Show HOW DIAMONDS ARE NIPPED A Clever Contrivance That Cuts Them Out of n Stud Chicago InterOcean When we speak of a crook nipping a nipping diamond stud we use the word advisedly advised-ly said a central station detective Its not a case of Idle slang In fact nearly all the words used In a slang way by thieves and police officers come nearer to expressing th exact Idea of what we mean to illustrate than most people think I Take for Instance tho phrase stole a diamond Now thats all right In It way but theres a hundred or more ways In which diamonds may be stolen so it gives us nO clew as to the particular method of operation But when we are told that some crook has nipped a spark we know exactly how he did I and have a fair sort of lead to work onTo on-To nip n spark means to cut off a diamond dia-mond from n mans shirtfront The phrase originated in the style of tho Instrument strument used by the thief Diamonds lost In this way arc not unscrewed or pulled out from a shirtfront as some people > believe The diamond nipper I car rica I a small instrument made like a pair nippers I can b carried between tho lingers and kept concealed In that way Nea a little cup into which the diamond dia-mond falls when cut from tho gold mounting mount-Ing When the nipper sees a stone that pleases his fancy he simply slips his little instrument to the front jostles and shoves past his victim perhaps curses him for treading on his toes and having distracted his attention slips one hand lose to his bosom A simple move a pressure of the linger the sharp jaws clutch the shank of the pin or stud the diamond drops into the cuplike receptacle recepta-cle and the nipper Is gone So Is tho diamond |