The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-19
WRITER VIEWS
STONE VALUED
AT S75O.OOO
Gets Big Kick in Handling
Largest Uncut Diamond
in the World.
BY SIDNEY WHIPPLE
Unfsd Press stan Correspondent


NEW YOFK. June Is.-After nv
credentials passed the scrutiny Of
q blond anC earnest secretary, the
wrought iron grill swung open. and
presently I held In a moist palm
$4,000. al in one piece.
Harry winston. as crisp and
clear cut as = diamond. sat az a
cleared desk on which the only
covering was a black felt mat. He
had telephoned 70 another rom.
Bring boz the big uncut diamond
and the other little one. the Oscar
a. one" said Mr. Winston. and tell
the two guards 10 stand at the
door"
A tan Young man came in. gin
gerry dangling a chamOis bag in one
hand and carrying something wrap
ped In white tissue paper in the
other Mr.. winston took the cham
ois bag turned 10 upside down. and
smoothly rolled IN front Of my eyes
the largest uncut diamond in the
world.
Here's the Jonkers.7 he said rev.
erently. pr0nOuncing the name like
Xonkers. the New York suburb.
Miracle Of Beauty
The diamond. bought from an
English syndicate and sometime
within the year 70 be cut and pol
ished into a blazing $40 csrats OF
scintillaung color. is a miracle OF
beauty even IN its present opsles-
cent state Yet many OF us, most OF
Us In fact. would stumble over 1t on
the ground and kick it. sacrilegiOus-
is. out OF our way.
Beside the Jonkers there tumbled
out Of its white wrapping the little"
35-carat affair. square cut and large
enough 20 cover any two Of Peggy
JOyce's fingers. The rainbow hues
10 emitted were dazzling. T. blazed
with deep reds and sparkling blues.
AT times II looked like an explosion
81 fireworks. Beside the little fell
Ter" the Impressive Jonkers looked
cold.
we viii take the J0nkers and cut
it thus. and thus and thus" said
Mr. Winston and when IL is fin
ished. YOU viii see a diamond that
viii have all the fire and beautiful
color. all the brilliance. and all the
faWlessness Of the smaller one. And
the smaller one IS worth about $780,
600"
Brown Spot not Harmful
I held the JOnkers in my hand
and ran my fingers along the vel
Vetlv surfaces that were created
millions of years ago in the pres
sure Of earth commissions. The stone
was heavy-weighed perhaps five
ounces. Along one edge was dis
appointing tinge of brown.
That's nothing" said Mr.. Wins
ton. ITS Just where some sediment
filtered into IT, We could boil il out.
Instead We Will cut it away when
the diamond is cut. Lookl" He
showed me some OF the residue
from the smaller diamond. small
pieces Clipped away in its finish
ing. They we're brown and pearl
grey like the Jonkers in its uncut
state.
Winston carelessly dropped the
J0nkerS into a glass Of. water. In
mersed. Its clearness became sp-
parent.
You can look right through IT,"
ne said, and without a microscope
YOU know it hasn't a mark, not
black spot IN It," The Jonkers was
taken from its bath and encased
again in the unpretentious channels
bag.
VIII BE Kept Intact
7 had intended to cut it into
number OF - or 4O-carat stones"
Mr.. Winston said reflectively. But
everybody who has seen 1.-THE
traders and the cutterS-Sav that
would be terrible. They want il left
in one piece. So we'll trim il from
its present 726 Carats down to $40.
and It viii then be Is Carats bigger
than the biggest cut diamond IN
The wOrid-the Cullinan.
And what will become OF the sc
caratS of stone YOU shave Of" I
asked. thinking Of the seemingly
reckless waste. Mr.. winston care
lessly waved a hand.
That's all lost" he said. Tt has
70 be But the diamond will be worth
more. I could perhaps. by cleaving.
get another 35-carat stone out of
DO. but the riSk-weu. the risk
wouldn't b. worth il. Think what 1t
would mean If the stone itself
should be ruined. No. We simply
can't take a chance"
Diamond Cutters Diamond
The JonkerS. picked up on a
South African farm by a poverty
stricken landowner. who was pdid
about 1878 900 for il. will he put on
exhibition next week at the Amer
lean Museum Of Natura- History.
T. viii repoSe IN a specially con-
Structed safe with a glass front.
electrically wired against tamper-
ing. and constantly guarded by pr
vste detectives.
And YOU know. I'm afraid the
public VIII BE- disappointed in its
looks Mr. Winston said. They
won't realize what IL will look like
after 10 IS cut
But the diamond men. he ad-
ded. these cutterS-they go crazy
when they see II. One Of them cried.
the other day. And another one
threw kisses az IL. He was a French
man"