St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-05
FRENCH PASTE ATTHE BALL.
False Jewels Which We're Worn
hY HeireSSeS.

A magnificent necklace of brilIiants
which was worn at the centennial ball
consisted of two rows of large and fine
diamonds massed together in one piece
of iewelry. making a flexible band of
glowing, flashing, corruscating, Scintll-
lating beads of solid living light. 1t is
the sort of thug to make man shut
his eyes and try real hard to think of
the commandment against coveting
his neighber's goods. And yet it
is only French paste. 1t will cost under
$500, and Will. of course, be worn only
once, as its luster will very soon
grow dull. The formula for compound
ing French paste, which is peculiar
kind of glass perfected In Paris by
Donault-Wieland, is as follows: Rock
crystal, 6 ounces; red lead, 81 ounces !:
pure carbonate of potash, 3 ounces and
8 drachms; boracic acid, 3 drachms;
white arsenic, 6 grains. When fused,
thoroughly interblended, cooled. cut
and polished, in diamond forms, it
takes a good expert to tell the gems so
made from the real ones. Tue more
oxide of lead is added, up a certain
point, the greater is the resultant brill
fancy, but the softer the glass and con-
sequently 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 orna-
ment the large amount of money that
would be required to purchase dia-
monds in such size and number as soci-
ETY. might expect him or her to have, so
a few really fine stones are purchased
for habitual wear, to challenge criti-
cism, and brilliant array of "French
pastes' is provided for show upon occa-
sions when big display is expected and
there will be no danger OF close critical
inspection. The few real stones have
made a reputation that covers the
others. Who is going to suspect a
of the '4O0''-of wearing bogus
gems? And yet the very rich are just
the ones who do wear them most. An
other person in society may be the ac-
tual owner of fine lot of family
diamonds, which are temporarily in
pledge, fact that must not be sus-
pected by others, and will not, so long
as 'sFrench paste" can show its honest
glitter in the seeming likeness OF the
hypothetical treasures. Still another
may own plenty of diamonds and actu-
ally have them in possession, too, yet
be too prudent to expose them to the
danger of loss or theft in a mixed multi,
tude, such as will be present at the cen
tennial ball, so long as all the effect of
their splendor may be produced at much
less risk. 2
Rubies and sapphires are even mere
successfully initiated than diamonds.
limitations of them actually possess the
same chemical composition as the real
or nf n m nir,io
and red lead are heated to red heat in
an earthenWare crucible. A vitreolls
substance is formed. which consistssof
silicate of lead and crystal Of white
corundum. These are fused with BIZ
chromate of potassium to form the ruby;
or with little oxide of cobalt and a
very small quantity of bichromate of
potassium to make the sapphire. The
gems so made are expensive, but
much less so than the real
stones, and are very hard, with
fine luster and excellent color,
if the proportions of the materials
are exactly right. Emeralds, topaZes,
garnets and various other more or less
valuable gems are we'll initiated in glass
colored with different silicates and
oxides. Sham pearls are also so we'll
made that, when properly set, they can
not be distinguished from genuine ones.
They are simply beads. of clear glass
coated inside with a 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
is called Essence d'Orient." The imi-
tation pearls are more durable than the
real ones, which are liable to be injured
by perspiration or various other Incl
dents Of wear.