Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-16
The aicnia an Eagle yhnrsdap aornnp September IT, 1856
GEMS AND INVITATIONS.

GEMS AND INVITATIONS.
LONDON THE MARKET FOR TIC
SALE OF ROUGH DIAMONDS. :
Sham Stones Manufactured Principally
in Paris-False Diamonds and Patent
Imitation Pearls-The Opal and III
Luck-The Moonstone-TiSer Eye.
~Yes, can tell you good deal that You
would like to know about precious stones"
said Nassau street dealer, n few days ago
ITO begin with diamonds, these are almost
all found at the Cape diamond fields nova
DAYS, in South Africa, though some. ard
better grade, are still obtained from Brazil
old mine diamonds, as they are called AN,
or nearly ell, are taken to London, which Is
the one great general market for rough d,a-
r1onis There are dealers in various parts OF
that city. but the center of the trade there Is
Hatton garden, near Ludgate hill. from
thence great many are taken to Anlsseruam
to be cut: Others are cut IN Antwerp OF In
Paris. and they have lately begun 10 cut
them extensively in Germany. from these
places they are sold and shipped ali over the
world.
.'S',2r, diamonds are manufactured pfinci-
Dal,y in Paris. Some very tine ones, tnae oy
all bit experts would be taken to be real are
manufactured there. The smaller the stone
the more easy is the imitation. 1t very
seldom the sham diamonds are sold for true
ones. as even pawnbrokers, who are not
usually considered very scrupulous, 90 nos
care to run the risk But regular swlnd!erS
go about who carry two or three III then
rockets. and by various representations ire
ouently induce easily-duped persons TO pur
chase under the impression that they are
making wonderful bargain. People VINO
lose a real stone from cluster III ring OF
other piece of jewelry will frequently nave IL
replaced with a sham stone.
MAKING FALSE DIAMONDS.
There is only one way of making 1aise dia-
nonds A piece of crystal. or OF the very
clear kind OF glass known as paste, IS cut 70
resemble a diamond by experienced woTAnen
ond very finely finished off. BY this means
the requisite amount of brilliancy is obtained.
| The principal points to be observed are the
polish and the due regularity of the facets.
| There is {. very large trade in sham diamonds
doing this year have sold many more than
! ever before, and everyone else In the trade
! saws the same People are 50 fascinated with
| diamond; now that they won't look at piece
of iewelry that hasn't one in 1t, either real OF
| folSa diamonds are doubtless sometimes
| made by cutting a slip of diamond, very
thin one, and attaching it to a base OF glass or
crystal. Then they are exposed to great
heat until the connecting surface of the glass
is fused TO the diamond. But this process is
seldom used. as the diamond employed re
ouires to be of very fine quality.
~Rhiuestoacs are made Of glass; continued
the Jealer. land SO is every other cookbook
ing sham diamond, no matter by what name
| IT may be called. You can hardly ever get q
shan, diamond Of crystal to show the bril-
lance of one cut from glass, and the latter
wears best, too.
"Of other imitation stones, some very pool
| co,ored ones are made of glass, but the major
ity are 'doublets.' That is to say, very thir
. slab of garnet. the cheapest real stone We
sell. is affixed to backing of co!ored glass b.
the Easing process. Then they resemble one
Stone. and when set no one but q trained OK
pert could recognize the difference. The tes
| of n file to the glass, when they are removed
from the setting, reveals the sham at once, q
the steel bites on glass, but runs smoothly
over true stones A trained eye tells the dill
ference between true and false stones whel
set by the greater luster of the former. Mos
imitation stones sold in this and other coun
| tries are manufactured in Bohemia, wher
the work is done at n very low price
Peal stones of color are many OF them o
great value. Rubies, good and large, are yer-
scarce, and more costly, weight for weight
than diamonds. Those Of poorer class are
however, much cheaper. Next 10 them conn
sapphires. which, when of good Guahty, ar
pyiced nearly as high as diamonds, though
| not 50 high as Iubies Small and imperfec
stones are cheap enough. The same apple
to elnaralGs. Large pearls are still very cost
H. if of fine color and regular shape. Iht
best pearls are found only In the Indian
seas Attempts have been made to cultivate
the pea,,l oyster. in Italian waters, but Will
little success 50 far There are also Amer
lean pearls. coming from Texas ana from
Panama. but these are not very valuable, e.
they lack the luster of the others
PATENT IMITATION PEARLS.
The last time was in Paris ] came acroS
n man who claimed to have a patent upon &
new method of making imitation half pearls
Pearls. a, you may know, are frequently Gu
in half for setting. He showed me some o
his mal:c, ard it was really an excellent
imitation / ordered some direct FROM 30
hernia. where they were made, and they
turned out just Us good as the sample bu
how they are made is a secret which can
tell YOU. because | do not know.
There is no difficulty in initiating any q
the precious stones except the opal. Tit
changing. the ever-varying coloIs IN tina
stone, as the light upon it changes, have
hitherto proved more than match FOR thf
most skillful copyist But opals, notwith
standing their beauty, are in small demand
the belief in the superstition that they brins
il-luc, is 50 prevalent. You may scarcely
believe it. but there ere good many peopi
in this very city who would not accept 81
opal today if YOU would make them "A pres
Ell. Of it. fancy the belief has its birth il
the fact that opal5 are 50 brittle and liabie Z
fracture. More than oTle-half are broken II
course OF setting.
The new stone, the Inoons.one, which j
obtained in India, is rather popular now ans
has become cheaper lately He produced
small tray of rnoorstones, with canoes cat Il
hirh relief on their faces. \ lus.er that Ger
| .ainIy did resemble moonlight gieaulei from
the interior Of these curious crystalline bodies
| On the trav lag another stone, CIT with
similar cameo But this was dark cofIe
colored Opaque stone, of Insignificant appear
ance. The reporter picked it up and
strange glow of golden light. that seemed
shine from its very center, glitteTed from II
various surfaces as it was turned around
the light.
That" said the diamond merchant, :
tiger eye. stone that has history rs cur
Gus as its appearance. Ten year a5o y va
: unknown II Is found on South Alter
I farms and hillsfzies 1t first !. -TGs chi