The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1871-11-21
The Rage For False Diamonds.

The badge Of Ring official is a
diamond observation-disclosures always
false. Only Ring leader, can afford to
wear real gems. Yet every messenger,
at s45 month, who firts about the
new Court House aud City Hall, wears
glit;ering jewels, which the uninitiated
and perhaps the wearers, believe to be
real stoues Of considerable value. It
is not uncommon tn see diamonds--or
what purport To be such-in the ears Of
shop-girls aud in the bosom-fronts of
stable. boys. The consequence is that
this class Of jewelry, expensive when
real aud gaudy when false, has been
given up by the maj ,rity of honest
folks, pearls being worn instead.
Artificial diamonds are made Of a
peculiar glass called strass. This glass
hes a property Of refracting light in
the same way rs the diamond, and its
manufacture has been carried on to
such perfection that an ordinary OBJ
server cannot distinguish gems made
of it from the real diamonds. After
few years these diamonds tend to
crystalize, So that in ten years they boz
come turbid and lose all their luster
These stones however, can always be
distinguished by practical lapidary
by various tests, such as hardness and
peculiarities in cutting. Diamonds
are also initiated by a system called
"plockage," in which very thin slab
of diamond is cemented tn some stone,
such as quartz or white topaz Other
real stones, such rs zircon and topaz,
when they are colorless, or only slight.
~ colored, are passed off as diamonds.
II is generally supposed that diamonds
are white, but they are of all colors.
False diamonds are made almost es-
tirely in Paris, Alaska and Ca,ii0rnia
diamonds are only quartz or rock
quartz.
The number of false gems in use is
immense. Prof Eggleston of Colum-
bia College examined last year large
gem, supposed to he ruby, for lead
ing house here. He concluded from
optical examination that it was glass
1t came ostensibly from New Granada
and had been sent to Paris and pro.
nounced real. In London suspicion
was thrown on it. 1t was very per
feet even the flaws were initiated
The Professor was shown in Paris las
year a bill of 500 francs, paid by an
American lady, who is famous for hel
diamonds, to manufacturer of bogus
gems. His opinion is that this lad,
has two real diamonds, and that tht
rest, which would be worth 81 900, ,00(
if real, could all be bought for the 50(
francs. The minority of diamonds il
this country now, are used in mechan
ical work. As there is tariff of tel
per cent. on these goods, and as (
great deal of smuggling is done in con
sequence, there is no official account o
the gems imported, and it is impossi
/ bic to estimate the number now here
The above facts about false dia
monds, &c, if generally known, woulC
have the effect of diminishing tn,
wearing by Americans the real dia
monds, Just as imitation gilt jewellery
is now diminishing the use or real golt
ornaments among reople of good tast'
and refined culture. Since it is evi
dent that none but experts can dis
cern between real and bogus gems
the real substantial citizens may verl
willingly leave the use of this dubiou
glitter to those of the city's official
who needed all the polish that the!
can in any way acquire.-N T. Tri
bane.