New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-12
FALSE PRECIOUS STONES.
PASTE DIAMONDS AND OTHER IMITA-
TON JEWELS
WHO INVENTED THEM AND WHERE THEY ARE
HADE-THE 'I-EGr1TMATE' AND LILLE
GI1IMATE' DEALER

II the proverb "Alrs not gold that glitters"
were amended TO read "All are not diamonds
that glitter II would be equally true and per
haps more apt For there's fully as much gilt
ter about jewels real and false as there is in
gold and its limitations 1t Is by ardully turn
ing and twisting In the light his tastefully
mounted bit of glass that the nmlam dealer
in tho goods OF the famous Dazzlekowski Jewel
Company is able to catch the fancy and tempt
the vanity Of the culh5le customer. who buys
for % cents an article which. il It were what it
purports 10 be, would cost from 500 TO $500
TO be sure there are people who purchase
paste" diamonds knowingly. When in the
atrc in which The best seats cost only Is cents
a play is to be put on with royal ballroom
scene, the manager provides among other prop
critics. imitation jewels for the participants
knowin; that at a distance II several yards no
one in the audience can tell the difference. Oc-
casiorally an actress who cannot afford such
luxury and whose admirers have not yet be
slowed real diamonds upon her. wears paste on
the stage trusting to the same favorable condi-
lions to conceal the fraud In this case she
knows exactly what she is about in making her
purchase. 1t has been asserted, with some
show Of truthfulness. that actresses and singers
who have amassed wealth. and are the posses
rates made which are limitations. The originals
are worn only under circumstances where de-
lection would be easy, and where the danger OF
accidental loss Is reduced to minimum. But
on the stage, in riding to and from the play
house and under other conditions. where there
is more or less danger OF careessness or mis-
chance the paste substitutes are used.
Perhaps no advertising trick of the actress
quit a IN
transcendent ability is so common as the story
Of loss OF jewels. 1t is only fair to say that
these touching tales usually originate with her
manager. and she often hears Of her misfortune
first from the newspapers Whatever be proper
distribution Of blame, credit. for these yarns.
they nevertheless represent distinct element
OF risk in carrying jewels around. and justify
the adoption OF paste to limited extent. on the
stage.
1t Is even alleged that women in private life.
harassed by fear of burglars. and tired OF hav-
Ing detectives follow them about on occasions
when they wear precious stones whose value
amounts to hundreds Of thousands OF doiiarS'
also resort to this device, securing peace OF
mind by sending their real jewels to safety
deposit vault and wearing clever limitations at
receptions. theatres and balls
To the jeweller the word paste means glass
Sometimes one hears this material called white
stone" or "strass," but these are terms en-
poyed by the trade alone. ard not In talking
with customer. They apply only to limitations
Of diamonds The business OF making jewels Is
at least two centuries old. Some OF the accounts
Of the invention Of strass say that il was known
in Strasburg as long ago as 1850. one authority
attributes the name TO the city where IL nTs'
made its appearance. and another to the man
who devised II. Josef Strasser The word rhine
stone" IS also employed TO describe the same
article and is an allus.on to the great stream on
which the paste diamond made its debut How
ever. rhinestone" is applied to large specimens
such as are suitable for clasps and buckles ana
are so enormous that no one could possibly mis-
take them for diamonds. whereas paste Is used
to designate an imitation jewel OF about the
same composition as the rhinestone, but small
enough to look like a real stone.
number Of formue have been devised in
order TO produce a glass Of the right hardness
brillancy and purity. The jewellers Clrcu-
lar" an enterprising trade weekly published IN
this city. recently gave Il number Of them ana
remarked at the same time that for a century of
more no book on glass was considered compete
without a chapter on imitation jewels Even
for making paste" there is variety OF meth
DDS and mixtures. and to produce good like
nesses of rubies emerGds. amethysts and other
colored stones the composition must be different
from any OF these.
To certain extent the jewelry trade recog
nizes this Industry as legitimate. That Is 10
say, there are dealers in Maiden Lane who un-
hesi;atingly advertise Real and Imitation
Stones" II you 20 IN and ask to see stock you
are asked without hesitation or disguise whether
YOU want to examine the real article or an
imitation.
Moreover. there are numerous houses notably
in Providence and AttlebOro. which manufact-
ure earrings. hngcr-rings. shirstuds, brooches