The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-04-20
PRECIOUS JEWELS.
One of the Most Serviceable and Popular
Stones Is the Turquoise.

There are few gems more common
ly seen in jewelry than the lovely blue
turquoise. Its beauty, its serviceab BILE
hardness, its pleasing contrast with
gold, all explain why it is so much pre-
ferred to other ordinary stones.
Only few exceptionally fine speci-
mems of the stone rank with the rich
and rare gems" Much and widely as
the turquoise is used for personal
adornment the supply has for some
| time considerably exceeded the de-
| mand, except for fine stones of an I'M
common size. But, as is the case with
all precious stones, unusually large
pieces of this stone, when of good quail
lty, are eagerly sought after and have
a very high value.
The turquoise has been used as
gem from very remote period, as it
is most plentifully found along the
shores of the Caspian Sea. within the
space believed by many to have been
the cradle of the human race.
1t is asserted by historians that the
ancient Grecians used it in almost all
the finest and most delicate of their
work in gold. Want of certainty about
the name by which this stone was
known in ancient times prevents our
being able to tell what mystic virtues
were attached to it, but in the Middle
Ages 1T was supposed to have wonder
full qualities; indeed it was credited
with many supernatural virtues.
The wearer of turquoise had his
strength increased and his sight pro-
lohged; if he happened to have
serious fall the consequences were
averted from him by the cracking and
subsequent crumbling of the gem, and
in case Of his illness at any time his
turquoise became paler and paler and
if its possessor died lost its color en-
tirely, but recovered it again on pass
ing into the hands of a new owner.
Other precious gems seem of late years
to have lost all claim to the former
marvellous powers ascribed to them,
but the turquoise still retains one of
its mysterious properties and parades
it to the present day.
Sometimes slowly. sometimes sud-
denly it turns pale, becomes spotted
and finally changes from blue to white.
and specimens of this kind are rare and
valuable.
Iurquoises are found in Thibet,
China and Mount Sinai, but the hand
soonest ones for jewellers purposes
come from Persian mines. They are
found embedded in masses of rock,
and the mines are more than one hum
dred and fifty feet deep and many
laborers are employed in them, the
oldest of whom buy the gems and sell
them in turn to travellers and mer-
chants. Other men buy the rough
stones and polish them before selling.
These, of course, command high
prices.
The stones are divided into three
classes first, second and third quail
ties. All stones of perfect color and
shape belong to the first class. but
tiny speck of green, which only con-
noisscur can detect, will consgu
handsome stone to second class mat
ter Then there is that undeiinabe
property of a good turquoise, like the
"water" of diamond or lustre of a
pearl. in turquoise it is called "zat."
4 fine cOlored turquoise without the
"'zat" is not worth much. Among the
finest jewels of the Shah there is a
turquoise valued at $1,000. The third
class stones are those with decided
flaws and unstable in Persia. The
small prices offered for such there are
more than doubled by the time they
reach Europe. They are cut by hand |
and polished on fine grained sand
stone and then on a piece of soft leather
with turquoise dust. 1t is quite the
fashionable stone of the present day,
and when set with diamonds no gem
can equal it in beauty. An ultra soce-
ty woman is not happy until she is the
possessor Of such a jewel.