St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-12-04
IMITATION GEMS.
The Late Methods Taken to Gull
the Public.
A Gambler and His wife's Stolen Paste
JeweIs-Split Diamonds With .
TinfoiI Backing
"Doublets"
Pearls, Etc.

are tricks in all trades" would an
pear from recent exposures and expla
nations to be almost more applicable
to jewellers than to other traders; and
1T only onc-half of the misdemeanors
with which they are charged be true,
they deserve TO be placed in the front
rank of trade tricksters. There are.
however. jewellers and jewellers, and al
though, happily, as class they are
above suspicion, yet, as our courts
of justice occasionally reveal, there are
also not few black-sheep in the flock
men who do not scruple to deal in
@'doublets' and paste, and who pass off
gems and jewels as genuine, that they
know to be either altogether false. or
to possess some hidden flaw sufficient
greatly to lessen their value. Every
now and then we find in the news
papers paragraph or longer article
concerning mystery, gold" ''forged
gems, or false Jewels" Recent ex-
amples of this kind of news have an
peared to the effect that an important
discovery had been made regarding the
crown of foreign potentate, as well
as a diamond necklace of a lady of
rank, many of the gems in the latter
article being made of paste; whilst the
diadem of the King is announced to be
little better than a theatrical bauble.
most of the real stones having been ex-
tracted and their places filled with
Imitation ones. Another announce
mcnt of the kind calls attention to the
fact of several imitation stones hav-
ing been found in a jewelled collar
hitherto supposed to be of very great
Ealue, and which had been sold bv an
illustrious person in ignorance of the
tact.
What is paste?" asked a London
magistrate, in the course of his exami-
nation into charge of selling imitation
stones for real ones. Paste, sir" re-
piled the witness. '.means mixture of
violin glass and borax;" from which.
rs We have been informed, the closest
limitations of diamonds and other
precious stones can be made. Visitors
to Paris who have feasted their ewes on |
the made-up gems so lavishly displayed |
IN the jewellers windows of the Rue |
de la Paix and the Palais-Royal, feel
surprised when they are told that four
dfths of the glittering baubles are COM
posed OF paste, and are of little value
"A compared with real gems. 1t used
to be said that most of the iewelry
shown in the Palais-Royal was manu-
[actured for use on the stage: but
the actresses of to-day. unless obliped
to wear paste. will. when they can afford
It, adorn their persons with none but
real gems. The names of several artists
might es . -Nen who are reputed
to be passing rich IN diamonds aud ru-
bies. and who are possessed besides of
pearls of great price. Some actresses,
indeed, seem to draw audiences nova
-ay as much b, the all Of their Jewels
. their talents. When q female star
5islts the provinces, pains are fire.
fucntly tsken TO proclaim the number
md value of her gems and Jewels. Who, ,
hen, wears the paste diamonds and
,ther imitation gems which are manu-
actured? To this question, an answer
II rather astartling kind has more than
'nce been given. and one of the latest
nay here be noted. A gentleman who .
vas deeply involved in the pursuits of 8
he turf requiring a considerable sum
II money 10 pay his debts of honor,
tole his wife's jewels in order to pawn I
hem. To his CONSERVATION, the pawn s
'roker refused to look at them. t
'Why?" was feverishly asked. "Be- ,
'ause they are paste" Paste, Nv
sife's jewels paste?" Yes. l sup G
Piled her with them. The originals are +,
n my safe; advanced thirteen hun
'red pounds upon them" Unfortu-
lately. the gentleman's wife was as /
great gambler as her husband. and
me had been obliged to pawn her dia- l
nonds to meet her own liabilities. G
The ingenuity of persons who "get :
Up precious stones and mock-pearls
or ''the trade" has been often COM /
nented upon and frequently censured. 6
London lapidary who works in the
groove indicated was called upon, a i
ew months ago, in a court of law to /.
'xplSln his mode of procedure. Il
make all my limitations out of real \
tones, was his reply to the Judge. I
)n being asked to be more explicit, he 1
aid: Perhaps 1 possess some pale I
tones which are of small value: these
split by the aid of my tools; then in r
reducing deeper tone of color, | ioin 5
hem together again, having consider {
Ibly increased their saleable value.r