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(4) United Kingdom shows slight improvement and employs some 650 workers.
(5) U.8.A. The
industry has been stabilized with about 4,000 workers. At present the
industry is working a three-day week occasioned by the falling of in
demand after the Christmas trade.
(6) Palestine. The
Palestine diamond industry employed an average of about 4,000 workers
during 1946—an increase of 400 on previous year. The industry has shown
remarkable progress.
(7) Canada. A small cutting industry is present, but most of its requirements are satisfied from external sources.
(8) Other centres for diamond-cutting are South Africa, France, Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil and British Guiana.
On January 1st, 1946, a new company registered in the Union of South Africa—Industrial Distributors (1946) Ltd.
Technology
The
war has brought about certain very important changes in the diamond
industry, especially because of the enormous expansion of the scope for
industrial uses of diamonds, whilst the cutting and distribution of
gem-stones has become of secondary importance. Sidney Ball estimates
world consumption at 7-5 million carats. A large part of this increase
is the result of more recent application of diamonds in the precision
working of metals especially in the automobiler and aeroplane
industries and in wire drawing dyes. The preparation of stones for
tools has grown to such an extent that in the U.S.A. and Great Britain,
the cutting industry has been reorganized to provide the necessary
skilled labour for the tool trade. Much fine lapidary work is also done
in Russia for making ornamental objects. In China and Japan large balls
of quartz are cut and polished. Lapidary shops are also found
throughout the U.S.A.
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