Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-06-02
PRECIOUS STONES.
Their origin and oharaetsri.tI.


 Before the Chemical society of the School of Mines in Columbia college, New York. the other evening, Prof. Thomas EglestOn, Ph. D., delivered a lecture on precious stones, in which he described their origin, characteristics and limitations. The history of gems, the lec- turer declared, was the history of nearly all the intrigues, wars, an good deeds or mankind since the world began. Many superstitions have been attached to pre- cious stones. The amethyst was con- sidered a cure for drunkenness, and was dedicated to Bachus; !asperWas used as a charm by athletes. Although the dia- mond IS made of common carbon, no successful attempt has been made to re- produce 1t. Its composition was dis
 covered in 1894. and its weight was de- termined by the weight or bean found in the east called a carat. A diamond of more than ten carats IS called prince ly; a diamond of more than one hun dred carats sovereign. There are not one thousand known diamonds that weigh over ten carats, and not twenty that weigh more than one hundred. The value of a diamond Is determined
 partly by color and partly by weight,
 and in this country there IS an absurd custom of considering no diamond
 worth having that IS not absolutely white. Flaws in diamonds are black specks, carbon that has not crystalllzed, or bubbles of gas or liquid, or natural
 faces If the diamond that have not been
 ground off. Back diamonds are mostly used for tools, but in Russia they are
 worn when the court Is m mourning. They are beautiful gems with brilliant | luster. The lecturer described some of the famous diamOnde of the world, and the world, and then characterized the ruby as the most precious of all the | stones when It has the true pigeon ' blood color. A ruby of five carats IS worth twice as much as a diamond of | the same weight. The ancients held ! this stone to be a charm against poison, ! disease and wicked thoughts. Sap | phires. to be beautiful, must be of 8 | uniform deep blue. The lecturer said | he. had seen small stone which was ! ruby on one side and sapphire on the ] other. In an experience of twenty years he had only seen five Oriental | emeralds and ore Oriental amethyst. Of ! the five varieties of cat's-eyes that he ! had come across, only One-chrysO sOberyl was valuable. The deeper the green ! of the emerald the better, and this stone 1 lrses no brilliancy by artificial light. Its
 color was supposed to be the same ele- ment that colors the leaves of trees The
 opal, considered the unlucky stone. was
 Co the ancients the only gen that seemed
 to store mp the light of day. IL can | be successfully initiated. The hardopal ] Is found in Hungary; the soft | in Mexico. Five per cent. of water | is a constituent of the latter, and when
 placed in water the dull stone resumes | its wontei brilhaucy. Garnets are found Ill Bohemia. The most beautiful are
 found in Nevada. They have been seen | of almost every color Of the rainbow, | but green and red are used in jewelry. | The lecturer urged in conclusion that ! his auditors should not lose confidence | in human nature oy reason of the wide | spread limitations of precious stones | which he had described.