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The period 1914 to 1918

Posted September 24th, 2008 by admin

The period 1914 to 1918 was a difficult one on account of the lack of coal supply, but a solution was found in electricity, which power the entire industry now uses in Amsterdam. There was progress in the next twenty years, but 1940 saw a complete disorganization of the Low Countries on account of the German invasion and occupation. Skilled workers fled to every country which would accept them, and the few that were left were obliged to work on industrial stones for the German war machine.

The cutting of diamond requires considerable skill, accuracy, and a fine sense of touch, as well as much patience. A knowledge of the effects of the reflection and refraction of light is necessary, and on this is based the number of facets and the angle of their inclination to each other. With colored stones, dichroic effects also have to be considered, but the size of the facets and their mutual inclination are not so important as with diamond. The skilled cutter constantly checks the progress of his work by eye only, with the aid of a loupe or eye-glass, and very rarely will he take any angular measurement by any instrument. Machines for the mechanical faceting of diamond and other precious stones have been devised, but they have, as yet, been very rarely used.