CHAPTER IV.
	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.