Wichita eagle., 1889-06-09
MAkE-BEllEvE DIAMONDS.

Tho Way French Paste Il Made and
Slammed or - the Real Article.
The formula for compounding French
paste, which is a peculiar kind Of glas.
perfected in Paris by Donault- -Wieland
is as follows: Rock crystal, six ounces
red lead, nine and aquarter ounces; pure
carbonate of potash, three ounces and
three drachms; boracic acid, three
drachms; white arsenic, six grains
When fused, thoroughly interblended,
cooled, cut and polished, in diamond
forms, it takes good expert to tell the
gems so made from the real ones. The
more oxide Of lead is added, up to Ger.
tain point, the greater is the resultant
brilliancy, but the softer the glass and
consequently the less permanency to its
effect.
Persons of means invest in bogus gems
for various reasons. One does not care
to keep locked up in mere ornament the
large amount of money that would be
required to purchase diamonds in such
size and number as society might expect
him or her to have, 50 few really fine
stones are purchased for habitual wear,
to challenge criticism, and a brilliant ar
ray of French pastes" is provided for
show upon occasions when big display is
expected and there will be no danger of
close critical inspection. The few real
stones have made reputation that
covers the others. Who is going to sus-
pect a very rich man or woman-say one
of the "400"-of wearing bogus gems7
And yet the very rich are just the ones
who do wear them most. Another per-
son in society may be the actual owner
Of fine lot of family diamonds, which
are temporarily in pledge, fact that
must not be suspected by others, and viii
not, SO long as 'French paste" can show
its honest glitter in the seeming likeness
Of the hypothecated treasures. Still
another may own plenty Of diamonds
and actually have them In possession.
too, yet be too prudent to expose them to
the danger Of loss or theft In mixed
multitude, SO long as all the effect Of
their splendor may be produced at much
less risk.
Rubies and sapphires are even more
successfully initiated than diamonds
The limitations Of them actually possess
the same chemical composition as the
real stones. Equal quantities of aluminia
and red lead are heated to red heat in
an earthenware crucible. A vitreous
substance is formed, which consists Of
silicate Of lead and crystal of white
corondum. These are fused with BIZ
chromate Of potassium to form the ruby,
or with little oxide Of cobalt and very
small quantity of bichromate Of potas-
sium to make the sapphire. The gems
SO made are expensive, but much less 80
than the real stones, and are very hard,
with fine luster and excellent color, If
the proportions of the materials are ex-
actly right. Emeralds, topazes, garnets
and various other more or less valuable
gems are well initiated in glass colored
with different silicates and oxides. Sham
pearls are also so we'll made that, when
properly set, they cannot be distinguished
from genuine ones. They are simply
beads Of clear glass coated inside with
lustrous solution obtained from the scales
of some small fishes-bleak and dace. 1t
takes the scales Of 10000 of the fishes to
make two pounds Of the solution, which
is called Essence d'Orient." The imita-
ton pearls are more durable than the
real ones, which are liable to be injured
by perspiration or various other incidents
of wear.-Philadelphia Times.