What are "Industrial Diamonds"?

There are "Diamonds being used in fine quality jewellery" and then there are "Diamonds being used in industry". These are still diamonds, but these uncut and unpolished stones even have another name to them. They are named "Boarts".

 What do these stones look like?  I looked through a jewellery site and at Google, until I found a tight group of these stones to show you.

 In my previous essay, I wrote about these diamonds extensively, but then I had to carefully separate these topics on "Diamond Polishing". separate these topics on "Industrial Diamond". 

================  "MY HISTORY LESSON, just for you!"  =======

 In those earlier years while living in England during the "World War 2", we had very difficult times. Just living day by day, or by the hour, was a trial for the strongest. 'We' had to survive by creating methods to make an income. Those who created the 'best' idea, won their own war.

 My Dear Father got married in Manchester, England and he brought with him an interesting feature through his knowledge of Diamonds. He was initially a "Diamond Polisher" in Antwerp, Belgium, but through 'some measures of fate', his life turned around by using his Diamonds.

 His 'creativity' started in seeing how these could be used and "the ball started to roll, and it  continued further at a fast pace". My Parents came to live in London where there he set up shop making high-end jewellery, as you can see that Diamonds played a great role in his life. 

During those horrific years the war played a terrible time for everyone. But somehow my Dad managed to survive, but the problems continued and bombing by the Germans made everything more troublesome. It was a 'survival of the fittest", but my Dad did survive...greatly!

 In those years circa 1942-1945, (I was born in May, 1943) were 'unbelievable to say the least'. We were told that there must not be any lights shining in our homes for the Germans to direct their bombs attack our homes, or businesses. Our apartment building were in direct line of the rocket Fueled, "Buzz Bombs". When those rockets ran out of fuel, they would just stop working . . . . they would just quickly crash.

  When people heard those "Buzz-Bombs" as they made a buzzing sound flying overhead, (as they were known) we were constantly running for our lives. Sleeping was a difficult as many times through "Blitzkrieg' many people had to literally sleep in the "Tube' stations otherwise known as Subway stations. People lived that way for days, or even weeks on end, and you call this living?  

 My Dad one day told my Mom "Sarah, it's not safe for us anymore, we're getting out of here...as soon as possible!" My Dad had look for a safer country? Was it going to be America, or maybe Canada. He had his Mother living in New Jersey, USA. But after researching other countries; Canada became his final choice, with him came his fantastic knowledge of Industrial Diamonds. While living in England, he came known as a relative great supplier of Natural Diamonds. His business so well needed in England, he made and sold "Diamond Tools" for the English (Wartime) Government. 

 They needed him greatly for his knowledge of "Industrial Diamond Dresser Tools" that were made to make thousands of bombs, aircraft companies and other wartime machinery needed his Diamonds that were used in cleaning grinding wheels. Now these cleaning wheels had diamond  dust impregnated in them. These were never heard of then, not until my Dad told them about this novel addition to each grinding & cutting wheel.

 Only his Industrial Diamonds kept their grinding wheels clean from getting clogged up with steel. These were called "Diamond Dresser Tools". There wasn't anything else that would keep them clean 100% of the time. He thought of Australia and then America, but eventually he settled upon Canada in 1947. We eventually left England to go to Toronto.

 Then in 1953, as my Dad was coming home for dinner one day, my Mom greeted my Dad at the door. "Maurice, you're going to be  famous, the "National Film Board of Canada" telephoned you and they want to make a movie on your Industrial Diamond business".

 I still remember this even today, my Dad thought my Mom was joking (to use a better word) She said "Maurice, I'm not joking".

 Here is the introduction flyer to the film that the "National Film Board" made of my Dad. From being a wartime survivor to now starting a new & growing business in Canada.

 My Dads' movie was then shown in all of the movie theaters across Canada. The movie actor, Lorne Green from the "Bonanza" of the (American-Western movie fame), was the "National Film Board" movie announcer. This was due to Lorne Green having a deep baritone and authoritarian voice. As my Dad's movie-fame grew and was starting to spring forward, he appeared on many television programs about these new strange looking "Industrial Diamonds". 

 The story was that no one knew anything about these non-jewellery diamonds. He was a forerunner of this new industry, in those years, diamonds were only used in making jewellery.  The Industrial Diamond industry was about to change, "with the many thanks to my Dear Dad". These unusual looking, natural unpolished diamonds were still in their infancy.       Machinists were still trying to see what they could do with these stones. In those earlier days, Industrial Diamonds were then still a novelty.

 Eventually, these Industrial Diamonds were starting to become an interesting & useful tool for everyone. With this new diamond tool, my Dad began to travel across Canada showing machine operators what they could do with these new diamond tools.

 His major client was "Massey-Ferguson" and "Hayes-Dana Steel, of Canada", plus some American metal manufacturers began to hear and assist my Dad to produce their metal cleaning tools, now with diamonds in them. (Americans were always very helpful). 

 I knew these names personally, as I sold some of those tools to them after my Dad & Mom were killed in a car-truck accident in 1968.

 What did these "Diamond Dresser Tools" look like. These few "Diamond Dresser Tools" left with me were enough to write these informative tutorial-essays!

  This display of Diamond Tools appeared with him in his film. 

 This is my Father on the right-side of this photo, holding the forerunner of a machine that makes girdles on EACH Diamond. From this, every square crystal shaped diamond, is then made...round.

 From this 'round shaped-diamond', it's then given to a Diamond Polisher who will make multiple facets on every stone. "Only a Diamond can do any form of diamond shaping" as we can see this "process being pictorially demonstrated", that's shown further down in this essay.

This photograph was of him (on the right) in Antwerp, Belgium when all of "This History" was just starting to take place in 1932 A.D.

  As shown in this tutorial-essay, I'm showing you now how the many uses of these Industrial Diamonds are being used. From this Faceting process, the next process is to start the all important 'Diamond Polishing". Every step is important. As I always state...."There are no short-cuts in any Diamond Setting", even now Diamond Polishing. 

  These steps are: 1) Mining of the stone, 2) Girdle making, finally, all of the very important   3)Facet making of each and every stone...!!!

 Where could any short-cuts occur? It's because, there aren't going to be any!

 

 BTW, You can just barely see the "rounded edge" of this Girdle. This is the 'beginning' of any Girdle on any diamond.

I had to go into 'Google' to obtain photo's of natural stones as I didn't have any.

This great looking photo is a close-up of a selection of natural stones. I picked this particular photo, as this has of a nice colour arrangement.

 In this photo nicely shows how a fine grouping of stones that evenly address a worn down a well used grinding wheel. This portrays how some of Dad's "Dresser Tools" work, instead of using one single stone, this machinist uses a soldered collection of small diamonds together on a steel hollow square tube. Being hollow, prevents a substantial heat build up. Interesting idea?

 

 The machine-operator will operate that (new) diamond-tool and slide it sideways, until the grinding wheel is flat and smooth to the touch on his "Tool Rest".                                                                                                               

 With these colours of stones, not one of them will be used for gem-quality fine jewellery, pity!

I've heard that '1 stone out of 10' natural diamonds will have that honour of being used for jewellery.

 Again, '1 stone out of 10' are acceptable for fine jewellery. The rest of the 9, are still going to be used,  but never discarded, as they will finally used in one form or another!!!

You can see the vast array of colours.

The "CDT" aka "Canadian Diamond Tool" were the official initials that then appeared on all of his tools. 

  I'm using my fingers to display the length of this "dresser tool", as you can see just how short in length they are.  

 After nearly 50 years of rust, I wanted to clean this inventory for this essay. By turning my Diamond  Setting bench into now a display area. As you can see that this wasn't an easy task.   Imagine cleaning up 50 years of rust? "To me it was a labour of love", as I was preparing a new life for these tools as these are now being used in a "tutorial-essay"

 My temporary Diamond Setting bench now turned in a photo-studio just for this tutorial essay.

This lighting studio assisted me in many photos being shown in this essay, as well as showing the  close-up "CDT" insignia and Dresser Tool numbers.

This sharp edges of this diamond has not being touched, but only by "Mdm. Nature". These edges& corners are a fine examples of how all of these stones are being found in the (ground) mine.

 These photo's are just an inventory of some of his Dresser Tools. No information is needed here for these few tools.

 This is "screw type" of a tool, this tool was created by the need of some of the machinists. Together my Dad and them, worked together in a symbiotic-relationship. "He had what they wanted, and they wanted exactly what he had". What a melding of minds!

 This wasn't a good 'photo' but it showed that the machinist could then use 3 or more diamonds in his cleaning process, instead of  one! 

 That yellow colouring around the diamond, is a brass "bonding agent" that binds the Diamond into the tip of the steel rod. When the Diamond is worn down, he will remove many times and turn it over exposing another section of the multi-corners of the crystal.

 As one stone gets worn down, all he does is to expose the next stone. This process has been used for the past 70 years, (give or take a decade.)  

Although this diamond is nice and so very sharp, it too, will get worn down as just noted the machinist will again expose the diamond.

Here is another dresser tool in my small collection.

                                                        

Here is grouping of smaller dresser tools.                                                               

This diamond is purposely shaped prior in being placed into the steel rod. The customer needs certain angles made to each stone, if required. 

 Many dresser tools are using 3 diamonds in a row, but made 1 stone inside a steel rod. The machinist just grinds down into the metal and exposes another diamond. The changes have been made tremendously in the many years since 1947 A.D.

 The basic ideas are being shown here, but with modern technology, computers are even polishing every stone making each stone setting made faster, and of course cheaper.

 Instead of larger and heavier tool, my Father came up with the idea of lighter tools in both size and weight. 

  This diamond scale is not an antique, hand-held type. But it works 'like a charm" not accurate, but it gives the stone apprasier a better idea of the diamonds' weight.

(BTW, this company is still in business, after many years.)

In this portable travelling scale you can see the actual weights used by the operator.

 In the top right hand corner, is the official registration stamped by the government. If there is no hand-stamping, the appraiser will not justify that the weight is not accurate. 

All of these stamps are accurate from the government. "No Metal Stamp, No Validation". Simple as that!

In the right corner shows the "Official Crown of Great Britain", that number designates the office where the weight was made official. "Everything was made legal, even today!"

  These weights are official and legal, those without any stamp, these could be of a dubious weight! (I can see 5 weights that are not acceptable.😞)

On the reverse of my Dads pictures, shown to have his hand-stamping of his Birth name.

 If the viewer looks at the photo, at an angle, he will see the name, My sister only a few days, told me that he changed his name to "Maurice" after he arrived into England, in 1932 A.D. 

"Anvers" as shown below, is a Flemish name for Antwerp, (Belgium). This type of writing in those days, 100% avoided forgery.

  To my good friends on my Blog, I could have written much more from the Internet & "Google", but these wouldn't be from my Father.

 I've written only what I have in the inventory of Diamond Dresser Tools, and what I have remembered in my earlier English history".

 As I have many other short stories of "MY HISTORY" while living in England and my earlier years in Toronto, Canada, these would not be useful to this essay, pity!

 In closing, if you have any questions, please feel free in contacting me at my email address; "gerrylewy18(at)gmail.com"