| Precious stones are cut and polished to develop the | | | | While a buyer of stones can not always tell by |
| beauties which are latent in them. The diamond in its | | | | measurements whether or not the stone is cut to its |
| natural found state is not spectacular. The diamond in | | | | best proportions, he can decide the question by its |
| a natural state is merely a luminous gray pebble. The | | | | appearance. An equally proportioned stone shows an |
| diamond does have however, inherent qualities which | | | | equal distribution of light and brilliancy. If the stone is |
| can be made beautiful. By properly cutting and | | | | cut too shallow or too deep it will not be as brilliant |
| polishing a diamond, it has the power to reflect and | | | | as a perfectly cut one. The trade has come to find |
| disperse light falling upon it to an extraordinary | | | | that the proper spread of the stone is of a great |
| degree. | | | | importance. A lighter stone that has the same spread |
| Cutting and polishing the diamond will bring out the | | | | diameter as a heavier one may be more brilliant, thus |
| natural luster or surface power of reflection. The idea | | | | the there is a demand for shallow cut stones. If a |
| is to throw back as much of the light rays as | | | | stone is just as brilliant at twenty feet as it is at one |
| possible. Angled facets are taken advantage of to | | | | foot the stones proportions are definitely close. |
| reflect and refract even more light. Knowing the | | | | The diamond, being the hardest substance known to |
| exact angle to which rays of light are bent on | | | | man, can be cut only by diamond powder. In order to |
| entering, are key to knowing where to place facets | | | | make a diamond cutting blade, diamond dust is |
| to catch fugitive rays that try to pass through the | | | | pounded in a mortar if hardened steel, and the |
| stone by driving them back and forth up the | | | | powder is used to charge the wheels upon which |
| diamonds walls and finally shooting them out and into | | | | diamonds are ground. |
| the beholders eye. | | | | The first step in diamond cutting is to examine the |
| When diamond cutting and polishing first began to | | | | crystal and decide which way it should be cut to |
| take place, two stones were rubbed against each | | | | achieve optimal results. Flaws and imperfections in the |
| other to grind away the skin of the natural facets | | | | finished stone should be avoided. Preservation of |
| and make polished surfaces. Using this crude and | | | | material, and proportion preserved are both also |
| outdated method, very little of the stones original | | | | necessities. |
| weight was sacrificed. As the cutting and polishing | | | | After the cutting of a diamond, next comes polishing. |
| methods have continued to improve, so has the | | | | The work is done on a horizontal wheels which make |
| number and placement of facets. The modern cut | | | | about two thousand revolutions per minute. During |
| consists of fifty eight facets. This arrangement | | | | the polishing faze, the diamond is kept moist with a |
| remains the perfect modern cut. During all of the | | | | mixture of olive oil and diamond-dust. The extent to |
| years of improving the refining process, cutting has | | | | which stones are polished differ, so like the edges of |
| remained paramount. Cutters will often times sacrifice | | | | the facets to be sharp like a knife, while others want |
| magnificence in order to have a heavier stone. The | | | | them to be less pronounced. If the edges are thin |
| royal magnificence of the diamond can be fully | | | | they are less likely to chip, or split. |
| attained only by fitting its proportions to the natural | | | | In todays market it is almost impossible to stock |
| qualities of the stone. | | | | almost any amount of perfectly cut stones. The |
| It was in America that cutting stones for brilliance | | | | waste and care necessary to produce them add a |
| rather that weight began. It was popular in Europe to | | | | considerable amount to the cost. Never the less the |
| cut more for weight and less for beauty. Beginning | | | | public is becoming increasingly more aware of the |
| with Henry D. Morse, cutting for beauty became a | | | | value of this kind of work. The customer is becoming |
| trademark. He would not hesitate to sacrifice material | | | | more willing to pay the difference between a |
| in order to make the finished stone as perfect and | | | | decently cut stone and a fine cut stone. It does take |
| beautiful as possible. Machinery to perfect facets was | | | | time to truly appreciate a fine cut stone, but the |
| perfected in his shop, and he taught and insisted on | | | | more a person is acquainted, the more confidence he |
| mathematical exactitude. Due to demand European | | | | will have with what the dealer has sold him. |
| cutters have had to confirm to it. | | | | |