New-York tribune., 1876-08-12

"Well at least know hcr initials; they are Z. IL"
There was great disappointment when tue proprietor
of the display stated that the device on one OF tho
cameos-the Greek letters rho and chi-had refer
encc to Christ, the subject OF the cameo ana tnat
neither r, k, nor even was any one o. the s'ug III
for initials Here should he mentioned, among val
uable stones. the chfysolites, Of which Ghere are
many displays, that of Italy being probably the
finest of these crystals from the olivne rock. For
my own part, / see no more beautiful gems in the
Exhibition than the opals. A few of the smaller
ones shown by our own jewelers. seem 70 burn with
fire within. Hungary sends from her upper prov
inces display of huge opas that utterly ecpses all
others Some of these are in the rOu H. showing tne
veins in trachytc rock that furnish the gem, which
is o hydrated silica. Perhaps it may destroy
the romance which attaches to the opal
10 explain how its coors arc produced, ana
readers who wish to keep intact the
romantic sentiment assoc lted with II, and VINO
prefer TO believe that its colos fade # the wearor s
untrIstworthy will do wen to skin tho noxt three
sentences. Sir Isaac Newton showed that when
glass lenses squeezed together with great pres
sure, rims of colored lighG appear the different
colors of the prism being brought out one after
another by increasing the pressure. The modern ex
planaton is that the passing rag Of light is broken
into its constituent waves Cf color while pass
ing through the narrowed space; the waves of color
being shorter than q wave Of white light contain
ing all colOrs The narrow laminB which compose
the opal are thin enough 20 divide light, hence its
"opaiesCoce" :" out at their edges these laInn;e may
absorb moisture by capillary attraction and perhaps
lose heir fire if thus clOuded by peIspraoH v hen
long worn as q personal ornament 1t "a not neces-
safy to believe this theory however. Besides, 1t
NAV lie doubted whether opal is nowadays such
Trustworthy stone il used TO 0e since it has been
found whore mnetaloglst Hould have ever
thought Of looking for it-in tAe hydraed s>SgUi-
oxide Of iron. Queensland sends several speci-
mems which certify to this facr, and we may now cN-
pect tho miners Of Pennsyl y>na, where " hmonite
or "browr h.Inatite' is she common ors, to be
scra tching il to pieces IN search Of opalS
ToP.zEs, CugSG0RMs, BEGYIs
In the Russian Department, Man Building thor"
isa remarkable show Of topucs from one to 81
inche. in diameter. The collection OF brazilian to-
pazcs is also very fine 4 Scotch exhibitor, James
Atchison Of Ednburgh, makes prolrse display Of
large cut and mounted cai-lccrms, rich, hgat rcd
dish-brOvn transparent stOncS, which cl sely To-
semble the Brazilian topa7cs. Some OF tn't nave
waxy Ulster like that OF amber Ills case, indeed,
looks like natural history collection IN many IT,
spects as it contains 300 800 beetles mode OF
amcthysts and carngOTns, the pScuiOns "';s helnL
arranged in sizes cards after the manner % "to-
mologiss while the heads If rams, with large
amethyss in their curved horns, ool. down upon The
visitors from an upper shelf
In the Russian display, the Government School Of
Mines has stripped it's museum 20 send i'5 most
attractive specimens Siberia furnishes the largcs,
beryls in the world and the show Of bcrrls ard
aona amarnes-which believe TO 10 much the same
thing-in tine Russian department may be ia!riy
called pIodigious. The same dc icrption applies 20
the Russian dis. lay of malachitc, ha mineral
being shown IL every aspect iro:a the native rock,
III arge masses To the highly polished .nd c11" =
ielv carved slabs that used for tables asn'els,
clocS-casee and smaller articles Ot Fcrtu. bhe ol
these narteis bears in fell relief 5nch,s of grapes,
cherries and other fruit IF their natural sizes ar
coors Russia also exhibits specimens OF ri 'doniJ"
q somewhat new stone TO Western eyes; i Is e. III
posed chiefly of silcatc Of nanganeSo; the color -
! q delicate pink mo;tleG clriousy wi,h black the
Chief use seems TO be Tor caud.ns,!cks clociI-cascs
and card-receiscIs. There IS also iril display of
lapis lazuli. both worked and in tho rough. Other
European countries bcside' R.sSa r0s.c good cS-
kibits of both naachjc aud lapie laznii but one
Of the most creditahle displays OF malachitc comes
| from Queensland, the Uthcr size of ihc g.pbe.
I The Russian show Of labradorte Labrador field
spar is very buliant; tLr tables boxes and other
object. made of il gieam with iilsccnt reflections.
1t may horc be briefly said that IA" eyhb. Of crys-
talne minerals from Russia not olly sUrPa-sss eN-
pectation=-it has no c0ur"cr 1t iDciHd"s, besides
those which have been named large and fHa ap"ci-
mems of jasper, tOurna!iue ana amethyst. The
snow OF amethys.s, larlc and small, nom maay
different countries i, almost feature oi toe EXdi
biton Canada's contribution principally ohtaiaoi
durng Government surveys, being remarkable Tor
the size OF its specimens, as wei! as Of individual
CRYSTALS; but clusters of stones where c1.h ls 81
two or three inches diameter, are OF course ~;
very precious. Considerably above all hut 1lIc
finest amethysts should De ranked the euoa,o eN.
bibited from Brazil Though accounted q second
class gem, euclase has something Of the strange
prisnatic red and green which see n the 0itl.
though rot equaling the opal itself III Internal Ire.
Bohemia makes i large display Of garnet jcNclc
shows. in fact the utmost tiSt can DO do"e /" ~
parncts. The stones are mined near i'piiz; some
OF them have a remarkable glow, but in general rh'
exhibit is notewort!s AZ a decided success, wneIe
anythnr shor5 of the best taste ami skill in ~
rangement aud setting would nave resulted in ulrc-
leyea failure.
TIE ONYX THAT IS N1T ONYX.
Among the most attractive things Ia the ENhibi-
ton are the Mexican "Onyxc5' called Thesy are
| in large slabs of nearly an inch in thickness bear
/ ing high polish. The first impression which these
slabs give is that they way be an exceedingly trans
| parent. variegated white mai Die. But marble ha-
not such clear tTausluceHcy Some of the specimens
are so set in upright frames show their capacity
| for transmitting light There s rone of the milk
ness Of alabaster about this 1t has the clear
ness 0f chalccdony. and most people hastily exam
ming il would conclude that IL must belong to the
flint or quartz series. But where shall we Ind agate
or ONYX that can be cut or polished in circular slabs
Of two or ,breo feet dameeri The stln or veins
which penetrate it have regularity Of shape like
Of all .,t