• June 1954
• July 1954
• August 1954
• Sept. 1954
• Oct. 1954
• Nov. 1954
• Dec. 1954
• Jan. 1955
• Feb. 1955
• March 1955
• April 1955
• May 1955
• June 1955
• July 1955
• August 1955
• September 1955
November 1955

Current 50 Years Ago Page

October 1954 Lapidary Journal

Fifty Years Ago in Lapidary Journal: September 1954

Established in 1947, Lapidary Journal has been the authority on what's current in the gem and jewelry world for over half a century. The vast library of issues that have been created over the years is like a diary -- a record to what was going on in the industry at any given moment. Just as it's fun to read old entries in your personal journal, we at Lapidary Journal thought it would be a good time to begin reminiscing on topics past, to see what has changed over time and what has remained the same.

Starting with the June 1954 issue, each month we will take a look back to an issue 50 years old. If readers are interested in receiving photocopies of these or any past articles, please send us an e-mail with the subject line of "reprints."

The September 1954 issue was 6-1/2" x 9-3/4", unlike today's dimensions of 8-1/4" x 10-3/4". It was not until 1960 that the size changed for the first time. It was a bi-monthly magazine and the newsstand price was $0.50 per copy.

"A Short History of Faceting" by H.W. Brose
by H.W. Brose
revisited by Lauren Mirabelli, Editorial Intern

Pictured are ads for faceting machines that ran in the Sept./Oct. 1954 issue of Lapidary Journal

In the not too distant past, faceting -- an art utilized today in an essential capacity by lapidaries worldwide -- claimed a fickle history. In the October 1954 issue of the Lapidary Journal geologist H.W. Brose offers the root of this art through personal research and perseverance in an article entitled, "A Short History of Faceting."

Let's step back in Brose's shoes: The year is 1915, and this gentleman, a lifelong gem collector, is standing in front of a lapidary shop in San Diego. Tourmaline was abundant due to the recent boom in the mines. Held tightly in his palm, six of his own fine garnets are nestled. Peering through the translucent, glossy finish of the shop window, Brose admires rows upon rows of kunzite, pink and green tourmaline, and other cut gems, gleaming back at him. At eye level, a sign cried, "We do our own gem cutting."

Elated, Brose enters as a middle-aged man emerges from the back room of the shop. He holds up the garnets and asks for a diamond cut. The lapidary looks at him wearily, shaking his head in dismay. The shop could do a lovely carbuncle cut for the gentleman in a heartbeat . . . but a diamond cut? Well, in that case the rough material would be sent to an agent in New York, who then forwards the material to Germany and Belgium. According to the lapidary, this is a common practice. Brose left with his uncut garnets and a head that was full of questions.

It would have possibly been different if that trip to San Diego's Exposition had been an isolated incident. However, when Brose encountered another "false fronting" shop in Denver, he knew that he was dabbing into a business that, while still growing, individuals had little knowledge. So, he decided to delve into the history of faceting of his own accord.

The heftiest bump in the road, as Brose prepared this article for print in 1954, was the incredulous amount of data available on the history of faceting. At the time of his research, he notes that many writers of history texts, "take for granted that faceting originated in Europe at about the 15th century and have made little effort to trace it beyond that time." In contrast, Brose discovered a great deal of information that disputes that claim.

At the time of the article, evidence indicated that the art of faceting was approximately 3,000 years old. Pliny the Elder, while vague about faceting, wrote often about gems and his detections. As far back as Biblical times, it has been recorded that King Solomon had silver, gold, rubies, and diamonds. He traded with Babylon, which, in turn had dealings with India. The earliest recorded report, according to Brose, is by Kautilya in 400 B.C., which notes, "southern India produced gold, diamonds, rubies, and other gems." Alexander the Great brought several historians with him during his campaign to conquer the world in 330 B.C. to record events as they took place, becoming the first army to have "war correspondents." In 326 B.C., he defeated Malavas and his allies in India, collecting diamonds, pearls and other items as a settlement for his victory.

Then came the Roman Empire. In 258 A.D., Sapor I entered Roman territory adorned in a diamond-studded apron. At the time of Constantine the Great's reign, upon creating his capitol on the Bosporus at Byzantium, he sailed his ships along what is known today as the Black Sea. The year was 312 A.D. and his fleet brought "silks, gems, scents, and other luxuries from the East."
All this history thus far, all 1100 years or so of it, ultimately presents us with a question of royal appearance. In a great deal of Hollywood films featuring this time period, kings, queens, princes, and princesses alike are all but draped in jewels. It is quite hard to fathom that royalty would prefer the "dull, greasy gleam" of an uncut gem to one that is brilliantly cut.

Pictured are ads for faceting machines that ran in the Sept./Oct. 1954 issue of Lapidary Journal

Brose claims from his research that Venice, founded in 421 A.D., is the location of the first authentic account of faceted gems. As it became one of the strongest City-States in southern Europe by 600 A.D., the Venetians turned to trade and soon became the main maritime power for many years. Through this trade extravaganza, Venice did business with Constantinople and Alexandria. It is at this point, as Brose suggests, that "lapidary art was introduced into Europe by someone, probably a slave belonging to one of the traders." In La Feste Venezane, the reader may find the proof. Doge Tradonico (836-861 A.D.) was presented with a ducal cap that was made entirely of gold, topped with faceted gems, including diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. In addition, a writer of that period penned that lapidaries were men of the East.

Through a war against the Normans, Emperor Alexis granted the Venetians many rights that increased their trade and opportunities. Here, Brose reports a few falsities in the pending history of faceting. For instance, some have believed that Vincenzo Peruzzi, a Venetian lapidary, was the first to facet diamonds. This, however, is improbable, as the trade continues to migrate westward.

Brose's research carries us to the "Low Countries," (present-day Belgium and Holland). This land was constantly conquered and turned over through strife and civil war. Finally, the Romans pulled out of the "Low Countries" when the Roman Empire began to crumble around 450 A.D. Upon their initial self-governance, the "Low Countries" went through a period of continual warring and problematic land distribution until they were subdued by Clovis and then followed by Charlemagne. Unfortunately, after the death of Charlemagne, during the 9th and 10th centuries, civil unrest persisted. Shortly thereafter, a working class arose in the "Low Countries." Through the implementation of this working class, the "commoners" rose to the status of "Mijnheers," or wealthy burgher class. These men and women only moved upward, becoming traders and merchants who traveled in bands, eventually developing a two-way trade with Venice, Genoa, and other Italian cities. By 1200 A.D., this newly formed people had developed trade with the French, English, and North Sea ports. The economic expansion of the trade increase encouraged the growth of towns, "notably Bruges and Ghent, with Amsterdam and Antwerp not far behind."

According to Brose, faceting began in Bruges around the late 1300s. As aforementioned, in 1458 A.D., Louis de Berquen is claimed to have created the first brilliantly cut diamond in Bruges. Amsterdam and Antwerp themselves did not enter into the faceting scene until after 1580 A.D., when they became famous gem cutting centers. Then, the demand for diamonds and other faceted stones was enough to "justify heavy investments in rough stones, which still came from India."

Faceting was not introduced to America until 1870. Even then, it was still much more cost effective to import from Amsterdam and Antwerp. Nonetheless, the industry continued to expand, and by 1910 there were a number of lapidary shops nation-wide. In fact, faceting did not become a common practice in the Unites States until amateur lapidaries took up the art.

Dr. B.O. Longyear is credited with inventing the very first mechanical faceting device in 1895. During his time, faceting equipment was virtually non-existent. The manufacturing of faceting machines kick-started in the late 1920s and early 1930s by American companies that offered faceting heads. While they were made of "pot metal," and may have been considered "prehistoric," they got the job done effectively.

Nowadays, the art is widely practiced, and there are classes and guilds available to hone the skill. Worldwide competitions also encourage faceting and its development. According to the United States Faceting Guild, there are 17 faceting machine manufacturers and counting. Jewelers and lapidaries have clearly come a great distance from Brose's far cries. The year is 2004, and we are well on our way to new technological advances in the field. Of course, it could not hurt to thank Mr. Brose for allowing us to borrow his well-worn shoes.

More highlights from our archives coming next month from the September/October 1954 Lapidary Journal.

________________________________________________________________

Feature Stories & Artist Profiles | Step-by-Step Projects & Workshops | Technique Articles | Business Articles | New Products | News, Conferences, & Deadlines | Take our Reader Survey

Articles & Workshops | Bead Fest | Jewelry Classes | Show Calendar | Search for Products & Suppliers | Classified Ad Deals | Advertising Rates & Information | Media Reviews | Store - Books & Back Issues | Contact Us | Links | Site Map