Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-03-07

rocks and minerals. That pieces Of
wood, plants and animal substances,
will become silicifed, or as is com
monty said, pelrifed, is well known;
and though often wondered at, the
diffusion Of the gold flakes through
the crystal is yet more morvelous.
Beside Ebelman, two other savans
-Senermont and Becquerel-have
obtained surprising results in the
artificial formqtion OF crystals and
minerals. Some among their speci-
mems of chrysolite and chrysoberyl
were hard enough to cut glass. And
many curious effects have been no
tlced in the course Of their investi-
cations aud experiments. Glass
containing arsenic, though at first
transparent, becomes cloudy and
Opaque, then waxy, and finally
crystalline. A familiar instance Of
similar effect is offered by barley
sugar, which gradually loses its
transparency, and becomes some
what waxy in texture. Another
discovery was, that pounded loaf
sugar, mixed with suIphuric acid,
forms a gutinous substance, which
when dry, detonates like guu-cot-
ton.
We might 60 on with these inter-
estng results, which open novel
views Of the capabilities of chem
ical science but for the present we
content ourselves with a few words
on ultra-mariue--a substance much
used by artists aud by acertain class
of arti6cers. Some years ago, IT
was prepared exclusively from idpiS
heuE, a mineral found in Siberia,
and was sold at prices varying from
seven to twenty guineas the once,
according to the quality. Bat the
chemists set to work upon il, pryiug,
weighing, testing, and az last DIS
covered ITS constituents, but were
long at loss for the coloring priu-
cipIe. At last Gumet, of Lyon, hit
on the idea of trying to combine
the constituents 10 their natural pro-
PORTIONS, as in the native mineral,
and the result was that the color
was produced, and ulira-marine
could be sold at two guineas pound.
The constituents are-slllcate Of
alumni, soda, and sulphuret of So
dunn and the color is supposed 10
be due to the action OF the last on
the two first. Guimet's success set
other eXperimenters on the scent
the secret was re-diScovered, and
now ultra-marlne may be bought at
Is Sd. per pound, and Is largely us
ed in many industrial processes.
But there is still another way of
manufacturing artificial gems; and
to make our article complete, we
must finish with a short notice of
it. Our clever allies, across the
channel, have the credit OF discov-
ering and nracticlng ii with no small
advantage to themselves. Just ont
side the Barriere di Trone, at Paris,
stands a large factory, where a spe-
cies Of sand brought from the forest
of Fontaiubleau, is converted INTO
emerald, topaz, sapphire and ruby.
Artificial pearls are also produced III
great numbers and as these are
lined with fish-scales, an active fish
cry of roach aud dace is actively
kept up iii the Seine during the
Spring months when the fish are in
their prime. But It is for the man
ufacture of diamonds that the fac
tory is most celebrated-diamonds
that deceive the eye Of every body
I but the maker. Thomas Carlyle
has given us, among his Essays,
story concerning The Diamond
Necklace, which lets us into the Sc
cret of a siupendous fraud, success
fully accomplished before the very
eyes of royalty; aud if we could
get at the history of this diamond
factory, we should find the fraudu-
lent business still lively. Many
have been deceived who never found
out the cheat put upon them 9TH
ers have discovered it to their sor-
row. We give one instance among
many borrowed from cotempora-
Try:
8" A few years ago, an English
lady entered the shop belonging to
the proprietor of the factory, Situa-
ted on the Boulevard, looking rath-
er flushed and excited aud drawing
from her muf number of moroc-
co cases of many shapes and sizes,
opened them one after another, and
spread them on the counter.
Il wish, she said, to inquire the
price of a pdrure, to be made IN ex-
act imitation of this, that is if you
can initiate the workmanship with
sufficient precision for the dislinc-
ton never 10 be observed
NJ B. examined the articles
atteutively, named his price, and
gave the most unequivocal promise
that the parure should be an exact
counterpart of the one before him.
The lady insisted again. She was
urgent overmuch, as is the case
with the fair sex in general. Was
he sure the imitation would be per-
feet? Had he observed the beau
ty and purity Of these stones p
Could he initiate the peculiar man
ner in which they were cut, &c. :
Soyez tranqullle, madame, re-
| piled M. b; the same work.
man shall have the lob, and you