San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-04-01
AMONG THE GEMS.
Compiled for the Globe Democrat


more than a diamond of the same
size and weight.
Pope Julius II. wore in his tiara
an aquamarine of all exquisite sea.
green color, inches in each dimen.
sion.
The Greeks stained quartz to so
close an imitation of emerald that
1t was almost impossible to detect
the fraud.
The Regent diamond, the pro-
perty OF the French government,
weighs 1856 carats and is valued at
$4,000, 900 francs.
The finest emerald in Europe be-
longs to the Gar. 1t weighs only
80 carats, but is of perfect color
and transparency.
The MeXicans carved the emer-
aid with wonderful skill, using only
siliceous powder and copper tools
alloyed with tin.
When first taken from the mines
opals are so tender and friable that
they may be picked to pieces with
the finger nail.
When a fine ruby is found in
Burmah, procession of elephants,
grandees and soldiers escorts it to
the Kings palace.
Jasper is an impure quartz, usu-
ally containing much iron. 1t is
found in red, brown, yellow, green,
black and blue.
The sapphire which adorns the
summit of the English crown is the
same that Edward the Confessor
wore in his ring.
ODals are so sensitive that expos
ure to moisture or heat, or even
sudden atmospheric change, some
times ruins them.
TO the habit of burying gems
with the owner we owe the pre-
servation of many of the most re-
markable antique jewels.
The Austrian Government has
Hungarian opal 34 inches long
and ~ thick. 1t weighs y
ounces, and is worth $500, 900.
The color of the turquois varies
from pea green to greenish blue and
almost black blue. The bast color
is clear sky-blue.
The late Don Pedro had the
largest aqumarine ever known. 1t
was said i'll size and shape to ap-
proximate a Calls head.
Coral, often used in jewelry, is an
insect product. The best specimens
are found in the Mediterranean Sea
and Indian Ocean.
The stone which the ancients
called sapphire is now known as
lapis lazuli. Its principal color is
azure blue shading into green.
Artificial agates are now made
by 500 many different and effective
processes that the stone has lost
most of its value as a gem.
The Russian scepter is of solid
gold, 3 feet long, and contains
among its ornaments 26S diamonds,
900 rubies and fifteen emeralds.
After the conquest of Mexico and
Peru, emeralds were so abundant
that one Spanish nobleman took
home three bushels of them.
With the funds raised by pawn
ing the Regent diamond Napoleon
was enabled to undertake the CAM
paign that ended at Marengo.
The emerald improves in color on
exposure to the light. Pearls kept
in the dark lose their luster, but
regain it on exposure to the sun.
Nero's eye glass, through which
the near-sighted tyrant watched
the gladiatorial games, was an
emerald cut into the form of lens.
Amber, often Classed among gems
is fossil product. Most of the
specimens inclosing insects are
manufactured from gum copal.
The diamond, though hard, is one
of the most brittle of stones. A
fall on a wooden floor will some
times crack and ruin fine diamond.
The emerald was one of the best
known ancient stones. Emeralds !
have been discovered in the Etrus-
can tombs in settings over 1000 |
years old.
The cause of superstition con-
corning the opal is found in the
fact that this gem is very liable to
split, and consequently TO bed
worthless.
The cutting of the Kohinoor &C.
cupied thirty. eight days, with steam