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Ch. 5: Celebrated Diamonds (con't)

Ch. 5: Celebrated Diamonds (con't) Page of 448 Ch. 5: Celebrated Diamonds (con't) Text size:minusplusRestore normal size  Mail page Print this page
106
THE DIAMOND
were employed from 7 a. m. to 9 p. m., without a mem­ber of the firm. At night the diamond was kept in the strong room and guarded by four policemen. It was taken back and forth to the cutting room by the head of the firm and ten men. A night watchman made a certain mark at the strong room every half hour during the night to show that everything was properly guarded. The walls of the strong room, of iron and cement, were
3/4 of a yard thick, and the door was opened by a com­bination known only to the three heads of the firm. Within, the safe was hidden behind a mahogany cup­board with two handles but no locks visible. There were nine locks, however, behind a sliding panel, and two safes, in one of which was the diamond, and the door of the safe was of eight-inch steel. On account of the great size, it was decided to increase the number of facets usual in the brilliant cut, to 74 for the largest stone and 66 for the second largest. The latter is a square cut brilliant. The greatest of all diamonds was finished September 12, 1908, in time for Christmas.
The final result of the cutting up of the crystal was as follows:
Ch. 5: Celebrated Diamonds (con't) Page of 448 Ch. 5: Celebrated Diamonds (con't)
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