the
world, older eveu^than the Tables of the Law, and the Breast-plate of
Aaron, supposing them still to exist, we get a bad-shaped, because
unavoidably too shallow, a modern brilliant, a mere lady's bauble, of
but second water, for it has a greyish tinge, and besides this,
inferior in weight to several, being now reduced to 102-1/2 carats.
The operation of re-cutting (which is said to have cost 8000l.)
"Was performed in London, under the care of Messrs. Garrards, the
Queen's jewellers, a small engine of four-horse power being erected for
the purpose upon their premises. It was conducted by the best hand sent
over from M. Coster's great atelier at Amsterdam, Voorsanger (who
gained afterwards the prize-medal awarded to his art at the Paris
Exhibition), assisted by another skilful workman from the same place.
The actual cutting occuÂpied no more than thirty-eight working days :
and the Star of the South, a much larger diamond, also cut by Coster at
home, only three months. Such is the advantage gained by the use of
steam-power : compare this expe-ditiousness with the two years necessary
for the cutting of the Pitt by the old hand-process. In some parts of
the work, as when it was necessary to grind out a deep flaw, the wheel
made 3000 revolutions per minute.
Coster
had furnished several models of various patterns proposed by him for
the re-cutting of this awkwardly-shaped stone, and unfortunately that
of the regular brilliant was decided upon by the persons to whom they
were subÂmitted in this country. Such a pattern, in consequence of the
flattened and oval figure of the stone to be operated upon, entailed
the greatest possible amount of waste. There can be no doubt that had
the matter been left to Coster's own judgment he would have preferred
the drop form, like that given to Mr. Dresden's brilliant, which, when
