The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-11-16
Precious Stones Artiaoially Produced.

Until within very recent date expert
mental chemists have fouad it impossible
to produce precious stones equal in every
respect to the natural ones, compounded
of the same elements and not to be dis
tinguished from them either in point of
hardness, brilliancy or color. At length.
according to an article in the Popular
Science Monthly, the thing has been done
in France BY Messrs. Fell and Frenzy, and
speculation is at a loss to know where
1t will stop. The dream of the old alche-
mists was the transmutation of metals.
They believed that gold could be produced
artihcially, and in the quest for it charla-
tans found fine field for extracting large
sums of money from credulous dupes.
The old alchemists were sincere in their
belief, and toilcd over the crucible for
years, but always to be baffled in the end.
They passed by the diamond, the ruby and
other precious stones, and yet in the pro-
duction Of these-nature's most valuable
treasures-lay the only field that was open
to them. Gold is not a compound, as they
surmise it to be; neither is the diamond.
The first is simple metal. The second
pure carbon. But sapphire and all its
varieties-the ruby, the emerald and the
topaz-are born of the clay of the field.
Chemistry is able now to tell us how they
were made in the bowels of the earth CEN
turies upon centuries ago, and how it is
possible that there may be conditions still
existing where they are even now in pro-
cess of formation. Chemistry now steps
in and shows quicker way. An account
has just been made public of recent dis
coveries, resulting in the production of
precious stones. The process is thus illus
trated by analogy :-"If we dissolve in hot
water as much alum as can be dissolved
therein, and suspend in the fluid, while
allowing it to cool, the wire framework of
a basket, rosette, crown or any other open
device, and if these wires are wrapped in
worsted, the skeleton frame will be found
next morning covered with large transpar-
ent crystals" Very many if not all the
precious stones Of commerce are formed in
this way in natures laboratory, but with
this difierence-the liquefaction of the
earths Of which they are composed is pro-
duced by intense volcanic heat instead of
hot water, as in the case of the crystaliza-
ton of alum into new forms. The dia-
mOnd, the cornelian, sapphire and its kin
dred gems, the ruby aud the topaz-in
short all this class of precious stones, are
the products of earths liquifed BY heat
and crystalized while cooling slowly. They
take their special colors from the chrome,
cobalt, iron, &C., that combine with them
in the process of capitalization. BY tax
ing pure alumina, combined with mineral
substances to give the appropriate color,
and subjecting the composition for long
period to intense heat and allowing it to
cool slowly, Nj. Fell, French manufac-
turer and chemist, has succeeded in pro-
ducing the rose ruby and the sapphire.
These stones are of good size, and, it is
stated, cannot be distinguished, even by
experts, from the natural ones, to which
they are said to be in all respects equal,
not only in shape, but also in weight, col
or, hardness and lustre. Even the pecu-
larity of the natural ruby to lose its bril-
lance on being heated and recover it when
cooled again is found to be property of
these rubies arti6cially produced. They
blunt the best tools, and it is represented
that for watchmakers' jewels they are
found to be superior to those now in use.
As yet the processes are not quite perfect,
but as the discoveries, Messrs. Frenzy and
Fell have made those processes public,
there is a general belief that other chem
lists will improve upon them, and that in
the course of few years all the varieties
of the sapphire-whieh include the ruby,
amethyst, topaz and emerald, and the blue
variety which give to the sapphire the dis
tinctive name by which it is known to
dealers-will be produced in abundance.
French jewellers and dealers in precious
stones are said to be much excited over
the discovery.