The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-05
STILL MORE LABORATORY GEMS
ARTIFICIAL EMERALDS AND SAP
PHIRES COME TO MARKET.

Ruling Asked For That They Are Precious
stones (IO Per Cent? and Not Nom
Enumerated Manufacture no Per
Cent? -EmeraIds COi0red Auuamarlnes
New kinds of emeralds and sapphires
have made their appearance IN the whole
sale jewelry district and it Is stated that the
products, while artificial, are the same in
composition and properties as the natural
stones that are simulated. The fear Ia
expressed by jewellers that II they are
really all that the sale OF natural emeralds
and ~sspphires will be injured, just as the
traffic in natural rubi0s has suffered since
reconstructed rubies became a commercial
factor everal years ago.
Emeralds that are free from defects are
said by authorities in the trade to be al
most az valuable as rubies. both kinds of
stones being in the larger sizes several
times more costly than diamonds. Sap
phires bring almost a. high a price az dia-
monds.
All the new stones we're placed by Col
lcctor Stranahan in the class of non-enu-
merated manufactures on which the tariff
law puts q duty OF % per cent. The inn
porting concerns paid the duty but filed
a protest. setting up that tho duty should
be 10 per cent. the rate Tor precious stones
cut or polished. Evidence is TO be pre-
sented before the board in the coming
week by A.. II. Washburn as attorney for
the importers in the test cases,
While the duty will be cut in two il the
importers win, yet this result. il is said
by men In the jewelry trade, would be un-
important in comparison with the effect Of
giving prestige to the articles by a Gov
eminent classification as precious stones.
The so-called emeralds. according to a
preliminary statement made to the gen
eral appraisers on behalf Of the importers,
are really aquanarines. a much cheaper
stone. to which the characteristic green
emerald a has been impaired by a
secret process, supposed 10 include the
application of intense heat and strong acids.
Jewellers say that II such a process has been
discovered IL will mean a revolution in the
emerald trade.
IT cheap aquamarine and the costlv
emerald both belong to the beryl group
Of minerals and have the same specific
gravity. hardness and Other qualities,
there being no difference except Che color.
1t is expected that testimony will be
offered 20 show that the sapphires are made
hv the same process "a reoopstructed
rubies. both being Of the corundum group.
h rlbies, IL il known, are made OF al1nins.
powdered and fused at m intense heat
and passed through d special machine
'hDAN "AAN" nv 50 ~ eiSfNhF' SANNA :" atN
polished as gems. To make sapphires
instead 81 rubies would require only a
change in coloring from red TO blue. In
making rubies the manufacturers are said
to find their chief difficulty IN obtaining
a uniform red color. and sometimes a stone
has come out Of the machine with one end
red and the other blue.
Some of the experts in The Maiden lane
district are ~incredulous as TO any OF the
new stones being of the c.Ws Of recon-
strIcted stones. limiting the term TO those
Of the same chemical composition as the
natural ston h doubters think that the
stones IN question may be dorblcts, com-
posed Of a piece Of Transparent stone at the
bottom OF which is colored glass. Some
times two transparent stones are used with
the c~olorine placed between.
Because nf the great skill of Partisan
chemists in initiating the natural stones,
prominent dealers express the opinion that
this country should have u law simtlsr to
One IA force in France. ~ 4 result Of which
a recdhstructed stone must he sold OK
plicitly as such. y