More About Diamonds. Some Famous Stones

Louis Kornitzer's book, Gem Trader, is partly autobiographical and partly woven round the lore of pearls. It's educational + explains the distribution chain of gems, as they pass from hand to hand, from miner to cutter, from merchant to millionaire, from courtesan to receiver of stolen goods, shaping human lives as they go + the unique characters in the industry.

(via Gem Trader) Louis Kornitzer writes:

Another very common way of cutting diamonds is that which provides the stone with twenty four triangular faces. Diamonds cut in that fashion are called rose diamonds, or roses for short. One meets with sizable stones of that kind frequently in old jewelry, but nowadays only small stones are cut in the rose fashion. The jeweler uses them at the dictates of economy, and the layman who notices the difference between a rose cut and full cut diamond is quite often heard to say: ‘These are chips, aren’t they?’

An ultra-modern way of cutting diamonds is the ‘baguette’ or baton shape, which is ideal for the purpose for which it is intended, in connection with the modern designs in flexible jewelry. I am, however, of the opinion that that method of cutting diamonds deprives them of their most important quality—luster.

There was a time, from the middle of the eighteenth century until the discoveries on the South African Rand, when South America supplied the world with its diamonds, just as India had done from the earliest times until Brazil became a great name in the diamond world. Tomorrow (figuratively speaking) the great diamonds may be coming from Patagonia, and the day after from Antarctica, places still both remote from industrial strife. History has already been made by the discovery of precious minerals in unexpected localities. It may, and probably will, be again made in the same way.

The story of the great diamonds is an almost unending feast of romance, tragedy and adventure, too often tinged with the sordidness of criminal greed. Sometimes there is humor in the tale, like a bit of the private history of the Cullinan diamond which I was told.

I had known young Ascher of Amsterdam when he was scarcely out of his teens. He was a shrewd, precise, staid young man, a perfect blend of Jew and Dutchman. Yet he seemed to me to be lacking in one outstanding Jewish trait, in that he appeared to have no sense of humor. That was forty five years before he had become world famous as the head of the great Amsterdam diamond cutting establishment. Yet I was wrong in my estimate of him.

It was the Dutch firm of Ascher that was entrusted with the extremely delicate and responsible job of dividing the prodigiously large Cullinan diamond into several pieces, and for the subsequent shaping and polishing of the now historical stones which were presented to King Edward VII by the Union of South Africa. When at last the wonderful and priceless gems were ready for presentation to Their Britannic Majesties, and the date had been set for the ceremony, Mynheer Ascher crossed over from Holland in order to meet the representatives of the South African Government at Buckingham Palace and hand over the result of many month’s labor, and to be himself presented to the King and Queen.

Extraordinary precautions had been taken for the safe transit of the gems, for not only had the Dutch police sent along several of their astutest secret service men, but also two of Scotland Yard’s keenest detectives had been dispatched to prevent any unfortunate incident from occurring during the trip from the Netherlands.

To make assurance doubly sure, one of Ascher’s own trusty men had one handle of the bag containing the caskets strapped and padlocked to his wrist, while the other handle was secured in the same manner to the wrist of a Scotland Yard officer. Ascher himself held the key to the two padlocks and to the bag itself. With an escort of this kind, there was no question but that short of some accident at sea during the crossing the stones would arrive safely at their destination.

Yet, when the bag was opened in the anteroom where the official personages were to take over, the presentation caskets were found to be empty. There was tremendous consternation, as may readily be imagined. What could possibly have happened? The explanation was forthcoming, to the relieved hilarity of all present, when Mynheer Ascher turned aside and spoke to his personal servant who attended him, an old family retainer of insignificant appearance whom nobody had noticed. The old fellow felt in his pockets and produced from somewhere on his person a large colored handkerchief, into which were tied, peasant fashion, the gems that in a few minutes were to be presented to the ruler of the British Empire.

That is the reason why I think Ascher of Amsterdam must have had a considerably developed bump of humor.

More About Diamonds. Some Famous Stones (continued)