The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-03-21

SMALL RU1lEs FUSED by ELECTRIC.
lTY INTO ONE STONE.

the Cloverest Work IL Done In Imi- 5
tating Pearls.
Something Of real present interest ,
TO dealers and the public alike is the
success which has been achieved In
the manufacture of rubies While the
diamond IS the commonly accepted
synonym for value In a precious stone,
the ruby which meets the proper re-
quirements, Is much more valuable.
When possessing the real pigeon blood
color evenly distributed and without
flaw. the ruby Is worth from three
10 ten limos as much per karat as the
diamond This stone. therefore. Is
the fayoute target for imitation And,
as before stated, it is in making rubies
that The greatest skill has been shown.
Electricity has done much for this art.
A Frenchman-his Identity is secret |
TO the world, and as yet he IS known |
only by his works-has learned to melt |
M small ruhles, or fragments OF rubles, |
and fuse them into one stone. The !
product Is not an imitation. 1t has
al the chemical and physical proper
ties OF the real thing 1t is as hard,
has the same specific gravity and is
genuinely beautiful I'm color.
But, say the jewelers., it is not gen
ulne. Such a stone is known to the
trade MS a reconstructed ruby. None
but the most expert can distinguish it
from the so-called real one. The con
noisseur will admit that he distin-
cuisines It by the absence of flaws
rather than by the presence Of defects
A reconstructed ruby is apt to be TOO
perfect.
This reconstructed ruby appeared on
the market about eighteen months ago.
All came from one source, wealthy
dealer in Paris At first the stones
were in great demand, and sold for
$500 n karat; but as the public grad
ually learned that the stone was the
combined result of the work of nature
and of man, the demand fell off. The
BUYER felt that the stone, made up OF
fragments fused in an electric furnace
was not Just the same as the one taken
from the earth, even though the latter
might have more flaws, and, unless de
ceivcd by the dealer, he would no
nav as much for it. In consequence
the price has dropped to $50 karat.
The emerald is another stone whicl
is cleverly initiated a perfect emerald
is the rarest thing in the world. 1t
characteristic of the emerald to b
hawed. and all good limitations cor
tain artificial flaws. A tiawless en-
erald is Immediately an object of SUI
picio1. The only ones in eXistenc
have been obtained by cutting ava
the greater part Of some large an
beautiful stone, leaving only the sma
part free from defect This is vel
extravagant- method, since it is Il
color by which the emerald is judge
The few flawless emeralds in eXis
ence are held at fabulous prices. II
color must be 4 deep rich green. II
itations are made by chemical pr
cpsses. and a good imitation is near
MS valuable as the real The paste
which they are made is hardened
heat until it will stand the social
file test-that is, it will not
scratched by hard English file ma
for the purpose.
Another imitation is known as
"doublet." 1t is made by a proc(
similar to veneprlng in woodwork
tbin LAYER of real stone is cemented
an artificial base This method, VIII
Il oracticed in France, is also employ
to make imitation sapphires and
bies. The very cheap limitations
made Of glass.
some Of the cleverest work is dc
IN initiating pearls. The beauty o
nearl is in its sheen, and its face va
1epands on sheen, size and color
oood artificial pearl is now given
Of these characteristics to deg
almost equal to the one made IN
shell of the oyster Even the mac
(which is the fluid in the shell OF
ovstor which deposits the calcare
loyars OF the pearl has been rel
dnced chemically, and the pearls
NM into a revolving cylinder and
rojing in the nacre until they take
fbo real coating. Formerly the
6.ial nparl was blown, but with all
care possible this process left 81
nub. which marked it as artificial.
now they are dropped in a tower
shot. The price Of pearls as OF 0
stones. varies in accordance with
demand Of the hour. Just now
are very high, and the best initial
win hiring better prices than the
Genuine ones. The Oriental pea
supposed to be the most valuable
eNht 49,, ,,vo+o,. =,