THE KING’S DIAMOND SPLIT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9112, 3 April 1908, Page 7

THE KING’S DIAMOND SPLIT.

London, February 11. The King’s diamond, the largest in the world, was cleft in Amsterdam yesterday by Mr Joseph Asscher with complete gnccess. Cleaving is the preliminary to the cutting of the gem, and was accomplished in the following manner. The diamond was embedded in cement, and the sharpest diamonds available were bought to make the first incision. The making of the incisions took several days, says the London Evening News’ special correspondent. Next, a specially-made knife-blade of finest steel was fitted into the incision, and then Mr Asscher struck a terrific blow on the knife-blade with a thick steel bar. This cut the stone in twain. The next process is the cutting, which will be entrusted to Mr Henri Koe, who will work for a whole year in a locked room with three assistants. His daily hours of labour will be from seven in the morning until nine at night. A watchman will keep guard outside the door of the room, and two other watchmen will always be on guard in the building. The diamond will be cut by being pressed against a disc oiled with a mixture of diamond-dust and oil, and revolving 2400 times per minute. At night the great gem will be placed in a special safe in a strong room with walls of iron and cement thick. The head of the Asscher firm, armed with a revolver and accompanied by ten of his staff, places the gem in the safe and takes it out night and morning. The diamond, which is worth intrinsically £500,000, now weighs about says the Evening News, and will when cat weigh about lib.