THE CUTTING OF GEMS.
It is
somewhat doubtful at what period the true cutting of gems was first
practised. There is no doubt that from very early times precious stones
were polished, often into curved forms, often simply on the natural
crystal faces, to remove the cloudy films present. If we regard cutting
as the production on the gem of surfaces, usually plane, with the
removal of a considerable amount of the material, we may regard the art
as dating before 1475, by which time Louis de Berquem performed the
operation. Charles the Bold sent him three Diamonds to cut. The first
one to be actually cut was a large pyramidal stone, about 5/8 inch on
the edge. It was cut into a regular pyramid, whose apex was modified by
a four-rayed star, each ray being of two triangular facets. It was set
with three large Balas Rubies and four pearls, as a pendant. It was
taken as plunder from the tent of Charles at Granson (1475) by a common
soldier, who threw it away once, but afterwards recovered it, and sold
it to a priest, who afterwards sold it for ten times what he gave for
it to the authorities of his district; thence it passed to the Bernese
Government, who sold it, with other jewels, to Jacob Fugger for 47,000
florins. Fugger's great-nephew made an accurate full-size drawing of
the pendant, which is reproduced in the Bib.
