Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-28
NEW YORK LETTER.
DIAMONDS TO BE SEEN AT THE COMING
CENTENNIAL BALL.
Paste and Bogus Jswels-Behind the Scenes
in These Mysteries -Aristoerats Who
scorn The rour Euadred," eto.

NEW YORK. anfh -, lcoo-
"There What do you think OF
thatg"
The question was put to me the other
dav by friend who is o prominent Jew
elier and the that" referred TO was q
magnificent necklace OF brilliants
never saw so many large and fine dia-
monds mased together ia one piece OF
,ewelry. and stared in wondering admira-
zion al the flexible band OF glowing,
flashing. corruscating, scintillating beads
of solid living light. IL was the sort OF
thing to make man shut his eyes and
,ry real hard 10 think ot the command
ment against eoyeting his neiehbors
goods.
"What is the use of getting mp snch
a thing as that ! asked. 1ou Il
never lind anybody, even "a politician,
able to buy tin this country. mt least
"Oh YES. IL is made to order for
one of our socieiy ladies. who proposes
20 wear j, ct the coming grand centen-
NAL bali. What DO you suppose It IL
worth ,"
"Gosh Millions. for ell know. l
could no moro estimate on thing like
FRAT than / could comprehend infinite
space" .,
He crinned a sar1onic grin, wiggled
the blazing thing in the sunlight to I'M
press me some more. and then replied
slowly:
brilliant DIAMONDS.
"well, It isn't what you might call
chesp: Int. though I'm not gong to tell
rs real price to anybody but the pur-
chaser, / can assure YOU that its value is
considerably less than that ot the soli-
taire In a ring setting Tint showed you
little bit ago.
And the price of that ring was only
sl.750 never venture 10 lean up very
hard against what / know about gems,
bnt really did not think that l could be
"taken in like that
ID. do you moan to say that those arc
not diamonds
"No more diamonds than they are
eggs Simply exceedingly fine speci-
mems of French paste which is the pest
imitation OF the diamond yet discov-
cred"
al suppose, however, that a judge Of
diamonds could tell them as false at
sight. even on the neck of one OF the
400
"Not without he was given chance
TO make very close inspection OF them
and apply certain tests known to ex-
perts. Take my word for it, that the
Il lady who wears French paste at the
- Centennial ball will he more thoroughly
hin fashion--even among tie 400 than
you have any idea of.
"FRENcH PASTE.
What IS French paste p"
"It is a peculiar kind of glass. perfect
"A in Paris by Donault-Wieland. Its
basis is finely powdered rock crystal,
melted with other minerals IN the fol-
lowing proportions
And. referring to little memorandum
book. he read off,
"Rock crystal, six ounces red lead,
nine and quarter ounces pure car
Donate of potash, three ounces and three
drachms boracic acic, three drachms :;
white arsenic, six grains. when fused,
thoroughly interblended, cooled, cut.
and polished in diamond forms, it takes
a good expert to tell tho gems so made
from the real ones. The more oxide Of
lead is added. up TO certain point. the
greater is the resultant brilliancy, but
the softer the glass and consequently
the less permanency to its effect. These
specimens in this necklace will grow dull
afteS bsing worn for time. but not
unt 'iong after the centennial ball.
And for such short-lived splendor they
are pretty expensive"
i "Why are they expensive? The ma
Z terials are not costly"
"No. But the art OF properly blend
ing those materials and the skill and
lebor required in cutting and polishing
puts on the value"
"Are these limitations as brilliant and
expensive az the dOublets-the gems
made by imposing thin face OF real
diamond on backing of rock crystal 2"
"Thev are more brilliant and cost less
in proportion to size-much less; but
the doublets are by far the most du-
rable."
"What other gems are initiated as
successfully as the diamond ?"
"RUBIEs AND sAPPHIREs
even more SO. The limitations OF them
attually possess the same chemical COM
position as the real stones. Equal guam
titles of aluminia and red lead are heated
to red-heat in an earthenware crucible.
A yitreous substance is formed, which
consists Of silicate Of lead and crystal of
white corundum. These are fused with
bichromate of potassium TO form the
ruby, or with little oxide OF cobalt and
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 lustre and excellent
color ii the proportions OF the mate
rails are exactly right. Emsralds. to-
PAGES, garnets, and various other more
or less valuable gems are all well imi-
tated in glass, colored with different Sill
Gates aud oxides Sham pearls are also
80 well made that when properly set
Yiey cannot DO distinguished from genu-
me ones. They are simply beads of
clear glass, coated inside with lustrous
solution obtained from the scales of some
small fishes-bleak and dace, think the
fishes are called. II takes the scales OF
10000 of the fishes to make two pounds
OF the solution, which is called Essence
d'Orient.' The imitation pearls are more
durable than the real ones, which are
liable to be injured by perspiration or
various other incidents OF wear.
REPUTABLE DEALERS SELL PASTE.
Reverting 10 that French paste, are
there many of that sort OF diamonds sold
in this country
"a great many. Reputable dealers
sell them for what they are, and their
price-for fine ones such as these-is
-sasSciently high to keep them from
being offered as cheap stuff to the
I asses. yet great numbers are worn.
ahe sad-iaced men who Turk about fash
ionable saloons trying to dispose OF
<Eamonds, relics OF their former pros
t.erity. at prices considerably below then
Eslxalue, owing TO the pressure OF i'm
L-rsf;ye necessity which they deeply de-
xIsre are generally provided with three
Hour apparent gems. The OUTFIT OF one
80, chaps consists OF a diamond