Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-29
Imitation Levels.

and the business has of late attained
enormous proportions. The majority
of these stones are made abroad. and
hence they are imported. But while
they are exceedingly cheap and the
duty is low, the attempt is made to
smuggle them into the country. and "A
seizure results. Again, the imitation is
sometimes so good that even the cos
toms officers are puzzled for "A time.
| However, it is always possible for an
| expert to tell the difference, If he has
| sufficient opportunity to apply the
| proper tests.
limitations of the diamond, topaz,
emerald, amethyst ana turquoise are
usually made of paste or glass, which
is nothing more than particularly
| fine grade of glass. to which. If the
stone is colored. the proper hue is i'm
parted by the addition of some mineral
substance. There is at least one Eu
| ropean house, though which processes
| to add carbon to it's diamond compost
| ton, thus securing greater hardness
than would otherwise be possible.
In London still another plan Is pur-
sued to initiate the paste diamond.
Genuine diamond dust, produced by
| the cutting of jewels. is treated with
| acid, reduced to plastic state. and
then rolled out in exceedingly thin
! sheets. This veneer is cut into the
proper shape and cemented on the face
of the strass Glass diamonds can be
bought for a few cents when unset. but
| a veneered diamond is worth nearly a
dollar. A high degree of skill is re-
quired in it's preparation.
| There are several methods Of distin-
gushing between a true diamond and
paste. Hydro-fuoric acid will eat
glass, but will not affect the genuine
stone. A file makes no impression on
the latter either. Finally. a real dia-
mond continues to glitter when i'm
| mersed in water.
Some artificial ruhies are of paste:
others have the same composition as
| the genuine stone. which consists of
! corundum. The latter variety of imi-
tation ruby has the proper hardness
and specific gravity. and the color is
faultle<S. 1t can be distinguished
| from the true ruby only by a power
full maEnlfyinG glass. Singularly
enough, the genuine article is identi-
fled by it's defects. There are natural
flaws in il not found in the imitation.
although the imitation also possesses
other characteristics tminute bubbles
for instdncel which are readily
recognized on some stones. like tn"
topaz and emerald. it is not wise To us"
file. They are not hard enough to
resist it, The magnifying glass is tn"
surest means Of asccrtaining the
character of these jewels.
Owing. no doubt. to the fact that
pearls are often worn in strings in
stead Of singly or in pairs like dia-
mondS. the business of manufacturing
limitations of them is far more extern
sive than any kindred branch Of the
industry, except. perhaps. the making
of bogus turquoises and emcralds and
rubes for belt buckles. And mas
much as most of these imitation pearls
are exceedingly cheap. it is possible for
anybody to buy them. Thus. one may
get card bearing dozen stckpins
with imitation pearl heads for from
10 to l. cents. If the stones We're gen
uine they would each be worth from
800 to $500.
There are several kinds Of imitation
composition. The glass is often not
over sixty-fourth Of an inch thick.
There are several different compost
tons used. one looks very much like
parafline y bead filled with that ma
terial would crush easily. In other
slobular pearls. pierced for stringing.
a harder substance is employed. Their"
is an imported imitation pearl whose
shell is said to be made of fish skin
and whose filling is a compound in
which there is ground mother OF pearl
the lustrcds lining of the oyster shell
wherein the real pearl is produced
This sort of jewel costs a dollar or two
and a string Of sixty would sell for
$50 Real pearls of the same size and
beauty would bring fully hundred
times that price.
Although the manufacture of imitation
pearls was long confined To Europe. it is
now conducted in this country also. 4
New York house. the first to engage in
the business. introduced a novelty to thu,
trade few years ago. 1t made solid
pearls in addition to the filled ones The
composition employed is as hard as rock
II is almost impossible to break thcs.
Jewels. And their lustrc color and ingcn-
ious irregularity Of form will deceive
any one VINO does not use a magnifyinc
tells many amusing stories about the
mistakes made by expert wnbrokcrS
when these stones first made their APP
pcarance. o. course il is not easy to
fool an experienced person. Sti l. the en-
pert must use powerful lens in order 10
ascertain the real character Of a pearl
sionally jcwcllcr will say: NO. can
detect an irritation pearl or 10 feet
away, but If | hold it in myhaud | can
see the difference between that and the
real thing. There's a sort Of halo around
the genuine article which is unmstaka-
bic" But other men in the trade frank
II admit that only by means, of a miscro-
scope can they discriminate.
A fashion has sprung mp of late years
which enhances the deception produced
by initiating jewels. II a paste diamond
Is set in "A brass ring. or an imitation
pearl IL mounted on German silver pin.
a sharp-eyed observer might suspect thc
character Of the jewel. But when the
setting is of II carat or Is carat gold. and
the manufacturer has lavished more or
less artistic skill on til" design Of ring
or stud or clasp, a different impression is
created.
When one first gets an idea of the
enormous extent to which imitation jew
els arc sold aud worn. he naturally won
dcrS whether the trade in genuine stones
has been affected. But Il little inquiry III
the proper quarter will satisfy him that
it is not. The former are purchased by
q class of people who cannot afford tho
latter Charles T. Cook of Tiffany Il CO..
said. ne other day: I'VE do not handle