The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-11-25

oApidiu Ills Houo OI procedure. 4
make all my limitations out of real
stones was his reply to, the Judge
On being asked to be more explicit, he
said: Perhaps possess some pale
stones which are of small value; these
| split by the aid of my tools; then in
Producing a deeper tone of color, join
them together again, having consider
ably increased their saleable value"
In this manner the colors of many
stones are said to be intensified. such
as emeralds, sapphires, amethysts and
others. Diamonds are constantly util-
lied by being split, each half of gem
perhaps doing duty on paste founda-
tion on which it has been carefully
mounted. A Astone which may be of the
value of ten pounds having been split
at little cost is carefully mounted and
becomes transformed into two gems,
each affirmed to be worth that sum. It
requires clever expert to detect such
frauds when they are cleverly executed,
or to discover that the s'fire' impaired
to certain stones that would otherwise
be dull of hue and greatly deficient in
sparkle, is conferred by so simple an
expedient as backing of tinfoil.
The invention of what are called
''doublets'' in diamond d-dealing can be
traced back for centuries. One mode
OF getting up false stones has been de-
scribed by jerome Cardan, who has
published in detail the method of the
inventor, one Zocolino. This persons s
way of working was to procure thin
flake of very inferior and cheap
example of the stone he desiredt to sim
prove" choosing those which had little
color, and might in consequence be
procured at a nominal price. As a
bottom for his makeup" he took a
bit of crystal which he had shaped
to his purpose; covering this with a
transparent glue with which he had
mixed the necessary coloring material,
SO as to be like the finest
specimen of the gem he intended
to forge, he carefully fixed on the
flake of stone, and concealed the join
ing of the two so deftly by careful set
ting as to make purchasers fancy that
his gems were not only genuine, but
really finer than those of other jewell
ers. For time Zocolina 1lourished,
and was enabled by means of his cum
ming workmanship to deceive the
cleverest lapidaries; but detection came
at last and put an end to his fraudulent
practices in gem-making.
It may be mentioned as warning to
travellers that the Singhales at Colombo
are experts in such frauds, and FREE
quently pursuade persons to purchase
cleverly set up doublets or pieces of
rock crystal cut and polished. Doub-
lets in many cases, especially when
both parts are really diamonds, are
somewhat difficult to detect even by
men who have had great experience in
the gem and jewel trades. Before
leaving the diamond we may mention
another kind of fraud connected with
it. Often when these gems have been
set in cluster it has been found on
examination that at least one of the
stones is made of paste, or is perhaps
q doublet. A rather curious story
went the round of the press
some years ago, when, on the death
of a lady of title, it was found
that more than one-third of the
family diamonds were composed offalse
stones. These limitations had been SO
beautifully executed that none but the
cleverest dealers were able to detect
them; while in the case of some of the
stones it was not till their specific
gravity had been tested that a decision
could be arrived at. 1t has been found
on examination, we believe, that neck
laces of so-callcd real diamonds have
often contained twenty per cent. OF
doublets or other stones of questionable
quality. Respectable dealers in jewelry
maintain that it is the public who are
to blame for the production of false
Jewels, knowing we'll enough that gen.
uine gems could not be given at the
prices offered for them. Retail jewel
ers are notseldom deceived themselves,
not being, perhaps, SO well versed in
the technical knowledge incidental to
their trade as they ought to be. Trades
men of repute, however, are exceed
ingly careful in their selection of stock
no gem being offered for sale unless il
is known to be genuine.
Many gems are really gems o1
kind, although not the gems they
are pretended to be, but in al
probability are composed of pieces
of quartz s.got up" for the market
quartz being selected as being able
to stand the test of the file, which
glass can not do. There are varieties
of topaz and other stones which are as
hard as the diamond; and being
entirely colorless, they are often cut
and polished, and successfully palmet
off as diamonds. This colorless gen
material is costly in consequence OF tht
use to which il can be turned, Recipes
for the production of imitation stones
have been often given; the following
is the formula for q ruby: five hundret
parts of strass, twenty of glass o
antimony, half each Of purple o
GASEOUS and Of gold. Strass is ;
specially manufactured kind of glas
which has been long used in connection
with the fabrication of gems; it usually
contains much larger percentage Q
oxide of lead than the commoner sort
of glass. Aventurine is another kim
of gem glass. which is chiefly manu-
factured in Venice, and brings q higl
price. The best thing is q quartz 9
varying shades of color, which is mucl
priced. One of the scarcer varieties
known as sunstone. and is much sough
+. <A., ho;,,c q. ~ l,ro I,1o for c,1ah r,urnoSn