Travels in India (Tavernier) 87.1.3

87.1.3

After they have opened them out, and have removed the earth or sand which may be there, they then commence to wash it two or three times, and search in it for whatever diamonds it may contain. It is in this mine that the cleanest and whitest watered diamonds are found ; but the evil is that in order to extract the sand more easily from the rocks they strike such blows with a heavy iron crowbar that it fractures the diamonds, and gives rise to flaws. It is for this reason that so many thin stones come from this mine, for when the miners see a stone in which the flaw is of some size, they immediately cleave it, that is to say split it, at which they are much more accomplished than we are. These are the stones which we call thin (“foible”), which make a great show. If the stone is clean they do not do more than just touch it with the wheel above and below, and do not venture to give it any form, for fear of reducing the weight. But if it has a small flaw, or any spots, or small black or red grit, they cover the whole of the stone with facettes in order that its defects may not be seen, and if it has a very small flaw they conceal it by the edge of one of the facettes. But it should be remarked that the merchant prefers a black point in a stone to a red one. When there is a red one the stone is roasted, and the point becomes black.