The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-10-17
.iIOHf Precious Stones.

10 NfiiIng aud talking atOui gems {, is cs.-
iuular! to give the rrc'drhrr 40 t'.r diaiuund
although run, vi the sat.e s,zc on quality is
really noFc valuable. lsismutds. ~. w.s-r ate
a',rr all the crrAn jrsyr.s "' the Wu'.d They nir
more u-cd ihaa any "f'rr s,m. ~ invtsiul. MS.
HnI "a this county go c'Ii,, the wtalih, Anuii
thvm rs a sort y pl4carl - Inrit Ahilih ~ tiu,..
ui ct'nmoii' "a prnres aud Eotits tnYe L.unH
Diamonds their ttsi iri"nGs iuae-d. the larlrs,
dHinuuds IN TIE world hayr each n hislor, aud
uIutr innn one buliisli has becn the wiIntss 81;
bgond. ahi iTal Is scenes
Tnc kuh-i-gur. 'ur ,Esi1uce. has chang i hat a :
~ n,any an East Indian consicl rr;oir It WHs
taken hv the Eaglish troops ~ L.h.ue. ani ,te.
SEATED tu QIe.n Victor. T'r pgi.G dir'ma I'd
srt ~ tue s'ep'Ge Ui iLc CAs, - Il sa. l. s.id
"ucr ." have 'urned one -. ,a- - an idui it.
;he iiraiiin 'rinPlc, and ia nS,' Ten set in III
pcacock throne OF Nadid SiHh u Aas stolen il
Frvn'hmnn, and uliin.-',l, Ell i,i'' JlerUssrs.
sion Oi Cuhsfiuc II oi Russia. T.. SAFE, dIA.
nVnd was actually taken iTu,u tue body ~ the
Duke OF burgundy, and iooni its way 10 is49 10
Baron de San"y, who sent il Ms present To tue
King o. Portugal. The servant by whom IL VIA
sent being attacked 10y robbers, So wAllowed The
stone, aud IL was found after his death IN bis
body.
The diamond is composed % PURE carbon cry =
iaiizri and l. the hardest known substance The
English were at one time iamous as eeiu cuiirrs
but the ar; is now wholly lost among them. and
most OF the valuable stones inirusltd To Dutch
Jews.
The ruby is the next hirdvsi thing in nature
after the diamond The finest ruLirs are found
in the East indies aud the King Of Bufmah takes
Unc ui his titles from ihsm-ihat 81 the Lord OF
the RUbies. Ia old iiinrs the ruby was eonsid-
cred To possess many ma s.cal properties. II WAS
thought 10 he an amulet against poison plague,
evil thoughts aud evil spirils. u Was supposed TO
dtTktn when the wcarcT was 10 peril aud 10 be-
come brah, when the danger MAS over.
The sapphire is composed Oi ideniieally the
same elements rs the ruby. except the coloring
matter. Il Is blue instead OF red aud 10 lees
valuable than its kindred jewel.
The emerald comes next 10 the diamond and
ruby. \ fine emerald Is Of brilliant green color
The Gncients used 10 ascTibe wonderful properties
to ~, and II was thought 10 cndow the ow uer
with courage. The fHesi emcralds are found
aEi0ng the iimssio rocks Of New Grenada.
The iTidescent. wondTogs tinted opal 10, We are
told. nothing bat quartz aud water. still IL il
the only precious stone which dciiss imitation
Fine opas are very valuable. aud several ihous
aud dO!lats has not ane0nmonly been paid tor n
large stone, Tor a ring ot breach.
The opal saggrsls the pearl. which Is mol strict
~ geni, but m excrrsencr. The hnrsl pearls
are found Ia &c, Ion. in the shells cf large spe-
cies OF oyster. Pearls shOgli he yUre Whit. reg
ular IN shape. aud slightly tTaaspatthl. Those
:" ho ave the possessoFs " har pearls should bear
10 mind that the, az. iIblr 10 - eiseO."Trd by
contact with acids aud gas, aLl roxious vspors
OF all kinda. This Is the trnsun why gas is never
seen 20 the balls Of the British aIisiocracy --nei-
ihrE the adics beauty us iht,r PsA.is eau bear H..