Evening star., 1923-02-04

on a fat, round plate covered with
oil and diamond powder. This plate
Is a grindstone, as it were. 1t flies
around more than thirty-three times
in a second and the diamonds are
fixed in frames, 80 that they rest just
at the right angle upon 1t. The
stones are so inclined that they are
ground by the diamond dust into just
the shapes best adapted to each indi-
yidual gem. Some are made into
rose diamonds. some into squares or
irregular cubes and some into the
emerald cut. A normal stone has
fifty-eight sides or facets, and this is
SO of diamonds Of almost infinitesti-
NAL size. About half the weight OF
each stone is lost In the cutting and
polishing.
During my stay / handled some
great diamonds as thick as the thumb
Of a giant, and others ranging down
to the point of q pin, while Mr.. As
scher told me their value ranged from
$3.50 to $1,000 a carat. He laid before
me a small teaspoonful OF diamonds
each no bigger than the smallest
grain OF lump sugar. Looking !,
them through a strong microscope !
saw that they had been accurately
and symmetrically cut. ] was shown
square cube diamonds, no larger than
tho head of the smallest pin you have
in your cushion, but nevertheless each
had fifty-eight sides. Some Of these
cubes are so small that it takes two
hundred Of them to equal one carat.
After the stones are cut and pol
ished they must be marketed. This
brings buyers from all parts OF the
world to Amsterdam. They come 10
look over the stock of gems and con-
suit experts IN making their puT-
chases. Some of the experts tell me
| that diamonds are as different as az
pies, potatoes or even human beings;
| there are no two alike. Each stone
has its own value, It's own character
istics, it's own color and its own
points Of excellence. The experts arc
like the tea tastes, who can tell at a
sip Just where the tea comes from and
what it is worth. They know dia-
u1onds as the tea men know tea. They
|
sellers and one of them prcsides at
every transaction. He is supposed 10
protect both buyer and seller and an
swer any questions either may ask.
He gets 1 per cent commission from
each party. or per cent of all the
| money that passes.
WITHIN the past few years the
| w United States has purchased
more diamonds than any other coun-
try. and the probability is we shall be
| the chief buyer for years to come.
Prior to the war we bought from
twenty to thirty million dollars worth
of diamonds per year, this sum COW
ering the two markets, Antwerp and
Amsterdam. In 1919, before the busi-
ness depression, we purchased moro
than at any time In our history. In
that year the declared value of our
diamond imports from Amsterdam
alone was s66,00o,o0o, or more than
three dollars for every family under
| the American flag. It was six times
the average value Of the years before
the war, and three times that OF any
year preceding 1919. In 1920 our inn
ports Of diamonds from Amsterdam
| dropped to the value OF thirty-one
million dollars, and In 1921 to thirteen
millions, showing how hard times Sc
riously affect the purchase Of Jewels
The Jews have the control OF the
diamond industry of Amsterdam.
About one-sixth of the people who
live in the city belong to that race.
and the diamond cutters and workers
are all Israelites. They are experts
at the business. having skill that
has descended from father 20 son
through many generations. Their
wages are comparatively low, al
though higher than in other branches
Of industry along similar lines. Am
| stcrdam has scores of factories and
more than 10000 diamond workers
are employed.
The diamond cutters are far more
trustworthy than the men who work
In the mines. OF course. great care
is taken in admitting strangers TO
| the factories. but the cutter himself
gives only receipt for such dia-
monds as he Is to handle during the
day, and this must De checked up
when he leaves. The factories are
not surrounded by guards day and
night as are the floors or great fields
in South Africa, where the diamond
| studded clay lies out under the sun.
The cutters are not compelled to live
in the works. as in the Kimberly dig
gings. nor are they stripped to the
skin and searched from toes to crown
when they leave. In fact. thefts CT
diamonds by the men and women who
cut and polish these valuable stones
are less on the average than the
losses through the clerks Of our
banks.
l(Carpeuter's World Travels. copyrighted. iszs.