The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-13
MYSTERIES OF THE RUBY.
From the Mineral Collector.

MYSTERIES OF THE RUBY.
From the Mineral Collector.
In an address before the Royal Insti-
tuition in London, Prof. Judd said that
all the romance associated with famous
jewels and their history is of insignif-
can't interest compared with the fas-
cinating actualities which science has
discovered in regard to the wonderful
gem family-the aristocrats of the min
eral kingdom. Eight years ago England
was excited over the annexation of
Burmah, and there We're great expecta-
tions of what was to happen when the
British capitalist got his hands on the
cele bratcd ruby mines of that kingdom.
Somehow or other these expectations
have not been gratifed.
The rubies are not forthcoming, but
1t is not to be presumed from this that
Burmah has enjoyed false reputation
for those remarkable stones of price.
Prof Judd showed that while the ruby
and its near relations are found in
many parts of the globe, it is in Bur-
NAH alone that the gem is unearthed
in its purest and most fiery form. The
intense pigeons blood" color and pc
culiar fire of the Burmese ruby give
it extraordinary value as compared
with other red stones which come into
rivalry with it, for under the name of
'rubias' a great variety of gems not
truly entitled to the name have in an
cient and modern times passed muster.
The only substance which can truly
be called ruby is pure, limpid, fiery
red corundum. This mineral, corun-
dunn, is cryStallized oxide of aluminium,
and forms the basis of nearly every
gem Except. of course, the diamondl
which we value for hardness, bril-
liancy and color. A crystal of pure
red corundum we call ruby" crys-
tai of the blue variety is priced as a
sapphire" a green crystal we know
as an emerald" and other tints are
known as aquamarine topaz, and so on.
Corundum Is found very widely distrib-
uted in the east, especially in Ceylon,
Thibet and Afghanistan. and in the
United States big masses of impure
bloodred corundum are found, from
which isolated crystals can be cut. and
thus entitle the Americans to claim
the ruby as a native product. There
are great many red rivals to the Bur
meSe ruby. but with the exception Of
the red diamond none is so hard. They
include the red spinel. the rose topaz,
red zircon, rubeilite ia form Of tour
maline more priced in China than the
Tubyl, and the various Carnets- This
quality OF hardness is one of the most
valuable features in the ruby, for 1t
enables the gem 10 take high polish.
The diamond is OF course harder. and
Il i interesting 70 note that one of the
first products evolved from the cleo
trical furnace crystelized compound
Of carbon and silicon-is only less hard
than the diamond itself
The chief scientific interest Of the
ruby corundun flows from the ex.raor-
binary peculiar;ties OF structure that il
presents as well as from The mysterious
qualities that determine is striking
color. Il is found IL crystals Of great
variety Of shapes, bat al having ten
3ency 20 the peculiar habit OF growth
known 20 c~ystallograp pliers IS twin
ming" BY testing crystals % cOrun-
dunn with pola-ized light its structure
is found 10 be wonderfully complex,
sad under the microscope - exterior