256 A Book of Precious Stones
in
South Africa in 1870, the diamond cutters of Amsterdam received an
average of from sixteen to eighteen dollars per week; directly after
the discovery, when diamonds were found in large quantities, a period
known in the trade as " the Cape time," the demand for the skilled
labour of the cutters was so great that wages were increased so that
the diamond cutters were able to earn from two hundred to six hundred
dollars per week; this is a conservative statement, for a diamond
cutter now employed in New York City states that his father, employed
in Amsterdam during that time, earned as high as eight hundred dollars
in one week.
The
eighty-five hundred diamond workers of Amsterdam are divided into ten
branches, known as follows: No. 1, brilliant polishers; 2, brilliant
polishers' assistants or helpers; 3, brilliant cutters; 4, brilliant
setters; 5, rose polishers; 6, rose cutters; 7, rose setters; 8, six-
and eight-face polishers; 9, cleavers, or splitters; and 10, sawyers.
Each of these branches has its own delegation to represent its members
in the executive board of the union.
In North America the diamond cutters are well organised.
When the United States levied an import
