How was your diamond 'polished & shaped'? => 14 photos

 These blog photos are from our family archives, as my Father (of Blessed Memory) was a diamond polisher in Belgium, circa 1927. I still have many of his 'polishing tools' at my home for you to see.

 This was the earliest rendition of a diamond weighing scale, dated from 1943 in London, England.

 

 Here are loupes dating from London, England, circa 1940s. In fact, I used them extensively during my apprenticeship days in Toronto. Canada.

 

  To accurately measure the angles of the Pavilion Facet during the 'polishing processes', the technician had this gauge on hand to accurately check the angles of the Pavilion.  

 The three fellows shown in this photo were 'girdling the facets' during the shaping process. 

The man on the right was my Father (of Blessed Memory).

  With the ongoing aid of a 15x power loupe, all of the facets have to be thoroughly examined during the shaping techniques.

 When the diamond is inverted, the technician can correct any aberrations of the Table Facet. If there are any errors, the stone is inverted and recut or repolished on the diamond wheel that has Diamond powder impregnated on the steel wheel. 

 As I don't have any Diamond Wheels with diamond dust available after 95 years, I'm just simulating the actions if there were a wheel to reshape the gemstone.

 In this view of the Pavilion Facet being recut & reshaped, the name of this tool is a "Dobb"; it can hold the stone very securely. Of course, no fingers can hold the stone as tightly as this tool can provide.

 

 I placed a genuine Emerald in this same holding device to display how this Emerald can be held in place. You will notice that only ONE FACET IS RECUT, ONLY ONE FACET AT A TIME.

 These two sharp blades are used to split the raw crystal into two separate pieces. Just one sharp tap of the blade with a hammer will divide the stone in half.

 Thus, having two stones remaining to be shaped at a later date.

 The "Table Facet" of the stone is secured on the tube underneath and exposing the Culet Facet to be either removed or have the "Pavilion Facet" shaped. 

 This is a diamond crystal being made ready for the long process of being shaped and cut. This long process could take either days or weeks, depending on the size of the stone. Imagine that after just one facet that was completed, a full examination of that new facet will be made and checked for angles.       

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