Antique jewelry glossary

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Slitting

The process of dividing a rough gemstone, other than a diamond, into two or more smaller stones suitable for faceting, being guided by the crystalline structure of the rough stone. It has been done for centuries, and is still so done, by use of a small, very thin, revolving disc, made of bronze or soft iron, charged with diamond dust together with olive oil or paraffin as a lubricant.

The stone is usually held by hand against the edge of the slitting disc, but in modern times mechanical holders have been introduced. After a stone has been so split, bruting is not needed before faceting.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson