The Washington times., 1922-10-29

All this leads up to the fact
that there are more pitfalls
laid for the diamond buyer than
In any other business in the
world.
Mystery surrounds the dia-
mond. Its origin has never
been definitely established. A
perfect substitute has never been
made.
Those -yho can afford it feel
'dressed.up" II they can flash
. diamond on q stickpin or ring.
1t Is Nhat same ''dressed-up'
feeling that most men have when
they get fresh shine on their
shoes. '.....
II the average wearer Of dia.
monds knew the history Of the
stone from which he derives 50
great satisfaction. in many cases
he would go on the warpath and
dire results would no doubt fol.
low for some jeweler.
II you have been exhibiting
your diamond to admiring friends
and telling them isn't it
beauty-it's a perfect cut stone."
you had better take II to a repu.
table dealer and hear the verdict.
II you have not already done SO.
All this is by way Of making
public an amazing declaration Of
the Bureau of Standards that
there is no perfect cut" dia-
mond: There are, however, per
feet diamonds" in a relative
sense. though commercially they
are diamonds without flaw, blem-
ish or carbon spot--but they
are far from plentiful.
The buyins public is easiest
deceived in diamond buying be-
cause the average diamond buyer
10 blinded by the atmosphere of
mystery which surrounds these
rare stones. and comes under
the spell OF the voluble salesman.
CAN STONE BE PERFECT.
The Bureau Of Standards has
recently completed an exhaustive
test to determine whether It is
possible to produce a perfect cut
diamond.
Under the direction Of Prof.
F. c. Weaver, associate physi-
cist at the Bureau, and one OF
the experts Of that remarkable
branch of the government, a
diamond was put through every
process used in its cutting and
polishing that is known.
The expert now says unquali-
fiedly that it cannot be done.
I'VE have here at the Bureau
the diamond used in our exper.
iment. 1t is imperfectly cut. but
comes nearer to being a per-
feet cut diamond than any other in
existence" Mr.. Weaver told Times
reporter, who visited the lens grind.
ing section Of the Bureau Of Stand.
ards. A diamond has twenty.fouc
to fifty-eisht facets. These are flat
surfaces, Of triangular shape.
A scientific explanation Of what
constitutes a perfect cutting Of
diamond would mean to delve
into mechanics and mathematics
20 deeply that a layman would be
completely lost. Few diamond
dealers. in fact, can explain It,
but here are some OF the out.
standing facts:
A perfect diamond must have a
number Of facets to serve as
reflectors to throw off its bril-.
liant .colors. The greater the
number OF facets or faces, the
greater the brilliance OF the
stone.
MUST HAVE RAZOR EDGE.
To be perfectly cut. these faces
must be Of absolute arithmetical
accuracy in surface and angle,
each edge Of razor sharpness.
Imagine taking a small di.
smond, say a stone not much
larger than a pin.head, and cut.
ting fifty-eight facets with such
exactitpde Of proportion that
they are Of the same size and
sharpness OF edge.
Bear In mind at the same time
thai a diamond is the hardest
substance known. so hard that 1t
defies the finest steel and can
only be cut by another diamond.
Mr.. Weaver was asked how the
cutters were able to cut a al.
mond since no metal is known
hard enough to cut Il. lie ex.
hibiicd to this writer a steel
disc. about three inches In III.
smeter. one side beins perfectly