Cutting And Polishing Diamonds

Precious stones are cut and polished to develop theWhile a buyer of stones can not always tell by
beauties which are latent in them. The diamond in itsmeasurements whether or not the stone is cut to its
natural found state is not spectacular. The diamond inbest proportions, he can decide the question by its
a natural state is merely a luminous gray pebble. Theappearance. An equally proportioned stone shows an
diamond does have however, inherent qualities whichequal distribution of light and brilliancy. If the stone is
can be made beautiful. By properly cutting andcut too shallow or too deep it will not be as brilliant
polishing a diamond, it has the power to reflect andas a perfectly cut one. The trade has come to find
disperse light falling upon it to an extraordinarythat 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 thediameter as a heavier one may be more brilliant, thus
natural luster or surface power of reflection. The ideathe there is a demand for shallow cut stones. If a
is to throw back as much of the light rays asstone is just as brilliant at twenty feet as it is at one
possible. Angled facets are taken advantage of tofoot the stones proportions are definitely close.
reflect and refract even more light. Knowing theThe diamond, being the hardest substance known to
exact angle to which rays of light are bent onman, can be cut only by diamond powder. In order to
entering, are key to knowing where to place facetsmake a diamond cutting blade, diamond dust is
to catch fugitive rays that try to pass through thepounded in a mortar if hardened steel, and the
stone by driving them back and forth up thepowder is used to charge the wheels upon which
diamonds walls and finally shooting them out and intodiamonds are ground.
the beholders eye.The first step in diamond cutting is to examine the
When diamond cutting and polishing first began tocrystal and decide which way it should be cut to
take place, two stones were rubbed against eachachieve optimal results. Flaws and imperfections in the
other to grind away the skin of the natural facetsfinished stone should be avoided. Preservation of
and make polished surfaces. Using this crude andmaterial, and proportion preserved are both also
outdated method, very little of the stones originalnecessities.
weight was sacrificed. As the cutting and polishingAfter the cutting of a diamond, next comes polishing.
methods have continued to improve, so has theThe work is done on a horizontal wheels which make
number and placement of facets. The modern cutabout two thousand revolutions per minute. During
consists of fifty eight facets. This arrangementthe polishing faze, the diamond is kept moist with a
remains the perfect modern cut. During all of themixture of olive oil and diamond-dust. The extent to
years of improving the refining process, cutting haswhich stones are polished differ, so like the edges of
remained paramount. Cutters will often times sacrificethe facets to be sharp like a knife, while others want
magnificence in order to have a heavier stone. Thethem to be less pronounced. If the edges are thin
royal magnificence of the diamond can be fullythey are less likely to chip, or split.
attained only by fitting its proportions to the naturalIn 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 brilliancewaste and care necessary to produce them add a
rather that weight began. It was popular in Europe toconsiderable amount to the cost. Never the less the
cut more for weight and less for beauty. Beginningpublic is becoming increasingly more aware of the
with Henry D. Morse, cutting for beauty became avalue of this kind of work. The customer is becoming
trademark. He would not hesitate to sacrifice materialmore willing to pay the difference between a
in order to make the finished stone as perfect anddecently cut stone and a fine cut stone. It does take
beautiful as possible. Machinery to perfect facets wastime to truly appreciate a fine cut stone, but the
perfected in his shop, and he taught and insisted onmore a person is acquainted, the more confidence he
mathematical exactitude. Due to demand Europeanwill have with what the dealer has sold him.
cutters have had to confirm to it.