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FIRE IN THE EARTH
age
plan has been ascertained, the diamond is cemented in a holder. A
smaller diamond, similarly mounted, is used to scratch a nick in it
(V-shaped) in the required position— and this is the first time the
visitor realizes that a diamond is necessary to cut a diamond.
A
heavy but blunt-edged steel blade is placed in the V-nick. This is the
supreme moment, for now the cleaver must tap a mallet—sometimes made of
iron, sometimes of heavy wood—lightly on the steel blade. If the touch
is true and the nick in the proper position, the stone will split in
half. But if everything isn't precisely right, it may shatter into a
score of pieces, causing the loss of a small fortune in the case of
very large stones and the loss of at least several hundred dollars in
the case of smaller stones.
That
is why you sometimes hear tall tales about the terrific strain under
which the cleaver works, even though his job takes but a few seconds.
The men entrusted with this responsibility, however, know their
business and as with all experts they have confidence in what they are
doing. Therefore it is safe to discount the stories of cleavers
suffering everything from hysterics to nervous breakdowns upon the
completion of their task, no matter how important.
There
are exceptions, of course. The famous European cutter, J. Asscher, was
assigned to the task of splitting the mighty Cullinan. Here was the
biggest diamond ever found. After long study, on February 10, 1908, at
2:45 p.m., he struck
what he hoped would be the decisive blow. The cleavage knife was placed
in a V-shaped groove one-fourth of an inch deep. But when the mallet
descended upon the knife the crystal remained intact. The knife itself
broke! That naturally was enough to upset the stoutest and most
experienced of cleavers. On the second occasion, probably also because
he was not in the best of health, Mr. Asscher
(86)
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