Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-07-29
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Mock GEMS IN THE PARIS EXHIBITION.- -
The Paris correspondent of the London Herald
slyS: ..........-
II am coming to a great Partisan manutac-
,nr,, the greatest of it's kind in the world. Ii
X that of sham jewelry. Now, the French
make no secret of this manufacture. 1t Is
l,-rally proclaimed upon the housetops. lou
So, in gigantic letters, Limitation dor ct dar-
ostt pi Jouo17lerp' announced, in eager rivalry
oi other practitioners in the trade, which, how
ever, tries to keep its secrets Of manipulation,
if not 10 deny its own existence. But the
while affair is very simple one. For more
than century this form Of industry has been
practised in almost every country OF Europe,
aud there is, no matter what the artists may
pretend, no mystery whatever about It,
THE demand for false diamonds is prodlgi
Gus, and the supply is wonder Of the age
TO make diamond-apalt from the palnine
off of mere crystal or glass trlcsed into re-
semblance Of it-there are many processes, all,
however, resulting in the production OF what
is called crystal water, which, hardened and
cut, is perfect as an imitation. 1t may not
happen very often, bnt sometimes Lady tlarl
We're de We're goes to her first bail wearing a
com nposi,ion of white sand treated with hydro
chloric acid, minium, calcined potash. borax
and arsenic, which scintllates with white fire
laden, as though the garland had really come
which is the basis of this, add q little oxide of
cobalt, and daughter of an ancient line, there
are the fac SMILES Of your great grandmother s
celebrated collection Of sapphires, parted with
10 the hard times long ago. Give me the
coorless material with a little antimony and
purple Of Cassin and will give you back a
topaz bright as that of Zabara: or some
oxide of copper or cobalt, and you shall have
an emerald, the bride of the diamond, as the
Orentals say, because diamond never gilt
ters 50 richly as when an emerald IS near to
receive the lights from its prism, and paint 1T
anew. .,..
81 have seen some specimens of Turkey
rose pearls These are actually made OF roses.
The leaves are heaped in a mortar with
very highly-polished interior surface, and
pounded into soft mass; this is dried in the
sun, but not rapidly, for rose water Of the
finest perfume is sprnkled over the pink paste
every now and then; the damping and drying
are repeated. and the pearls-whlch, OF course,
are not pearls in any way-are moulded into
form, polished, stepped in oil of roses and
polished again, so that they are lustrous and
sweet-scented Some are tinted blue; others
are odorous of storax and musk; tcW--the
most difficult to produce in pertectlon-are
black. The japanese have artificial pearls
made Of rice paste, better known as japanese
cement, harder than marble. The Roman
pearls are chiefly made of fish scales, treated
with the purest spirits of wine, and the man,
nfacture must be carried on in highly heated
rooms but they are as light as wax and can
not possibly deceive.
'Well, this being the state Of things | am
not surprised to discover that full two-thirds
of the French jewel exhibition are occupied by
'make-believes.' In this department--they
utterly eclipse the rest Of the world. lie
Blance Granger, OF the Boulevard Magenta,
has a collection of artificial diamonds, eme-
raids, sapphires, methysts aud pearls truly
wonderful. His restoraticns OF historical jew
els are even more extraordinary orders
of the Garter and Golden Fleece, and all the
proud collars and stars Of chivalry his orien-
tai sword hits and dagger hats such as might
have been seen at Lahore durbar when prln-
ces gathered round Runieet Singh--hls crowns
Of the East and West and all perlOds-hs
Marie Stuart pearl and velvet couture and rare
circlets Of amethysts and emeralda, are royalty
q. brilliant.
"Fruchy, of the Rue Tiqutonne, is another
master Of this deceptive art. He has pearls
which he might have fished from anywhere be-
tween the NJ exican and Persian Gulfs--white,
gray, leaden, lilac; pair Of curtains in seed
pearls, and illustrations of the process ut It's
several stages. Andy, of the Rue Montmoren-
cy, displays ropes, chains, cables of pearls,
which he exports on large scale to Turkey,
where damsels with dulcimers very likely ad:
mire them quite joyfully as though they had
actually been brought up from the caves ct the
mermaids by les trarniHeus de naer.
"In one case an exhibitor has deposited SIX
rows of pearls, three real and three artificial;
the former were worth l5,O00f, the latter 1901.
| defy any one except a ieweler or paWnbrokcr
to distinguish between them.
Algeria has very little except the rougheSt
work to show, the few superior specimens
being from the hands of European ARTISTS
Siam, a realm OF gems, exhibits q paltry ms
eellaby of necklaces, badly colored pearls, III
set turquoises and spangles Turkey, some
boots and jackets thickly embroidered with
seed pearls, some flagrce, not to be compared
with the Genoese, few forehead ornaments,
crescent-shaped, and variety of gold anklets
With dull enamels, carvings in amber, strings
OF coins and shell-cmbroidered caps. Roumania
jngles only a bunch of spangles. The prodlgal
Caucasus sends almost alone in this respect,
q, quantity of magnificent stones, unset
Egypt, necklaces, bracelets and rings worn by
different classes of the people. India, nothing.
In India jewel work is ceasiog to exist; in the
United States it's existence has not commenced.
In Europe great rivalry is springing up, and
Belgium is maintaining very good position
IN connection with it, Her collection is small
but brilliant, and remarkably vivid in its dis
play of emeralds."
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