INGENUITY AND LUXURY 



the dop containing the cone of hot metal surmounted 

 by the diamond is plunged into cold water; the stone 

 is thus firmly fixed, the dop forming a kind of holder 

 for it. 



"The stone is now ready to be handed to the pol- 

 isher, but it is necessary for it to be returned from time 

 to time to be unsoldered and readjusted in order that 

 a different part of the stone may be brought into prom- 

 inence, as it is only possible to work upon that part 

 which projects from the metal. This operation is 

 repeated continually until the process of polishing is 

 completed. The operation of embedding diamonds 

 in the metal, as I have described it, is known as 

 'soldering.' 



"An ingenious contrivance for obviating the neces- 

 sity of using solder consists of a copper holder into 

 which the stone is firmly fixed by means of a forked 

 clamp, which is pressed against the stone and locked 

 in position with a key. The placing of the diamond in 

 this holder requires, if possible, more skill than is nec- 

 essary to fix the stone in the cone of solder, for it is 

 equally imperative that it should be adjusted at the 

 correct angle. 



"The polishing of diamonds is a laborious task, 

 requiring the greatest accuracy. The craftsmen are 

 seated, generally with their backs to the light, in front 

 of revolving wheels, which are made of very porous 

 cast iron. The wheels turn in a horizontal position at 

 about twenty-five hundred revolutions a minute. 

 The technical name for a diamond-polishing wheel 

 is 'skeif.' The dops containing the diamonds are 



[ 308 ] 



