Evening star., 1902-04-12
IMITATION GEMS.
They Do Not for Moment Deceive an
Expert

The diamond expert in one Of Washing
toms fashionable jewelry stores drew from
the case a tray of sparkling rings and, Sc
lectfns mounting. the centerpiece of which
was brilliant brown diamond said to a
Star man:
1T Is remarkable with what persist ency
there will go the rounds Of the press items
about the extraordinary quality Of imita-
tion diamonds which are such fine counter
parts of the genuine white carbon that
even experts are mistaken Experts and
when say experts l mean the real thing
as to Judges Of diamonds are not deceived
by imitation stones when 1t comes to a
test. Imitation stones Of extra good quail
ity have often been substituted in trays
by thieves for a genuine diamond which
they may have cleverly lifted while the
eye OF the clerk waiting upon them may
have been elsewhere, but the substitution
is almost instantly detected when the clerk
takes second glance at the tray and in
all instances instantly when the expert Of
the house either Intentionally or uninten-
tionally examines the tray. He detects the
spurious from the genuine with the same
quick fntutive glance that United States
treasury expert throws out an almost per-
feet counterfeit note which may have
passed muster with several bank tellers
In the first place. genuine diamond re-
fleets a given quantity of light in excess
OF the best imitation, and the glitter is
perts as experts in any other lines of goods
dinerentiate their quality. Persons who
are not experts may be deceived but the
diamond expert has tests in addition to the
almost lnfailible test OF his eve which
makes his Judgment reliable. Most of this
hction concerns French paste stones. In
an imbedded setting large cluster or in
crusted pieces of diamond jeweIry imita-
ton stones may be set with the genuine
but real expert soon picks them out from
the others While the majority of people
cannot differentiate either as to genuine
ness or grade, sometimes even by pari-
son, the diamond expert makes that his
business in life, and he succeeds in both
protecting the public and his house from
imposition.
I'VE read lot about the alleged beauty
of black diamond. These black dia-
monds are rare, but they are not beautiful
We had one in our custody recently weigh
ing sixty-seven carats, the largest ever
mined, and valued at one time at $4,000
The owner would have been glad to sell it
for 5000. l did not consider it even at
tractive, yet some rich man who wished
his wife to have what some other woman
didn't have would have paid the price
The beautiful luster about the black dia-
! mond is fiction. A black diamond possesses
neither the sparkle the fire nor the 1lveli-
| ness of white diamond. 1t is it's rarity
which gives 1t It's value as a novelty 1t
is like piece OF highly polished let, and
jet cannot be called even pretty In the
sense that diamond is beautiful. Black
diamonds are often set with other stones
Tor contrast and novelty, but necklace
OF these stones, for instance would not be
attractive except In the sense mentioned.
The opposite is true Of blue diamonds.
which are the choicest and costliest mined.
and next comes the pure white diamond.
| like drop Of water. hence the designa :
ton OF the first water A clear, brown
diamond, like the one l am now showing
you. Is pretty, but unless it Is very clear
! IL Is apt to be dull. as Is the gray dia-
mond Some diamonds have q reddish
tinge A clear, lively yellow or canary dia-
mond of the first water Is beautiful and
costly. and shows up exquisitely when set
between two pure white stones. The COM
mon on-colOr yellow diamonds have no
marketable rating IN frst-class houses.
where they are not handled at all. Gas
and electric light neutralize the yellow
effect. and OH color stones show I'D well
az night. 1t is only when off ff-color stones
OF the different hues possess perfection of
shade and brfllfancy that they are classed
| as gems