The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-28
BOTH RARE AND CURIOUS
Wonderful Collection Of Gems
Nh Gathered BY Kunz, the
Great Expert.
The Large Opal in Which the
Human Faoe Is
Mirrored. @
A Display THAT Is Suggestive Of tho
wealth Of Sumc Prince of the
Orient.

Wealth GC Sumc Prince OF the
Orient
Mr.. Kunz. Tiffany & Co.'s expert on
gems, has arranged She collection which he
gathered during his tour of Europe ana
Asia last summer, and the admirerso rare
and curious jewels have been invited to in
spect ii. Ii al ordinary burglar were to
ret al this collection some TINS ha wanid
think probably that he had struck q lot Of
gems beside which the crown jewels Of the
richest monarch in Ghlistendom were in
significant. OF course that ID not SO. but
tho enormous sizes of some Of the jewels as
they.xra displayed to advantage are sug-
csatiye Of the wealth Of Indian princes.
d lie topazes. a~methysts and opals are large
and brilliant. Mr.. Kunz gathered many
notable specimens in European and Asiatic
Russia, and throughout the Ural noun
tains. He secured the finest opals obtaina-
BILE in Mexico, including one large piece Of
brilliant colors, said to be the largest dis
covered since 1880.
A curious jewel is a large, transparent
opal, nearly one inch in length and three
quarters Of an inch in width, which has en-
gravea on it in high relief a figure Of the
the suu-a human face mirrorea by blazing
rays. The colors most vivid in the re-
Elections are green and yellow. but viewed
from some directions they are blush. and
from others blazes of deep red. The opal
IL mounted in gold, and it is believed that
il was a representative idol of some temple
dedicated to the sun. Ihs peculiar feature
Of it ia that tina mounting appears to be
Persian, while the opal In. as experts believe,
Mexican, The base is gold, borderea with
black enamel. Above that are twenty-scyen
alternately undulating and straight-pointed
gold rays. At the back it is fixed in an oval
enameled gold box. It is accompanied by
an old engraving, representing " II us
temple with an ttsnda priest or king. ~
was formerly the property OF an English
man.
Every shade Of opal and topaz is sh W
in Mr.. Kunz's collection, and there are
some fine pieces of amber and odd varle-
ties Of pearls. While abroad MIR. kunz
visited all the cutting centres of Europe
and Asia whore stones are mined, and ex-
amined 8 large number Of the collections III
museunas and private residences. He says
he has q finer collection of gems, precious
and selni-precious stoaea, art objects IN
stone, Jade, and crystal. than has ever been
brought together in this country before.
Many Of the curious pieces were intended
for the collection OF the late 4. G. Moore.
which had been presented to the Metropoll-
tan Museum Of Art. From the Ural noun
tains Mr.. Kunz brought a collection of
A~lexandrites, topszas OF blue, green ana
sherry colors; demantoias or green garaets,
royal purple amethysts, changing color by
artificial light, aud considered the finest
and largest seen in modern times; gold
washings, sapphires. pale, yellow and blue
rubies; beryls Of golden yellow and graen,
f H-,l ons a n ry xvorI vHnnriJnp {a. tia I1po | q in
\, rock crystal, garnet, amethyst, topaz, sara,
jade. and rhodonlte.
The lapidary work is marvellous. some OF
the representations of punches of fruit ba-
ing the work of the most skillful hands.
Some of the specimens required the labor
OF many months. Most Of them were made
in the interior of Russian territory, six
days travel from st. Petersburg. HE
workmen are paid only so cents a day, but
they work with cars and attention to detail
scarcely riyaled in other parts Of the wor.a.
One of the finest examples contains plums
grapes. berries and other small fruits cut
from rhoditine, citrine, onyx. sard, carmel
ian, coral, and jade, with wonderful leaves
of s%erpentine. Eyerv curve is perfect and
natural. The whole is saS Oh 81 base of
black jasper, and that on OrsAi jasper.
There are pieces Of jade carved ut tho i'm
perial lapidary works at Psterhof. Thee
are numerous fine pieces OF engraved
rock crystal. No instrument known
can make an impression On crystal, but the
Russian workmen have cut it with the aid
Of diamond dust and quickly revolving
wheels. The most intricate patterns are
thus traced. Among the examples brought
over by Mr.. Kunzi is a large jewel casket, a
copy of a famous caskst i'll the Aurbras col
at more than $780, OO. The crystal is
mounted in onameled silver. studded with
gems, in the style Of the seventeenth cen
tury. Mr.. kunz's copy is valued ut $4,000.
Among the Russian curios is an odd collec-
tion of desk pieces, including the abacus,
and a set OF checkers of rhodonite, The
abacus is the mechanism found in every
Chinese laundry, with which John reckons
the price of your shirts and collars. 1t ia
never absent from the Russian counting
house.
Among the specimens OF jade are pieces
fifteen inches in width aud of extraofdi-
nary thinness. They are interesting as
geological specimens, showing in their
different %colorings the growth of the rock
from which they were taken. and they
appeal especially to the expert because of
thu skill with which they were cut. Other
Russian curios include piecss of tho odd
locking .cnameled silver peculiar to the
country and some curious watches. Some
nuggets of Russian gold are interesting
from tho histories attached to them, and
from the fact. vouched for by Mr. Kunz,
that no Russian citizen dares to have them
in his possession without an accompanying
certificate showing where they came from
and how no secured them. It 10 a crime
under other conditions, and if known
wcula subject the owner to immediate ar
rest.
Some specimens of French lapidary work
in the collection are equal to those that
were famous in the periods of Louis XIV,
Ky. and XVI. Italy, Bosnia, Greece. Bac-
tria, Assyria and Egypt are re presented by
antique jntagli. stone scarabie and cylin-
ders, incisod sard, carnelian, chalcedony,
p.aaina. sardony. essonite and hematite,
some dating as far back rs the fifth cen-
tury H. G. Caylon and IEkawaia, i'll Asiatic
Russia, contributed some Ale xandrites,
a.