St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-05
BOGUS GEMS WHICH ARE EXACT
COUNTERPARTs OF THE
GENUINE
COME FROM SWITZERLAND.
iDAR VILLAGE is FAMOUS FOR
MAKING THE COUNTER
FEITS.
INGENIOUS PROCESSES USED.
BY Which the Most Costly Stones
Are CheapIy Imi-
tated,
81. Louis Glohe-Democrat.

st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The University of Pennsylvania
has newly acquired most interest
ing collection of counterfeit gems.
1t embraces practically every known
species of imitation in this line. All
varieties of precious stones are rep
resented, many of them being such
admirable reproductions of the true
originals as to deceive the eye of
anybody not an expert.
Most of them came originally from
Idar, in Switzerland, which is the
great market of the world for ini-
tation cut stone. Real gems used to
be cut there on an extensive scale,
but that business has gone else
where. The cutters are prospecting,
however, for the demand for false
jewelry has never been so lage as at
present for cheap and counterfeit
precious stones Astonishing guam
titles of these are disposed of in
Europe to the peasants, who care
more for glitter than for quality.
Immense numbers of them are also
xported-particula to the United
States. They are mounted in cheap
settings at Providence and Attic
boro, the bulk of them going to the
West, where they furnish favorite
article of merchandise for fakirS.
Great quantities of agates are cut
at Idar for sale to African savages.
These must have peculiar forms,
such as are demanded by various
tribes. The latter commonly are SO
particular that they will not accept
them at all unless furnished in the
shapes to which they are accus-
toned. Stewart Culin, a famous ex-
pert in such matters, informs the
writer that primitive people gener-
ally prefer stones of a green color.
Nearly all Egyptian amulets are
made Of green porcelain, glazed.
Green is the color of life and SYM
bolic of the vital principle. For the
same reason jade and serpentine
We're highly valued, even during pre-
historic times, in China and Mexico.
while turquoise has been held in
equal esteem by natives of Asia and
America.
Primitive people generally have re-
garded jewels as possessing tails
manic significance. In modern times
they have lost such meaning Ear
rings, necklaces, brooches and brace
lets were formerly amulets. So like
wise in the East were the nose ring,
the anklet and the collar, and among
SaVages the lip plug and the ear
the wedding ring, which is sur
Vival of very ancient ornament
and talisman. Many women will new
er take off their wedding rings. lest
III luck befall. Magical ideas are to
this day associated with various
gems. Every bit of jewelry worn by
an Egyptian woman means some
thing.
INGENIOUS PROCESSES.
At Idar various ingenious proc
esseS are employed for making
cheap natural stones to initiate
gems of value. Acids and coIorine
matters are used for this purpose.
counterfeit cats eyes, for example.
are produced by soaking in acid a
KIND of stone called tigers eve"
The latter comes from the Cane of
Good Hope, and is extensively used
IN such ways. The compare tivelv
rare pink tigers eye is reproduced
by treating the ordinary material
with aniline dyes. The natural tigers
eye is extremely pretty, and fetched
Dig price before large deposits of
1t were discovered. In 1875 it was
sold in New York city for S12 a
carat; at present you can get all
you want for $3.50 a ton. Thus do
values adjust themselves to the law
of supply and demand.
If Prof. Clarke is correct in his he
lief that real diamonds of market
able size are destined soon to be
produced in the chemical labora tory.
the gems now most priced and con.
sldered to represent the most stable
form OF value, excepting gold alone,
Will drop to a few cents a carat.
Barkeepers will regard it as vulgar
TO wear them, and there will be no
market for cheap limitations. The
demand for counterfeit diamonds
now, however, is enormous. They
are imported into this country at a
cost of 20 cents apiece by the gross,
most Of them being of a peculiar
and very brilliant kind of lead
glass, known as paste" Practically
all the diamonds which are stolen
from actresses in such surprising
quantities annually are of this kind.
Women who are successful on the
stage usually have good business
heads, and they know too much to
travel about the country with $50
600 or 100000 in a jewel case. Even
ladies OF fashion are very apt to lock
their gems up in safe deposit vaults
employing counterfeits for every
day use. A person of sense does
not take valuable necklaces. ETC.,
on an ocean steamer If you are
known to possess the real diamonds
1t is all that is necessary.
The finest paste diamonds are be-
yond detection except by an expert
Ordinary ones are utilized to great
extent for the stage. For 81 ono
may purchase a crown fit for a mon.
arch. and incrusted with precious
stones. \ queens tiara, that looks
as good as real across the footlights
costs only So. The setting has to bt
done by skilled artisans, and make.
most of the expense, the loose
stones coming at only IS cents to S
each at retail. The latter are solo
In quantities for robes and Other
CroI.
necklace may be had for So, Will,