Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature. However, they are also processed, cut, faceted, ground and polished using other diamonds designed for this very purpose.
It is believed that the ancient Hindus were the first to process diamonds. They noticed that if you rub two stones together, they begin to grind, and their shine increases noticeably. This process reached Europe much later - in the 15th century. At this time, the jeweler of Duke Ludwig van Breckem began to cut diamonds for the first time. The first copy was named "Sansi".
In the 17th century, technology reached the point where diamonds learned how to saw. The first saws resembled a simple iron wire, but its surface was saturated with diamond powder. The sawing process itself took an incredibly long time. For example, the Regent diamond, which weighed 410 carats, had to be cut for 2 years, using an incredibly large amount of diamond powder.
Modern processing
In the modern world, diamonds are cut with the help of special machines, on which bronze rods with a thickness of no more than 0.07 mm rotate very quickly. At the same time, a special diamond suspension is continuously fed to the disc. Also, with the help of modern installations, it is possible to provide electrical discharge, ultrasonic, laser and other types of processing.
Cutting diamonds for making polished diamonds is considered the most difficult and responsible process. It is carried out using a copper disk rotating at an incredible speed. Small diamonds are pressed into it, which make it possible to achieve such incredible clarity. Less commonly, a cast iron disc and diamond powder diluted in olive oil are used.
The shape of the stone and the arrangement of the faces are made in such a way that the light falling on the stone does not pass through it, but is reflected from all internal surfaces. This allows for an incredible play of light.
Difficulties in cutting
It is worth noting that cutting a diamond is not only a difficult, but also a very long process. Large stones can be processed for several months, while unique ones - for several years. The mass of the diamond during these operations may decrease by three or two times, but the value of the stone itself increases much more.
Therefore, jewelers should be not only good craftsmen, but also excellent mathematicians. Before proceeding with processing, the future shape of the diamond is carefully calculated with the condition of maximum light transmission and preservation of the greatest mass. However, if earlier jewelers had to do everything manually, now they are largely helped by computers, which allow them to automate this process.
