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