GEM CUTTING – IN TRICHY DISTRICT

Source: This case has been taken from the book “Promoting
Livelihoods for the Rural Poor-A Source Book for Development
Administrators and NGOs”
District administrators of drought prone or labour surplus
regions always
look for employment and income generating activities. This
case illustrates
1. Introduction
one such non-farm activity, which though initially successful,
For the past 100 years or so, the art of faceting and polishing
later started
gemstones was
degenerating
kept duesecret
a closely held to expansion
limited to beyond feasible
family and friends.limits.
The learning
process
was laborious and used to take 10 to 15 years to perfect. However, the
traditional process was of inferior quality, poor calibration and unfit
for the
foreign market. But today things are different; faceting can be done
• The first zone, claimed to be the oldest, covers Andhra Pradesh, Madhya
byPradesh (panna). Maharashtra and Gujarat (latest).
•anyone
The secondwho caresis to
zone, which takeold,some
not very trainingInon
covers Rajasthan. a semi-automatic machine
Jaipur,
precious and semi- precious stones like emerald, ruby sapphire, citrine,
foramethyst,
a topaz peridot, quarts etc. brought from Orissa and Tamil
few months.
Nadu, have been processed for the last 125-150 years.
• The third zone is in South India. In Tamil Nadu, synthetic stones like
synthetic corundum, (SC) and american diamonds, (cubic zirconia), are
ThebeingIndian
processed.scene of processing
It is believed, of laid
artisans from Bruma thethegem can
foundation broadly be divided
for this culture about 100 years ago. The raw materials were imported
into
and three
the production was consumed mainly within the country then.
basic zones:
1.1. Historical Background
Around 1950, a factory manufacturing synthetic corundum came up in
Mettuppalayam in Tarnil Nadu. This became the principal source for
coloured synthetic corundum, developing the lapidary industry and
spreading to villages around Trichy, Pudukottai, and part of Coimbatore.
Trichy has been the central place for these activities in India for a long time

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now. In the seventies several other types of synthetic stones
were produced
including cubic zirconia which is the leading synthetic stone
being
1.2. cut,
Employment
polished
The and
synthetic gem sold
industry in the world
was employing today.
30,000 persons in many parts of
Trichy and Pudukottai districts of Tamil Nadu state a decade ago, (The
Hindu, newspaper, 24 May 1995). Table no : I, shows there is no growth for
the past 10 years or there must have been a new generation to replace the
previous work force as assumed by Mr. K.T.Naidu. Manager, Trichy Gem
Park (TGP) which was set up by Diamond and Gem Development
Corporation (DGDC) in 1990
Table 1: Work force in synthetic gem processing industry
Particulars No. of Persons
No. of persons engaged in gem cutting in and around 4,000
Trichy
No of persons self-employed in Tamil Nadu state 10,000
Total work force 30,000
• figures approximate
1.3. Communities Covered
Synthetic gem cutting is neither restricted to any caste nor owned by
any
particular group of people in any geographical area. This industry is
considered
1.4. Growth oneof of
thethe main occupations of the people of Trichy,
Industry
Pudukottai
The boom in synthetic gem industry started in 1990 after M K Karunanithi,
and
the then other parts
chief minister of Nadu
of Tamil Tamil Nadu
inaugurated a unitwhose income is unstable and
in Samayapuram
seasonal.
in Tnchy district. "1 was motivated by this and established my unit, now
there are about 3000 machines in this village", said, S.Murugesan Pillai,
founder of Kalyani Diamonds. He was instrumental in setting up synthetic
gem cutting enterprise in his village, Thirupanjali. The unit which he started
with one traditional machine, now has 30 semi-automatic machines.

1.5 Agencies and Individuals behind the Industry Growth and

Development

An opinion of all most all the persons engaged in the industry is that "a
revolution had taken place in synthetic gem industry during the period of the

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then Pudukottai Collector Ms.Sheela Rani Chunkath I.A.S.". The Lead
District Officer (LDO) of Trichy district, Assistant Project Director (APD) of
District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Trichy, DRDA Project Director
(PO) of Pudukottai and Mr. Ayothi, Managing Director (MD) of District
Supply and Marketing Society (DSMS). Pudukottai, feel that "the Collector
Sheela Rani Chunkath had introduced this industry to the rural women
especially the devadasi women of Viralima1ai village". "TGP had played a
major role in promoting the industry by introducing the semi automatic gem
cutting machine which replaced the traditional one" adds Mr K T Naidu
while agreeing that the Collector was a key person to popularize the
industry.

2. Technical Description of Synthetic Gem

Synthetic gems are mainly made from two raw materials: Synthetic
Ccorundum, (SC), and Cubic Zirconia,(CZ), also known as American
Diamonds, (AD). Out of the available synthetic stones in the world,
CZ is
2.1
supposed to come closest to natural diamond in terms of its physical
Cubic Zirconia
and
In 1937 two mineralogists, M V Stackel and K Chudoba were
chemical properties.
studying a
natural Zircon and identified by X-ray diffraction, the presence of the
Cubic
form of Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) in it. In the early seventies, a
research
group in the Soviet Union perfected the modification of previously
known,
2.2
butProperties
difficult
of CZcrystal growth technique called ‘skull melting', and were
able to
To improve the brilliance, the artisans must have knowledge of
obtain
major large crystals of CZ.
physical properties
•The
of a faceted gem, which affect the final beauty
CZIf the
Clarity:
ofofawhite is stone
colourless, harditcrystal
is not clear, it means which
has some milky nesshas the optical properties
(in case
transparent stones). Crack, air bubbles means it has a dun
approximate
gemstone.
finish. to the brilliance and fire of diamond. Late in 1976, this
material
was introduced commercially as a diamond imitation.
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• Refraction of light: When light ray passes from the surrounding air into
a transparent material, the ray is bent. Amount of refraction depends on
Table
the 3: Economics of processing cubic zirconia
material.
• Dispersion: Dispersion in a gem is the amount of individual light
Process
colours, red Comments
to the violet, separated by the material. Units
Proper Costcan
cutting
enhance this effect. If the crown facets are properly placed and inclined, (Rs)
Costthe
oflight
raw material (rough
emerges at a sharp angle and disperses. Rs 2500
stone)
Other things to be known: 2500/kg
Slicing
• Colour (cutting about 3000 Done in factory. Balance after Rs 350
stones into necessary size)
• Hardness slicing is 80 % of original 350/kg
• Optical properties weight.
• Crystallography
Preforming (grinding stones Done in cottage units. Balance 660
into rough round shape) weight is about 22% of 80% of
2.3 Production Technology1 kg(= 176g) only about 2800
stones are usable
Faceting and polishing
The processing of CZ is done in threeDone in cottage units. Balance
stages: 2240
(giving final shape
1. Slicing and cutting and weight is 60 to 90% of 176g
polish)
2. Preforming (say 65%), only about 2750
3. Faceting and polishing stones are usable
Total
Thesecost
stages, in terms of technology Approximate
and economics, weight of 2750 in detail 5750
are described
in Table 2&3 finished stones from 1 kg of
raw material is 115g. Each
Table 2: Production process ofstone Cubic is Zirconia
1/5 carat giving total
to 550 carats
Merchant’s
Process margin Output Technology2500
Market
Activityvalue Traditional Modern550 carat 8250
Slicing To get smaller pieces of Using a tin blade in @ Rs
Power-operated
and roughly cubical shape country made “Pattarai”. 15/carat
machines
cutting (“Dhalam” is the local Artisan has to squat on increase
name of the sliced stone) ground for long hours. productivity (by
2.5) and quality.
To reduce the chunk of Done in two steps. Done in two
Preformin rough gem into the shape “Kadasarappu’ and steps: girdle
of the intended cut “vandigai”. Non- rounding and
g (“Urutu” is the local uniformity of size, shape coning.
name of the preformed and proportion reduces Machines can
stone) value. be for 1.2 or 1
persons
Faceting Final processing stage Uses cast-iron wheel Semi-automatic
and with three different cuts: driven by pedal or machines
polishing round brilliant, step motor, non-uniformity of recently
(emerald), mixed size, shape and introduced.
(“Merugu” is the local proportion gives low
name of this process) productivity.

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