apparently
so difficult, is easily attained by the practised eye and dexterous
hand of the workman. A box beneath his work catches the dust, and a
little sieve sifts at once the diamond-powder from the particles of
resin dropped.
When
the notch is cut deep enough the workman places the wooden baton
upright in a hole in a block of lead before him; then introducing with
one hand the blunt edge of a small steel ruler into the notch of the
diamond, with the other he strikes the ruler a smart blow with a steel
rod, and the stone is split. It is not without emotion that one sees
this blow given, for the slightest error may prove fatal to the
diamond's value for ever; but it is given without hesitation and with
perfect composure.
The
stone, which is now divided into two parts, is removed from the cement;
the main part undergoes a repetition of the operation until it has
received its proper form and all flaws are removed; and the fragments
are carefully preserved to be cut into little roses, which, however
small, have a value.
In
Fig. 112 a general view is given of the room in which the splitters
work in Coster's establishment at Amsterdam. Fig. 113 shows on a larger
scale the complete arrangement of every division in this vast workroom.
Fig. 115 is an illustration of the diamond-splitter's
