The Science record; a compendium of scientific progress and discovery . DIAMOND-CUTTING IN NEW-YORK.—THE SETTER. ping the back of the blade lightly with his iron rod, theartist split off a fragment, and then, melting his cementand removing the parts, showed us a clean smooth cut.(See Fig. 4.) But is not this a very risky performance? we almostinvoluntarily exclaimed. Suppose that you make a mis-take ? The workman smiled superior, and explained thatsuch is hardly possible, though he admitted that it wouldbe a very easy matter to halve the value of a gem by asingle false stroke. Imagine a $5000
The Science record; a compendium of scientific progress and discovery . DIAMOND-CUTTING IN NEW-YORK.—THE SETTER. ping the back of the blade lightly with his iron rod, theartist split off a fragment, and then, melting his cementand removing the parts, showed us a clean smooth cut.(See Fig. 4.) But is not this a very risky performance? we almostinvoluntarily exclaimed. Suppose that you make a mis-take ? The workman smiled superior, and explained thatsuch is hardly possible, though he admitted that it wouldbe a very easy matter to halve the value of a gem by asingle false stroke. Imagine a $5000 diamond—and thatis not a large one—thus treated ; $2500 irretrievably lostby a single tap of the hammer! But then, with good-sizedstones, the work does not seem so difficult as with jewelsno larger than pin-heads, so small indeed that, in somecases, they number as many as 300 to the carat in the. 94 , SCIENCE RECORD. rough, or 400 finished. Of course nothing is wasted ; thedust that falls through the false bottom of the box, weshall find again in the hands of the polishers, while the oddscraps are cut into rose diamonds, or the little sparklinggrains used for inlaying initials and similar fine work ingold jewelry. THE CUTTERS. Our artist has graphically depicted the cutter at hiswork in the engraving. The same form of box used bythe cleaver is before him, and the diamonds are fastenedby cement, as before, in the ends of spindles. The cut-ters labor is purely diamond cut diamond. The stoneto be cut is held in its setting firmly in the left hand, whilethe cutting piece is moved by the right. Both gems areof course affected by the mutual abrasion, but the atten-tion of the workman is directed to but one. Very slowlythe faces are ground away ; no measurements are takenor angles calculated. The eye is the only guide, and itseems to be a faultless one. As soon as the first stone is
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