The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-09-30
TRICKERY In DIAMONDS.
soArE or THE TRICKS REsoETHD TO
by SwINDLERs.
Persons Not Experts Taken In by Art
ful Deviccs-SOme Famous cases
Making Genuine Diamonds.

is bnefe luTge dmOuub VI lhpOsA'
ton at present in your businessg' asked
a Chicago Tribune reporter of diamond
dealer.
''In an article where not one in hum
dred has any knowledge whatever, and
not moro than one in ten thousand is a
good Judge, there must necessarily be a
good deal of imposition. The methods
of cheating may be divided into three
classes. The first and most common is
when flawed, imperfect, or off-colored
diamonds are sold for frst-water, flaw
less gems. This takes place every day
and every hour of the day. The next
two methods are swindling pure and
simple There are several precious
stones which are Of an entirely different
composition to the diamond, but re-
semble that gem so closely that none
but experts can distinguish them. Even
experts have often to test these before
they can discover the imposition. The
basis of the diamond, as almost every
body knows, is carbon. The basis of
the stones l now allude to is alumina,
and they are known under the generic
term 'carodums.' The principal stones
substituted and sold for diamonds are
the white sapphire, white topaz, and the
zircon or jargon. White sapphire and
topaz are worth from So to IS carat,
zircon much less. Bushels of these
stones have been and are still sold
for diamonds They can be at one
identified by experts for their in
ferior hardness and difference in specific
gravity.
The last method Of swindling is when
imitation stones made in various ways
are sold for the genuine article. More of
this is carried on than you would think
possible. In Europe, especially in Paris,
the art of making fine limitations of dia-
monds has been brought to perfection.
Many of these, of course, are sold for
what they are, many are made to order
for wealthy people who in temporary
difficulties wish to raise money on their
diamonds, and have these stones set in
the same manner to wear while the real
article is out of their reach, but large
quantities are set in fine style and sold
for first-water diamonds"
"Have there been any very successful
frauds in your line lately2"
''There is always something going on,
but the most extensive and successful
swindle i'll which l as well as a great
many others suffered first came into op-
Grafton about two years ago. 1t is the
coating system. BY saturating off
colored tlawless stones-worth about
e25 carat-in peculiar solution it
gave them the appearance of first-water
goods, worth 500 carat. The solution
soon wears off, or it may be removed by
good application of hot soap suds. But
the trade was quite unacquainted with
this method, and before we got to the
bottom of it the sharpers had made an
enormous pile. This is still being prac-
ticed at present to small extent, princi-
pally for the working of pawnbrokers. -"
"Can you call to mind any we'll
planned gem confidence operations that
have not been made public2"
"Did you ever hear of the clever dodge
worked in London in 1881 by one of the
best known con- practitioners of New
York2 He went to London and pur-
chased in Hatton garden a magnificent
stone weighing about twelve and half
carats. He paid between $1,000 and
IS, 600 for it. He then made his way to
Paris and put the stone in the hands of
the best maker Of paste goods and or
dered thirty facsimiles of it. He then
had the whole of them mounted in rings
of exactly the same desigb. In London
are many large pawnbrokers who lend
sums of S., 600 and upward for short
terms-fourteen days or so-at one and
half or three-quarter per cent. He
left the original ring with each of them
In turn, took it out again, and repledged
1t two or three times until they were well
acquainted with him and the gem. One
Saturday, which is their busy day, he
rushed around to the whole collection
and left one of the limitations for sums
ranging from 1900 to Sc, 900. He
placed twenty eight in all. They posi-
bly, did not examine them closely, as ht
was so well known, and his appearance
and manners were calculated to ward of
suspicion. The shrewdest pawnbroker
in London were taken in by this schemer
The Attenboroughs this family hav,
about eight establishments) had five
of these rings, the Russells had
three, and so forth. A mucl
cleverer though not such an extensiv,
scheme was worked IN Paris in 1878 b.
notorious French 'ehevalier de indus
trie. He had a magnificent stone wortl
SO,OOO, OF which he also had an lmlta
tion made and set in the same manner a
the original. He then went to the mos
extensive retail jeweler there, and, hand
ing him the genuine gem in a ring
asked him how much he would charg
to reset it in a combination setting, or
setting where the stone could be used a
ring, scarfpin and stud. The jewele
named the amount, which he said wa
much more than he wished to spend, a
the stone was only an imitation and no
worth the outlay. The ieweer was as
tonished to hear that the fine stone h.
had in his hand was an imitation, anC
testing it slightly assured the owner tina
it was a real diamond. At this tn
sharper laughed and stated he had Dough
it in Baden Baden from gambler out O
luck for $50 and that the ieweler mus
be mistaken. He willingly left it unit
unYf daV for furfbor faatinO NVhen n