MOST PICTURESQUE CITY IN EUROPE
For thousand years Rothenburg has been q
eRy. For more than fve hundred years II was
Iree city Of the empire. It is not like those
soclent towns which through centuries or strife
k-SSSLfeo Lnelr GnIlty through DelnS nuuuiSo
near the base of some great castle; 1t is not
xEs those towns that were protected by power
~ princes; for II has maintained itself by It's
eNn unaided sturdiness. If great barons came
= hothenburg, they came to receive protection
~ 70 give it. Or else they came 70 be enter
Aaneo Stth the lavish open handedness thai
.aos aos TIE city place TO which emperors them
sIsss found pleasure IN resorting.
~ crusaders and pilgrims Rothenburg was
s.1 N anectionate regard, not only for its gen.
-zssts hospitality but because, seen from The
.-sset i bore striking resemblance to Jeru.
ts-Sn But there was order in those times o.
rrerooence; and IN an old, old house Used by
-SSesslnss pilgrims, and still known 4pil
s.1as house. there IS an ancient stone bearing
bts19 L an ancient carving Of q hand and
~sSzecoet with the ominous inscription: "H'
cut OF ~ 49,
&C.. .se since those early days the town has beer
hs.p1fenvely forgotten. Even yet 1t has no
ss-sne ne haunt of the tourist and the traveller
ff3.snso each year g few Americans resor
os bringing back tales OF this city tha
hs;S.,--N1rnberg Nirnberg. II is easily reached
he's on little branch line from the railwa-
i, zen Frankfort and Munich
A R.Rs4 where the Eghtsesg cannRt g.