The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-03-14
GEMS GROWING SCARCE.

Every year sees the price of emer
aids and rubies rise higher, owing tc
the working out of some of the few
mines where these gems are found
There are diamonds aplenty, but the
De Beers syndicate manages to hold
the price to its present height, and it
is not likely that the great diamond
trust will ever be broken. What,
then, is the world OF ordinary folk to
do for gems?
Eventually, jewelers. say, the pub
lie must come to a proper apprecia-
ton of the worth of the so-called in
ferior stones. These are much priced
in other countries. If there is one
part of the world which might justly
be said to have right to decide mat
ters where precious stones are con-
cerned, it should be the Orient, their
first home, where they are loved, and
understood as they never can be in
the Western world. The verdict of
the East is in favor of number of
jewels which rarely find their way to
the windows of first class dealer in
this country.
Chief among the neglected stones
the day of which in the Orient seems
to be in fair way of dawning at last,
are alexandrites, white and pink cat S
eyes, carbuncles and Ceylon rubies.
Of those gems few really fine speci-
mems find their way to the American
market, and such as are seen are gen.
orally in crude or inappropriate set
tings. The result is that these stones
do not appear to the best advantage,
and so have met with less public
favor than they deserve.
Take, for instance, the alexandrite
which possesses the remarkable quail
ity of changing its color from green
ish yellow in the daytime to a glow
ing red at night. When encircled
with diamonds it forms beautiful
ornament, and can be set effectively
saPFhia ss. ase.,se.'assts-,
To the sunerstitiously inclined the
alexandria should appeal strongly.
Orientals hold that it not only pro-
tects the wearer from footpads, but
that those troubled with insomnia can
obtain good nights rest by gazing
intently upon the stone after it has
changed color. The Pink and white
sapphires are more highly priced in
eastern countries than the familiar
blue variety, because they preserve
better their 1ustre and color at night.
In fact, the white sapphire sheds such
brilliancy by artificial light that it re-
quires an expert to distinguish it from
diamond. Yet both pink and white
sapphires are seldom offered for sale
out of the Orient.
The carbuncle is another gem
which Oriental jewelers. set artistical-
ly, together with moor stones, in
bracelets and girdles of gold filigree
work. 1t does not usually require
the pocket book of a millionaire TO
become the possessor of one of these
ornaments but when the stones are
of the purest quality they may be
costly. A girdle of carbuncles and
moonstones inthe possession of Queen
Alexandra is valued at SIS, 900.
To many people the carbuncle has
one serious defect. The superstitious
say that this stone occasionally devel-
ops black spots, which are infallible
signs of impending misfortune.
When a black spot appears in a car
buncle owned by a Hindu, be loses
no time in presenting it to some one
| for whom he cherishes secret aver
sion. He thus passes the stone with
its unlucky spot on to where he
thinks it will do the most good Oh
evil.
AS to the cats eye, so potent z
charm against sickness is this gen
considered by Orientals that the loss
or compulsory parting with one i:
viewed as little short of personal ca
lamity. More than this, the cat eye
is supposed to endow its possessol
with second sight, SO that he can per
ceive and checkmate the evils of hi:
enemies. Be this as it may, a fine
cats eve, when surrounded by bril-
liants, is a magnificent ornament, ant
the only reason one can assign to it
meeting with less favor in the ives
than the east is that it is too otter
confused with the worthless Chimes
pebble sold under the same name.
For $4,000 you can purchase
fairly large perfect diamond, and TO-
the same sum even rubies and emer
aids at their present high value arr
within your reach. And SIS, 900 wa
the price paid by the Nizam of Hy
derabad few years ago for the cat
eye which adorns his state turban
True it is a matchless specimen ant
as large as a pigeons egg, but
serves to show that cats eyes hav
some right to be classed as amonl
gems of the first order WaShfngf0i
Star.