American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-05-08
Moses upon the mount was cngrav'
unon sanphires

In passing from the legendary to ,
historic interest of the sapphire,
find it, like other gems, linked withe
drama of human life, and playing Sc
times in that strife of veal ard W a
conspicuous part
The particular sapphire assocced
with the fatal " intrigue of the tx
lace" was found in Bengal by aoor
tradesman whose original wares ere
wooden spoons. 1t was sold the
house of Rospoli, at Rome. pr 1t
became the property of oman
prince, who sold it TO Perret, iisian
jeweler, for S31 ,620. Without ;mish
or fault of any kind. this beauti stone
weighed 1873 1-6 carats. formed
afterward part of the riches ole I'M
pcrial Museum of Natural Hory Mt
Paris, where its rival apped in a
stone of exquisite brilliancy, an oval
shape, measuring two inches one and
a half.
The wedding gift presenteby Mar
garet of France to her sistefleonora
of Provence, wife of Henri, was a
silver peacock, whose trains studded
with sapphires relieved Pearis; 1t
formed a reservoir of period waters,
which dropped from its be into sill
yer basin. In the renaince OF lux
ury" sapphire rings were'rn as keep
sakes of sentiment; and ore recently
a sensation was produt by the an
nouncement that the rple chevelure
of Mademoiselle Mars,he world-re-
nowned actress, had lothe wonder
full sapphire which was chief enrich
ment.
At the present day of the most
famous star sapphires N the possess
ion of a merchant priF OF New York;
and Miss Burdett-Cos, of England,
owns two magnifice stones OF this
kind, valued at $500. In the adj
mired collection of ! Hope is a gem
called the "marous sapphire"
which is blue by daytd amethyst-color
by night.
The sapphire, VIII as an ornament
ranks next in value the diamond and
ruby. is usually cut square or octago-
nal form, with angle delicate step
between the table d girdle, and three
or four steps beeen the girdle and
collet. Its hardrs prevents it from
being acknowledgement; there are,
however, severaIoted engraved sap
phires, and the t antique intaglio of
real artistic mt is the sapphire of
Constantine, in hich the Emperor is
represented spfing a wild boar in the
neighborhood Cesarea, that city be-
ing typified byfemale figure reclining
on the ground
A beautiful pphire among the crown
Jewels of Rus has engraved on it the
g. II ,o1 in, =
The stone is two tints, and the art
list has usedhe dark tint for the
woman and the light tint for the
drapery witlharming skill. The gem
formed part the collection of the Duke
of Orleans.
The cabir of France possesses in
sapphire a markable intaglio of the
Peinax, and in the Strozzi
cabinet atone is profile of the
young HeI1ies engraved by Cneius
upon a sap,ire. An inestimable pure
sapphire, iree-quarters of an inch
square, in he Pulksky collection, has
IN engravg of Paul I'LL, by Alessandro
Cesate.
Amoneatique intagli upon sapphire
he most crowned subjects are the
Julius Cesar" s.Phebus," and
Jupiter This last, engraved on a
stone nelly an inch in diameter, was
'ound iphe pommel of the handle of
rurkisHagger, set as a stone cut en-
abocbo with its face downward, prov
np tn; the owner had no appreciation
Il a DIRK that connoisseurs consider
me the finest productions of the
Tree school.
A .ordinD IN Rrowefor tho caDrl;ro
ans second only to the diamond in its
ef,cting power. This quality has
Gently suggested its use, with wonder
IMPRACTICAL effect, in lenses for micro
Goes. A novel use has been made of
aphire as a medium for drawing wire
ace finely than can be accomplished
D any other way. A wedge-shaped
rrture is cut in the gem by diamond
ant, and the wire is drawn through
from the larger to the smaller mouth.
The sapphire is still occasionally used
medicinal preparations, although the
which employs such
encies is nearly obsolete. 1t originally
med one of the five precious
and used as specific for
,ease, it was ground to dust and strewn
on the eyelids, the brow, and the
art, or, in the same form of powder,
IS dropped into milk and swallowed
drought. But this material effic ICY
IS but a minor part of the stones
1ciful beneficence. which even in our
y we cherish with certain degree
fondness.
1t rs a mingling of all these associa-
ms, legendary, historical and religious,
at gives a poeti, grace to the beauti-
signet stone of April. And is it I'M
tural that we should wish those we
7e to wear as a keepsake the precious
vel, not only dedicated to the sun,
t to truth itself, and the emblem of
rnest and innocent affectionp
1t has been suggested that for those
lose birthday fall in April the sapphire
with a peculiar. significance the ap-
opriate. gift; upon them all the benign
fiuences may be supposed to be con-
And it is not necessary that
e stone should be of extraordinary
.e or fabulous value to express the
ntiment of our hearts, for, after all,
9 loving acceptance of the April gift
Ist rivet its charm; and the sapphire
this respect may be included in the
cts lines:
-et these sweet sounds of the early season,
And these fair lights Of its early days,
ire only sweet when we fondly listen,
And only fair when we fondly gaze.
here is no glory in star or blossom
Till looked upon by Il loving eye;
here Is no fragran ce in Aprfls bosom
Till brcathed with joy as we wander by"
-Harpcr's Weekly.
A FAT with Chfckena.