| ext">Diamonds radiate with more than their | | | | one-carat diamond will measure one-quarter of an |
| sparkle. They radiate with romance! With love! | | | | inch diameter. A most interesting fact is that an |
| With dreams come true! For some people these | | | | eight-carat diamond will measure only one-half of |
| words are all synonymous. Diamonds are a | | | | an inch diameter. Among the largest diamonds |
| girl’s best friend, sang Carol Channing in | | | | ever found was one weighing an awesome 3,106 |
| the Broadway show, Gentlemen Prefer | | | | carats — fist sized. It was cut into eight of |
| Blondes, and a half-century later these words | | | | the world’s greatest diamonds and 96 |
| still resonate with some truth. Immortalized as a | | | | lesser gems. |
| symbol of love at an engagement, diamonds have | | | | Some occupations allow the craftsman to make a |
| adorned the heads of kings and queens, and been | | | | mistake, but not that of the diamond cutter. A |
| the bait of ransom for others. Many men have | | | | large, rough uncut diamond has the potential of |
| died trying to acquire diamonds, and women have | | | | being worth millions. One slip on the part of the |
| been known to sell their honor to be able to wear | | | | cutter and the stone becomes almost worthless. |
| them. Diamonds themselves were found in India | | | | Legends tell of the rich diamond owners of years |
| many thousands of year ago and adorned only | | | | ago standing over their cutters while they |
| the wealthiest at that time. | | | | worked. |
| Diamonds also play another role in our society | | | | Should they make a wrong cut he would order |
| — that of being one of the hardest known | | | | their immediate execution.The true aim of cutters |
| substances that modern industry can use. The | | | | then and now is to bring out the maximum |
| word diamond originally came from the Greek | | | | brilliancy of the stone while eliminating as many |
| word adamas,’ which meant | | | | flaws as possible and still retaining the maximum |
| indestructible. Because the majority of diamonds | | | | weight.The cutters are truly artists at this most |
| mined are either too small or too imperfect to | | | | specialized trade. While Nature made the raw |
| adorn the hand of love, they are used for | | | | stone, it takes a talented human to reveal the |
| industrial purposes where their hardness, rather | | | | potential of its hidden beauty. |
| than their beauty, reflects their value. | | | | The services of an expert are truly necessary |
| Diamonds are measured by weight, much like coal | | | | when acquiring diamonds for one’s own |
| or potatoes. The basic unit, called a carat, is 200 | | | | personal use. No other product has such potential |
| milligrams, or 1/142nd of an avoirdupois ounce. | | | | for deceit or fraud. |
| Although measured by weight, a well-cut, | | | | |