The word “brifka” comes from Dutch and refers to an envelope used to package diamonds. The diamond industry adopted the word for the packets that hold diamonds, which are folded in a special way to keep the diamonds safe. The way the brifka is folded prevents diamonds from falling out.
A brifka designed to hold a few polished stones is made from three layers of paper – two thin and transparent, one white and one colored – and an outer sheet that is thick and opaque.
Brifkas for rough diamonds are comprised of two layers, a transparent internal one and a thick outer one. Brifkas for large amounts of rough diamonds are made of especially thick outer paper.
Courtesy of Talking Diamonds: A Lexicon of Diamond World Technology by Shalom Lissitzky
