The Rock Island Argus., 1883-06-09
ARTIFICIAL PRECIOUS STONES.
Tricks Of the Trade that eometimes Puzzle
the EYnarts.

SIS the manufacture of imitation
stones carried on to any extent in this
Ieountry?"
itations, you know Nearly all the paste
comes from France, as it can be produc-
ed much cheaper there than here Five
sixths of the paste sold under various
names would not deceive child. 1t is
bought and sold by the quart, one might
almost say, for mere song, and looks
like just what it is-glass, and often bad
glass at that Now look at this" and
as he spoke the dealer held out at arms
length with pair of diyiders what APP
peared to be fine two-carat brilliant,
just shade off color A close inspec-
ton showed that the lower half of the
stone was cased in a tiny metal cup.
Now, no one but an expert can say
whether that is a genuine brilliant or
not. AS matter of fact, it is foiled
paste, and worth in trade less than dol
lar. The foil is placed between the
part of the stone and the cap or cover
ing, but when the work is well executed
1t takes an expert to detect its presence
There Is even more artful and effective
way of Stimulating the diamond, but
am pleased to say for the credit of the
trade that the counterfeit is rarely made
up in this country
1.-The doublet, as it is called, is made
by fixing slice of thin diamond, a
worthless cutting from a large stone, on
| the table of brilliant with invisible
cement. A piece of glass is then fixed
to the bottom of the false stone, which
is cut fiat, not TO point This gives a
real diamond surface to the top of the
| stone so that the file test will not touch
lit. These false stones are almost ex-
clusively used for the purpose of de-
frauding people, and you will rarely come
across one even in the trade. Emerald,
ruby, and sapphire doublets are used free
ly, and it is almost impossible for the un-
practiccd eye to detect them. Do not
misunderstood me, they are not sold as
genuine but rs limitations, and very
beautiful they are. A garnet is used as
a top layer, and blue or green glass is
affixed to the bottom of the stone, ac-
cording to the natural color of the sim
ulated stone. Here is magnificent
specimen of a scarce gen. said the
lapidist, taking an oval-cut green stone
with rich russet tinge in it from a
drawer in his private cabinet. The stone
weighed perhaps six-carats. and posses
sed much brilliancy 1T is called an
Alexandrite. said he, land is found in
Siberia. This gem is remarkable and
valuable because, while by daylight it
is green, as you see it now, by gaslight
it is full rich purple in color Here is
a remarkable gem, and the lapidist
took up beautiful cut stone that was
yellow on the face and pure white un-
derneath, THAT is specimen of the
two-eolored sapphire, and is very rare. .
A yellow beryl, found at Avondale,
Pa, large piece of chalcedony, hold
ing imprisoned about gill of water; a
piece of quartz, with hOrnblende in it;
another piece showing plainly a spray
of rutile and many other curiosities Mr..
Beach showed his visitor, and, but that
he was continually being called away to
weigh this stone, value that, or give an
opinion as to the identity of another, he
was courteous aud obliging enough to
have shown every stone in his cabinet.
| PHILADELPHIA Press