THE DIAMOND TRADE.

Waikato Times, Volume XLI, Issue 3344, 2 December 1893, Page 4

THE DIAMOND TRADE.

•L A V \i-TTffr -MiO I-; A LARGE number* ot diamonds found in 1 thQ'jtrKdfevcome >fro*rh| at the Southern< 'eiid;'of jAifrioa. f ;* 'Therp are . seven' 'fir eight of tho ' largest 1 beine the which covers 'some 20 acres-of land, lii' the lastl6 years' these mines have yielded largely, many fine stones having been found. v But the; Kimberley stones-rwith 5 the 1 'exception of: the celebrated" Peter ' Rhodes'st«ne, whi(ih weighed 150'6a'rats in the ! ro«g,h7-Hre ! not alwajw'of the ! 'fineJt l! large' (they getthehi ashigh as 300 carats) many of them -are only worth cutting 1 into smaller stones. India one? did, but'no longer 1 does; enter into ; trade' considerations -as"a 'great !; diWiSondptyduoing. .country)' l 'Tlie Brazilian diamond, Though small/"is often' of a f finer quality than f the | African or 'liidian :i Btbhe. 1 in ' Brazil the! diamond is usually : 'foiiiid s in " the ''sandy. beds of 1 'rivers;- while the 1 Cape' 'Rtoiies 'are dug out at a-depth of from 300 ft' te' .IOOtt; below- the- surface' 'earth 1 /'- The;' Brazilian • stories are-ifound in-aKkirid of e'oft, soapy i - muck.-calledi bine •eiartl' r yStiine''aire|almo'at: round, while others have 1 eight sides.'' In ; ■weight they-will 'average from two : tO : ten l • carats,'-? comparatively 1 f ew : stones • above ; fifteen carats beiDg found. This is in tho; 1 rough 1 . Cutting 1 reduces them -nearly half; their;natural.' size../The o 'cftrat' is-one, peculiarto diamonds, 'Irubiesji'sapphireß, . and opals.' ,i ; A carat; is ; a 'trifle"over : ;7dwt, ■ Troy weightvi.-Most'iof the' Cape atonies, are sent ■ to "London,-where- they' are' re-; shipped to Amsterdam • and Antwerp; the : great cutting/cities; Diamonds are also ;cut as well in l Maiden-lane as in-'Aihster*' dam.: In cutting diamonds there is 'a : general rule -.that one-thirdof tho stone should be.above the girdle and two-thirds, below it. . This; prpportiop, is isoinetimes. sacrificed in ordet; to ayoidiimperfectionin a stone,'such as black' spots and feathers, and at least one-half sof-.the /stones - are more or less imperfect.; r, [Again, > size and shape of a stone in . the rough will determine, whether it be a single cut, a full-out v or.a;ro3e-cutj-dwmond.';-f These ( arc technically cajled facets. i-A singlecut diamond has eighteen facets and a full cut «tone has fifty -eight face ts,' distributed) above and below the girdle, A small 'stone ; will usually: have, only, the single-cut of eighteen sidps. ; A' full-cut-diamond is called a aji t,-; and : this tfsrm is incorrectly applied sometimes to Parisian or, paste, diamonds.,, • ;The;. t.hirdj; or ros-r----c'ut, iSigijren.to sixties jwhich,are too small and thin for either s of [he(.other cuts. The sV.ape of,, the. rose-cut; diamond is peculiar, inasmach. as the stone.is flat on the bottom and faceted on ; top.. Apart from the consideration noted, the diamond cutter is eruided.by,;his own discretion and taste in .modelling,a stone. ..The operation is simple enough, v lt iis'.tlje,old paying about. "d ia mon ci cutting ; diamond " illus-: trated.;/ ( The, workman merely, rubs one, rough diamond;against.the,.other.,;,.Then, comes the. polishing, which is done by holding, the cut, stone, down, against a' wheel which .revolves, at .an ; extremely , rapid rjite,.. In applying the,>tone to the, wheel the cutter must, look outifor.flaws, or the diamond will be cut on somoa'ough. pointarid be ruined in less than the, traditional jifly.. : A.s.to.tho time taken;to;, cut and polish a. .stone,,,oi\e, cutter j will work' fust enoughj to keep,, h'alf-a-dozen; polishers busy, and a good polisher , wi]l : polish about twenty carats: a r bek. , gaidiri'g the; colimr of;diamonds, f there : is every imjigiriable/tint, .principal, trade colours are the,, standard, s av,hite, the j bluish', 1 tint',' the yellowj and' the brov\;n., The' white, whije the _ most valuable;; i's'< not always the mps^bpiiiaht.; v The bluish tint is a' IfaYOunte, and much|'aouglit after,, = The yellow; stone 'is ; common, and. therisl is a"growing.' <3ark f brown, bright 'yellow or, panary,'aj<'-j.it -, is; called/and other natural colours. People; not acquainted .with the /diamond ; market and .perplexities that 1 hari- ss a diamond buyer/ He 'has ..to constantly, onr the alert for 'sharp practices,' for f tiie rpers6ns holding the'stock of; '.'diamonds. in are among 1 ttfe_ 'shrewdesfcVrngrqli be v found Any where,' and'' tliey. not only wovk 7 in collusion, but', plajr'one^/cuftomer, against another'^o''obtain t higher voices, i Tfiey;are ,, w6ndieftl^liy^^v«n;H?.,^* n V®VpS^ and .their, statenfenti' ljN '.their goods, are . only 'to,li^'l 'af{er investigation!''' diamond'^erdifarts 1 'abroad do Jijot, gmde; tHeir'goodsj'but wljfenJapurcjiasM along airidift'erent i^' 1 «h'o wn s tb 'lii usually has ; to bid ; for' !! The' : grading, pairing, and selecting is done for the American' market after the stories'liave reached our shore. By this means a purchaoer-js compelled ifo/ buy many - goods 1 that lie woliid not were' be j; allowed the privil ?ge of selection. Somo diamonds^thus^ sold here at less than they cost abroad." It fact t American | conki in era of ! precious fc'jotfes are the most' critical of any that merchants have to cater I i-to,-.! arid J /European/'- holders'' 1 of diamonds appreciate ' this fact. In .America but three grades .of diamonds are really mark°table ? the first being rare, water goods, and the third must be abo7e the average quality sold to Europeans. Fashion also has something to do in : en- ' haucing the ,yalu6 of ■ diamonds, by cUimiu'g blie'-'day in faviuf of one palf ticalar style or and again cfeng'i rig a' ; settirig c in F tiVe' )?ost of' honour,, to-thoi§ which ; ;had'' i beeu 'previously rc-. ]eeted. 'VPHe ( expert4^of J :tenf' J yago' woiildlbe sa'dly piiz^led/thr'd ay nialco ,a - selection of fi ivt-olass f '"diii m6nds for'Hlle" American market., //I'pdepdj.thfttradejsra* a{r !, tUfVli;bl annoyances and .hazards, and, reqjiiringj spefeiiil; twining 'a'n ; d 1 vigilance,' ■-The'Glb&'fV