The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-11-23
DIAMOND CUTTING IN
THE UNITED STATES
FASCINATING INDUSTRY WHICH
EMPLOYS SEVERAL HUNDRED
MEN IN BROOKLYN.

Diamond cutting is generally con-
sidered trade of the low countries,
mond cutters union in the new world
The Diamond Protective Union of
America has exactly APO members, of
which practically all work In New
York city and more than half live in
Brooklyn, In Brooklyn there is also
diamond cutting shop, which yearly
cuts and polishes approximately ST.
100000 worth of these precious bits of
pure carbon.
Gagged BY the Eye.
On Atlantic avenue, near New York
the Eagle. Here about 35 masters of
this most fascinating of trades, with
half dozen apprentices, saw, split and
polish these precious gems, which
have come to them from the famous
diamond fields of South Africa, look
| ing more like chunks of translucent
glass than the fiery solitaire of an en-
gagement ring. The process of get
ting one of these rough diamonds
ready to make its debut in the stock
OF some lapidary is a slow one. Not
less than two weeks of constant saw
ing and grainding is required, and fire.
quently when an especially fine gem
is cut and polished the journeyman
worker lays it aside for several days
that he may start work afresh and
thus guard against errors, for dia
mond cutting is entirely guaged by the
eye and never once is any measure
ing instrument other than fine set
of balances, used. The balances are
to keep track of the amount of weight
the diamond loses during the process
of cutting, Usually diamond shrinks
be carefully watched.
In the Rough.
When the diamond "in the rough"
comes to the cutter he polishes a
small spot of the stone on the dia-
mond wheel that he may look into
the stone" to see what it's possibilities
are. Next the stone goes to the split
ter, who by means of brass clamp
and hammer, breaks it UP into the de-
sired number of pieces. Next, ii is
partially imbedded in lead; it is
clamped before a toothless buzzsaw of
phosphor bronze from four to six
thousandths of an inch thick and re-
volVing 5000 times a minute. For
this saw to cut through a third of an
inch of diamond will take at least "a
hours of actual cutting, but because
of the heat generated frequent lay
offs have to be made, SO that from
three to four working days usually
elapse before the third of an inch of
diamond is cut.
Diamond Cuts Diamond.
After the saving is done the pieces,
mating bits of fire that all the world
so admires, go to the shaper. Here
one piece of diamond, embedded in
lead and screwed fast to the center of
revolving plate, is brought in con-
tact with another diamond fastened
to the end of giant penholder. AS
the lathe plate revolves the two dia-
monds grind one against another and
gradually, by frequently changing po-
sition, the two become little spheres,
which, to the unknowing, look ex-
actly like beads of ground glass. Dur
ing this shaping the part of the dia-
mond which is worn away is carefully
collected and used later. 1t is true
diamond dust, and to the feel as soft
as the finest face powder.
Final Process.
Next comes the actual grinding.
This is done upon wheel of specially
tempered steel, which revolves hori-
zontally, SO rapidly that it does not
seem to revolve at all. Upon the upper
surface of this wheel is spread mix
ture of the diamond dust and olive |
oil of the purest. The wheel is set in |
motion and then the little spheres of
diamond, once more imbedded in lead
are held in clamps against it. BY con-
tinual changing of, the position of the
stone, in time all of the So parts of the
diamond are polished.