The old method, which is still in use, for roughly fashioning diamonds is that known as bruting, from the French word, _brutage_, for the process, or as shaping. Two stones of about the same size are selected, and are firmly attached by means of a hard cement to the ends of two holders, which are held one in each hand, and rubbed hard, one against the other, until surfaces of the requisite size are developed on each stone. During the process the stones are held over a small box, which catches the precious powder. A fine sieve at the bottom of the box allows the powder to fall through into a tray underneath, but holds back anything larger. By means of two vertical pins placed one on each side of the box the holders are retained more easily in the desired position, and the work is thrown mainly on the thumbs. This work continued day after day has a very disfiguring effect upon the hands despite the thick gloves that are worn to protect them; the skin of the thumbs grows hard and horny, and the first and second fingers become swollen and distorted. When the surfaces have thus been formed, the stone is handed to the polisher, who works them into the correct shape and afterwards polishes them, the stone passing backwards and forwards several times between the cutter and the polisher. The table, four templets, culet and four pavilions are first formed and polished, so that the table has a square shape. Next the quoins are developed and polished, and finally the small facets are polished on, not being shaped first. In modern practice the process of bruting has been modified in some cases by the introduction of machinery, and the facets are ground on, with considerable improvement in the regularity of their size and disposition, and reduction in the amount of polishing required. Moreover, to obviate the loss of material resulting from continued grinding, large stones are first sliced by means of rapidly-revolving copper wheels charged with diamond powder.