Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-04-28
mAKs-BeLleye oIAMoNps.
ihe Way French Paste I. Mod.
sham med OF as tho r., ~no

'"e way French Paste IA Made -.
'nea On as the Real Article.
Inc formula for compoundinp FroaoI
paste, which Is a peculiar nina 80 eich
perfected in Paris by Donault- WieIand
IS as follows; Rock crystal, six ounces.
req lead, nine and "a quarter ounces. 49,,
carbonate of potash, three ounces md
tiiFee drachms; boracic acid IT,.
arachms' white arsenic. six graina
"hen fused, thoroughly interblendad
cooied' cut and polished, in diamond
iortns' II takes good expert to tell ths
gems so made from the real ones Thc
more oxide of lead is added. nm to a cor,
tam point, the greater Is the reaulton+
oriiliancy' but the softer the glass and
effect. W It's
PERSONS OF means invest in bogus gems
LOT various reasons. One does not caro
10 Keep locked up in mere ornament tho
large amount of money that would be
required to purchase diamonds in sucb
SIZE and number as society might exnect
MN or her to have, SO a few really fine
stones are purchased for habitllaI wear
10 challenge criticism, and a brilliant ar
ray OF French pastes" is provided for
siio" upon occasions when big display ia
expected and there will be no danger Of
close critical inspection. The few rooI
stones have made a reputation that
covers the others. Who is going to s,,s.
pect very rich man or woman-say one
OF the "4OO'-of wearing bogus gems?
ana yet the very rich are just the ones
who do wear them most. Another nor
son IN society may be the actual owner
OF line lot of family diamonds. which
are temporarily in pledge, fact that
must not be suspected by others, and will
not, SO long as French paste" can show
us 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 a 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 a red heat in
an earthenware crucibe A vitreous
substance is formed, which consists of
sllIcate 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 a very
small quantity of bichromate of potas-
, SUM to make the sapphire. The gems
80 made are expensive, but much less so
than the real stones, and Ne 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 well made that, when
properly set, they cannot 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 lishes-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.