The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-05-06

MOSES upon INC nOuut WAS cukTaNcu
upon sapphires.
In passing from the legendary to the
historic interest of the sapphire, we
find it, like other gems, linked with the
drama of human life, and playing some
times in that strife of veal and woe a
conspicuous part.
The particular sapphire associated
with the fatal intrigue of the neck
lace" was found in Bengal by poor
tradesman whose original wares were
wooden spoons. 1t was sold to the
house of Rospoli, at Rome. Later it
became the property of a German
prince, who sold it 10 Perret, a Partisan
jeweler, for S31, ,62O. Without blemish
or fault of any kind. this beautiful stone
afterward part of the riches of the I'm
perial Museum of Natural History at
Paris, where its rival appeared in a
stone of exquisite brilliancy, of an, oval
shape, measuring two inches by one and
half. s-t 49, p '-.-
The wedding gift presented by Mar
garet of France to her sister, Eleonora
of Provence, wife of Henry LII, was a
silver peacock, whose train was studded
with sapphires relieved by pearls; il
formed reservoir of perfumed waters,
which dropped from its beak into sill
yer basin. In the renaissance of lux
ury" sapphire rings were worn as keep
sakes of sentiment; and more recently
sensation was produced by the an
nouncement that the unique chevelure
of Mademoiselle Mars, the world-re-
nowned actress, had lost the wonder.
full sapphire which was its chief enrich.
ment.
At the present day one of the most
famous star sapphires is in the possess
ion of a merchant prince of New York;
and Miss Burdett-Coutts, of England,
owns two magnificent stones of this
kind, valued at S139, 500. In the ad-
mired collection of Mr.. Hope is gem
called the marvellous sapphire, I"
which is blue by day and amethyst-color
by night.
The sapphire, which as an ornament
ranks next in value to the diamond and
ruby, is usually cut in square or octago-
nal form, with single delicate step
between the table and girdle, and three
or four steps between the girdle and
collet. Its hardness prevents it from
being frequently engraved; there are,
however, several noted engraved sap
phires, and the last antique intaglio of
real artistic merit is the sapphire of
Constantine, in which the Emperor is
represented spearing a wild boar in the
neighborhood Of Cesarea, that city be-
ing typified by a female figure reclining
on the ground.
A beautiful sapphire among the crown
jewels of Russia has engraved on it the
form of a woman enveloped in drapery.
The stone is of two tints, and the art
ist has used the dark tint for the
woman and the light tint for the
drapery with charming skill. The gem
formed part of the collection of the Duke
of Orleans.
The cabinet of France possesses in
sapphire remarkable intaglio of the
Emperor Pertinax, and in the Strozzi
cabinet at Rome is a profile of the
young Hercules engraved by Cneius
upon a sapphire. An inestimable pure
sapphire, three-quarters of an inch
square, in the Pulksky collection, has
an engraving of Paul Ill, by Alessandro
Cesate.
Among antique intagli upon sapphire
the most renowned subjects are the
"Julius Cesar" "Phebus," and
Jupiter" This last, engraved on a
stone nearly an inch in diameter, was
found in the pommel of the handle of a
Turkish dagger, set as stone cut en-
cdbochon, with its face downward, prov
ing that the owner had no appreciation
of work that connoisseurs consider
one of the finest productions of the
Greek school.
According to Brewster, the sapphire
ranks second only to the diamond in its
refracting power. This quality has
recently suggested its use, with wonder
full practical effect, in lenses for micro
scopes. A novel use has been made of
sapphire as a medium for drawing wire
more finely than can be accomplished
in any other way. A wedge-shaped
aperture is cut in the gem by a diamond
point, and the wire is drawn through
it from the larger to the smaller mouth.
The sapphire is still occasionally used
in medicinal preparations, although the
pharmacop9ia which employs such
agencies is nearly obsolete. 1t originally
formed one of the ..five precious
fragments" and used as a specific for
disease, it was ground to dust and strewn
upon the eyelids, the brow, and the
heart, or, in the same form of powder,
was dropped into milk and swallowed
at a draught. But this material efficacy
was but minor part of the stones
fanciful beneficence. which even in our
day we cherish with certain degree
of fondness.
1t is a mingling of all these associa.
tions, Legendary, historical and religious,
that gives poeti, grace to the beauti-
full signet stone of April. And is it un-
natural that we should wish those we
love to wear as a keepsake the precious
jewel, not only dedicated to the sun.
but to truth itself, and the embl IN of
earnest and innocent affection?
1t has been suggested that for those
whose birthday fall in April the sapphire
is with peculiar significance the ap-
propriate gift; upon them all the benign
influences may be supposed to be con-
centrated. And it is not necessary that
the stone should be of extraordinary
size or fabulous value to express the
sentiment of our hearts, for, after all,
the loving acceptance of the April gift
must rivet its charm; and the sapphire
in this respect may be included in the
poets lines:
" Yet these sweet sounds of the early season,
And these fair lights of it's early days,
Are only sweet when we fondly listen,
And only fair when we fondly gaze.
4" There is no glory in star or blossom
Till looked upon by a loving eye;
There Is no fragran ce in Aprirs bosom
iii oreathed with Joy as we wander by"
-Harper's Weekly.