Lodewyk van Berken
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Lodewyk van Berken (15th century) is famous for inventing the scaif. This invention revolutionized the diamond cutting industry and contributed to increased popularity of diamonds.
Van Berken was born into a Jewish family in Bruges. He worked in Antwerp.
In 1456 he invented the scaif,[1] a polishing wheel infused with a mixture of olive oil and diamond dust. With the scaif, it became possible to polish all the facets of the diamond symmetrically at angles that best reflected the light.
Charles the Bald became the patron of Van Berken and in 1470s commissioned him to cut a 137-carat stone that later became known as the Florentine Diamond.
[edit] Legacy
Since the time of van Berken's invention, the diamond cutting became one of traditional Jewish crafts.
A bronze statue of van Berken, holding a diamond in his hand, stands in Antwerp's diamond district.
[edit] References
- ^ Diamonds Through the Ages (American Radio Works)
[edit] External links
- The Diamond Invention. Chapter 11 by Edward Jay Epstein
- Diamond cutting. Thank you Lodewyk van Berken by Jeffrey Blancq. April 21, 2006
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