The Helena independent., 1892-09-25
ARTIFICIAL PRECIOUS STONES.

The Process Discovered by James Morris,
Glasgow Scientist.
What promises to be a most important
discovery has been made bv one of our
Glasgow scientists, SAYS the Herald of that
city. Although imitation gems are obtain
able in any required quantity. the produc.
tion Of crystals having the hardness, dura-
bility, and other qualities, both physical
and chemical, of natural stones. has been
one of the unsolved problems of applied
chemistry. The most advanced efforts up
till now have been made in Paris, and the
French specialists have at least proved the
possibility of producing sapphii es, rubies,
and other stones by artificial means. their
products being real gems, and not glasses
1t is doubtful, however, if the originators
of the French methods themselves claim
that theirs are the methods of nature, and
it iB reasonable to suppose that the most
natural method will be the most practically
successful one. Although no geoloaist or
chemist can declare the new process to be
the process of nature. yet many anulo9ies
point that way.
Experimentsrs in this field may have
been partly discouraged by the thought
that the gems of nature we've produced
under conditions of enormous pressure. to
which might have been added very high
Temperatures, AMI that they were in some
1t is possible. however, that too much
weight has BEEN given to this point. In the
process now under notice no such discour-
aging conditions ars present and the
method is wonderfully simple. Even work
ing on tho laboratory scale, using small
vessels, stones have been obtained over
one six teenth of an inch in diameter, and
very large numbers have been formed
approaching that size. There ia no reason
to doubt that working on largar scale will
yield stones of any size likely to be required.
The noble nature of the products 10 beyond
doubt. as they are very hard. infusible ut
all ordinarily attainable tempe atures, and
insoluble in any acid. I he bulk of the
gems are white or rather colorless sap
rhires. They are compact and t'ansparent
crystals, and many specimens have a splen
did luster. BY subsequent tratment some
of them have taken on the sapphire blue.
Some of tho specimens seem to contain a
small amount Of carbon. This element ia
sometimes present in small quantity in
natural emeralds. fact not generally
stated in books on the subject. In fow
specimens the proportion OF carbon seems
to be conside able. and there are present
individual crystals having physical proper
ties moro nearly allied to the diamond than
to the sapphire. In nature diamonds are
often found associated with other gems. In
any case the products contain little or no
silica, this CONF oInd being the charao-
terintic ingredient in all kinds of glass.
Apart from the possibilities of the process
in the direction Of producing tho diam ond,
tho chief point already established Ia that
Of having found an easy method Of crystal
izing alumina. The Oriental ruby. Oriental
amethyst aud other gems ooming under the
heading Oriental" are all of them only
variously colored snpphires, and alumina
forms the chief constituent of the series.
There 10 little doubt that the process will
yield the ruby and other varieties. Apart
from ornamentstion, their hard dn0ss will fit
them for mechanical purposes, and their
cutsing power 10 rsmRrksble. perhaps due ia
the small amount of carbon already spoken
OF. The author of the process has sought
the opinion Of several Of the foremost men
OF science. and their general verdict has
boon very favorable. The discovery may
prove 10 be one OF the nlost important We,
made In minerAlogioal chemistry, and the
future developments both CONNER cially
and scientifically difficult 10 estimate. The
originator of the process IL Mr.. James
! Morris.