The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-04-14
Clever Diamond SwtndIc.
A BLUSH lint GIVEN TO DIAMONDS WHICH
DECEIVED MANY EXPERTS.

A BLUSH INT GIVEN TO DIAMONDS NHlCH
DECEIVED MANY EXPERTS.
A New Haven telegram OF the 10Th says:
Jacob Nepel, diamond-broker, was ar
rested to-day by Detective Reilly, charged
with obtaining money under false pre-
fences from Edward Engei, pawnbrokcr.
Bail in $500 was required and furnished
by Mr.. Steincrt, the music-dealer. Mr..
Engel states that he has in his possession
six diamonds which came from Ncpel, five
of them beng set In two studs. pair o!
earrings, and lingering. On these he adj
yanccd S62j. and now findsthat they are not
worth more than from $500 to 500. Mr.. En-
gel says that on March 9th young man,
who subsequently proved TO be Charles X.
Dorman. son OF carriage-maker IN New Ia
ven, brought him diamond stud weigh
Ing three carats, on which he wanted 5000.
He represented that he had been sent to
Mr.. Engcl by party staying at the Grand
Union Hotel, who was in need OF money.
The stone appeared 10 the pawnbroker like
a rare gem, something not often seen, and
he gave check for the desired amount.
The stone had the rare blush tint which
makes diamond so valuable. Mr.. Engel
went so far rs to question the police ~ to
whether any valuable stone OF the kind
had been stolen. and received an answer
In the negative. Chief OF Police Webster
himself examined the stone and was
greatly pleased with ITS appearance. a To-
caljeweller, OF thirty-five years experience,
10 whom il was shown, said he had never
seen ANYTHING like it before. The same af-
ternoon the young man called at EngePS
again, bringing a solitaire pair OF earrings
and solitaire ring. The earrings. he
said, were purchased at Titlany's. and cost
500. He represented that the owner
needed 1925. All the diamonds, lie said,
belonged 10 the same party. Mr.. Engel
gave him the money asked for, sGpposing
the stones were o. the old-mine variety.
The day after he showed them 10 Heller
Burdel, of No. 10 John street. New York.
They asked him how much he paid for the
stones. when Mir. Engel mentioned the
price they said they must have been stolen;
that they could not have been obtained
honestly at the sum named. The stud,
which brought $500, they said was worth
$1,000.
The result OF the inquiry Mr.. Engel told
the police here was as follows: " | had
heard that worthless stones had been color
ed so as TO look like fIne gems Of the first
water. and so / asked Heller Il Burdelli il it
was possible that these stones had been put
through the process. They laughed at the
idea. and said that they had read about such
things, but they did not believe any pre-
paration could give the stone the appear
ance OF the one in the stud. They made a
test, however, and by a good scrubbing OF
SOAP and water all the rich, blush tinge was
made 10 disappear, and The beautiful stone
turned out TO be nothing but the common
African diamond. with which the market is
flooded. Instead Of being worth $1,000 it
would hardly bring $50. The other stones
were subjected to the same process. and |
the fine color disappeared in the same man.
ner."
On April Cd young Dorman came again |
to Engei, this time bringing a two-carat |
stone with the same blue tint, for which he |
wanted $3.50. Acting under instructions |
from the police, Mr.. Engel retained the |
stone and said he would settle with the |
owner. 1t transpired that the diamonds |
came from Martin Gum, barkeeper at !
the Grand Union Hotel, and formerly clerk J
at the New-lIaven House. Gum. when |
questioned by the detectives. said that he /
obtained them from Nepel, who agreed to
give him a percentage for diSposing OF
them. Mr.. Engel states that the parties
interested-Ncpel, Gum, and Dorman-
have been 10 him offering to settle the case
|
lctual value of the stones and what he adj
vanced upon them, competent judges to
estimate the real worth OF the diamonds.
George II. Ford, the ieweler, says that
he has seen many OF these artificially-
washed diamonds, and that many mer-
chants hereabouts have been deceived by
them. He states that scientific paper re-
Gently contained an account OF IA similar
fraud perpetrated III Paris. A magnificent
stone, sold ut an enormous price, lost five
siXtbs OF lis value in consequence Of SIM
pie washing in soapy-water. Purchased as
a Brazilian gem, 1t was thus discovered to
be only Cape diamond OF honey-yellow
color. The process of making a yellow
cOlorless, according to this state
ment. consists in plunging the stone for a
few moments into an aqueous solution of
aniline violet. After drying every trace OF
color vanisles, while the lustre remains
unobscured.