Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-10-07
PRECIOUS STONES.
Ruby the Most Valuable Substance in the
World nnd the isarost.

World and the lsarost.
beyond all question, the ruby stands ~.
| nrems as the most precious substance IN tho
world. so much many persons know, hui,
few are aware that riihius. tapphirea, Orient
al amethyau and topazea arc all practically
] the sauna gem They are c0rundunl, or
| cfystgllized Alumlna, but with INFINITE d.
yerstea Of colorng and lnhnite different
values. Il ia curious, but true, that ruby
rs only red sapphire, aud q sapphire only
O hlua ruby,
Tho anost pigeons blood" rubles come
/ FROM u rnh. thOgo from Slam or gsylou boz
ing TOO dark o. 100 pale, ard tho Mont9na
/ stones being cloudy and brown, A per
/ fec one carat specimen may cost 5000.
I while a diamond OF tho finest water Of the
same aiz0 can be bought for Si25. The rIch
| color Of the ruby, a color which does net
I hlacken like the blue Of a sapphire by night.
D IL supposed 70 DO duo to a trace OF oxide OF
I chromium, but this Ia sun a moot point
I With ohemiata. and an are not even agreed
as to the sapphlro'B velvet tlnBo, This
latter stone "a much less valuable than ruby
being found larger and more abunlanuy
5qpphroa really present all eolors, the pure
whlts variety, when Rhlfully cut being
dineult 70 tel from diamond. This Is a
deception dlshOnest jewellers not unfrequent-
" practice TO catch tho unwary. Both
ruhlas and sapphlrea arc occasionally met
With aA "atRr st1nos'--that Is, opaque ca
buehon-cut gpms showing the perfect Eteely
rays u a star star ruby is excessively
rare, but the sapphire star Ia fairly common.
The emerald 10 another exceedingly dear
stoue, surprising the diamond Ia value when
Of good slka and free from iiaws unfor-
tunatoly this gem 10 rarely faultleas; but.
II perfect It easily ieichos $500 carat.
Emerald and aquamArine, The latter a beau-
uful sunny sea-green stone, are identical
In chemical composition, being varieties OF
the mineral berry, with traces OF different
A.. Ill
ahedca from honey yellow TO tho velvet
green Of Tho right emerald. The aquamAr-
Inc variety has lately become dear and fash
ionablc, and rightly 40, for tho stone 10 dur
able and lovely object. The late Emperor
OF Brazil Il said 10 have possessed an aqua
marine OF over two hundred ounces Troy
wSghi. The Indefinite oolors OF the boryl
must have been known for agea. since this
gem represented tic doubling Thomas.
After perfect ruhiea and emeralds. and
perhaps after great pearls, corlos the diA-
mond in value. This. too. has q range OF
colors, tho mort prlsod being red, blue,
green. and water white, while brown or
gray tlnges arc not quito 80 highly es-
toemcd. Tho koh-i-Noor, OF 102 3-i caratA,
ranlsg low iu point Of alze with some OF
thu worlds great aiones--for Instance with
the Great Morul, go carats In weight,
diamond Ia tho hardest mineral known.
brittle though It be; acida do not affect
H. and Il Is also the only comhustlhle gem.
II has high refraetiyo and dihpersiye pow
era carer, aud some specimens become
by the action OF light It
occurs az an eight-aded crystal.
The name topaz Is applied 70 three dis
tinct kinds OF stones; TO tho Oriental topaz
which Is really a yellow eapphlre; TO the
Scotch topaz, which Is only quartz, just
~ amethyats are violet coiorcd quartz OF
llttie value; and 10 tho Brazilian topnz. a
yivaelous, sherry-colnrod Eem which Is tho
only true topaz. This latter Etope takes a
hirh, brilliant polish. and Il foela slippery
10 the touch. Tho rose pink topaz soon ~
ihops IL not natural color. II r. obtained
BY auhicc,ipg the dark yellow varieties TO
lreat heat. The Commercial value Of tcpaz
d extremely nuctuntlngl one reason being
hat light exercises bleaching effect Cd
Another gem. beautiful and Interesting In
tsslf which Is occaaionaily foid for tho true
,rby. II tho red zircoa also called inrgoon
Nd iaclnih or byaclnth. Jewelora call These
',ones .'iaeinth rulies' mud charge accord
hrly The gem Is Of all coora. tie pure
,hfie ones being hard to Distinguish from
l,ampndr, on account Of their wonderful
irn chrysollto ia Just as white. but 4 .
Ike glass compared wilh diamond or jar
,oon.
There are two Slnds NJ ehFysoberyi ilssi
ia rtris One the well-know Oriental csl1-
We, m opaque grecnieh-brown ca5ochon-eut
Ions, showing fteely hash or line Ike
liver wire; thJ 1ihof, the littla faorn but
sautifui aud curioua alexandrite. Thls
lnlaue gem IA oliYo OF plstAchio Rreen by
ayliTt.. and n has tho temarkable properly
I turning a raspberry red by artificial light
he groom t0urmaline ~ much Ike alex
ndrlte by day. This /, the most chemically
onplox II all gems. and Il occurs alzo IA
ed and brown e.ystala.