Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-01-18
RADIUM CLARIFIES DIAMOND
One Of the Most Interesting and I'M
expected Discoveries Concern
ing the New Mineral.


The universal interest awakened by
recent experiments with that wonder
full new property of matter, radioactive
ity, has served to make the world of
readers generally aware CT the fact thai
diamonds phosphoresce brilliantly in
the dark when exposed to the emanationS
from radium. Indeed, says Garrett P.
Serviss, in Success Magazine, it has been
suggested that this property offers
sure and ready means of detecting fraud
ulent stones. But Sir William Crookes
has just discovered that radium pro-
iuces another effect upon diamonds
which is still more remarkable, and pos
sibly of more commercial Importance.
1t appears to be able to cure the defect
of loft color" stones by charging their
Objectionable yellowish hue to the de-
sirable pale-blue or blue-green tint
characteristic of first-water gems.
Sir William took two yellowish dia-
monds, closely matched in color and
quality, and placed one Of them inside
a tube containing radium bromide. keep
ing it there continuously for period Of
IS days. In the meantime the other
stone was kept in a drawer, carefully
placed at a safe distance from all radium
and other radioactive substances. At
the end of the time mentioned the two
diamonds were compared. and it was
found that the one which had been SUBJ
jected to the action of the radium
emanations had been deprived COM
-pletely of its yellowish color. but at the
same time its surface had been consid-
erably darkened with deposit of graph
ite. After being heated, however. for
ten days, in a mixture of strong nitric
acid and potassium chlorate the dull
film disappeared, and the stone ap-
peared perfectly transparent and SPAR
king with beautiful blue-g green tint.
The explanation seems to be that the
state of continual vibration in which the
diamond was kept by the bombardment
of the radium emanations for so many
days produced an internal change, result
ing in an alteration of the color of the
stone. Thus the effect of the emanations.
as the experimenter suggests, may be
to cause a chemical as we'll as a physical
change, and he adds that, if the yellow
ish hue is due to the presence in the
diamond of iron in the "ferric" state. a.
reduction to the ferrous state would
quite account for the change of color.
1t may be said. by way of explanation,
that iron in the ferric state shows a
yellowish or reddish color. and in the
ferrous state greenish or blush color.
This discovery is one of the most in
teresting as we'll as most unexpected
that has yet been made concerning the
effects of the radium emanations. The
investigating chemist. interested prin-
cipally in the purely scientific aspects of
the phenomenon. isnot likely to care very
much about the possible results on the
diamond market, but possessors of off,
color stones may comfort themselves
with the thought that science has pos
sibly found way to increase the value
as we'll as the beauty of their jewels. al
though, in the present state of the mat
ter, it would, perhaps, cost more to
cure cheap stone by course Of ra-
dunn treatment than to exchange it for a.
better one.