Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-09-02
GARNET AND TURQUOISE.
History and Description of Two Popular
 Precious Stones.

History and Description of Two Popular
 Precious Stones.
 The garnet has many admirers. The brownish-red tint is caused by the oxide of iron which 1t contains. Some of them contain so much iron as to be att tracted by a magnet. The color is that of claret or fed wine, and is of differ ent shades. When of a rich, deep color, and cut en cabochon Gin raised form like the roundness of an egg), 1t is called carbuncle. Garnets of fine quality are found in large quantities in the mines of Zoblitz, in Silesia. They are alao found in Piedmont, Siberia, Norway, India, Siam, Mexico and in this country. The finest garnet is the Oriental, or Syrian, the name coming from the Syrian, a river in Pegu, in Farther India.
 Fine cameo have been cut in garnet. It was not favorite with the Greeks, but was used very much in the later Roman times, especially in the imper' rial period. The Romans called the ruby the male, the garnet the female variety, and magical virtues were att tributed to the latter. It was much used by the gem cutters of the Renais- sance, who have left some magnificent works in this stone; modern artists have rarely used it. It is hard to work, and very brittle.
 Garnets are not always shaded in red. They appear in brown, black, green and yellow. Colorless and white specimens have also been found. There is a coarse variety known as common garnet found in sufficient quantities to be used as Q 1R is the noble garnets, or the precious garnets, sometimes called Almadine, that are of great value. They are gem erally of a crimson-red color, some times of so deep a tint that jewellers hollow it out beneath, or place a plate of silver at the back of it. The cinna- mon stone is said to be garnet. There is variety found in Siberia which is called the Grossularla, from it's resem- b1ance to green gooseberry in form, size and color. Powdered garnets are often used for polishing and cutting other stones. The powder is known among lapidaries as red emery.
 The turquoise, called in former times turkis or turkey stone, is Q light blu @ stone, sometimes translucent, usually opaque. It is both oriental and occi- dental; the former is the best It is found in reniform or stalaoticic masses, never crystal It comes from Persia, China, Arabia, Thibet, Silesia and Sax ony, and has been found in our Vest ern Territories. It is nearly one-half alumina, and strikes fire with teel There is a bone or fossil turquoise found in LanGuedoc, France. It is called turouo bricard, and is softer than the oriental
 In color the turquoise is white, blue and azure-blue and greenish blue, but only the fine blue stones arc prized. The color of the stone is subject to change, particularly if brought in con- tact with musk, camphor or other scents, and with acids, but some ancient stones are in existence that have not changed color.
 The turquoise is not very expensive unless of large size and fine color. It is the stone most frequently used by the Orientals for amulets, sentences from the Koran being engraved on them. They also ornament pipes, dagger hilts, girdles, etc., with them.
 Only a few ancient engraved tur- quoises are known; they are in came o and busts, and not in intagli. In ancient times the stone was thought to bring heal tn and good fortune to the wearer, and many occult virtues were ascribed to it. De Boot, who wrote in 1609 states that no gentleman thought him self properly attired in his time with out wearing fine turquoise. Singular to say, he adds, that the ladies did not wear them. In medieval times it was supposed to change color as the state of health of it's owner changed.-Keystone.