a
work of great magnitude. This was the re-cutting into brilliants of
all the rose-diamonds belonging to the King of France. The reader will
remember that " roses " are diamonds covered over with facets, such as
the Orloff, while the brilliant properly so-called is a double
pyramid, a highly refracting figure, of which the Regent and the
Koh-i-nur are examples.
Diamond
cutting was a lost art in France; hence the reason of sending the gems
to Antwerp. Cardinal Mazarin, a great diamond fancier, had endeavored
to stimulate diamond-cutting in Paris. He had imported workmen and
wheels and then had caused his own stones and those of the king to be
cut. When this was done, and further diamonds not being forthcoming,
in order to still encourage his pet industry he had the same stones
cut a second time I Such expensive encouragement of the diamond-cutting
trade has probably never been heard of before or since.
The Antwerp artists having accomplished
