Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-15
TELLS SECRET OF
MAN-MADE RUBIES
PARIS DELIGHTED WITH ARTl-
FIclAL JEWELS
Man Who Makes Them Says 1t Is
Simple, but Spectators Con-
tinue to Marvel and
Wonder

eiry shops in the Rue de la Paix know
that many of the precious stones that
glitter about them come neither from
Asia. nor Africa, but from the outskirts
of Paris. There Is at present in France
a small syndicate comprising five men,
hers engaged solely in the manufacture
of rubies. These rubies, laboratory
made, are among the most beautiful
on the market today.
Sapphires of remarkable beauty are
also now being made by the pound SO
far there is only one manufacturer en-
gagged in the sapphire business, and he
is a scientist of such surprising genius
that his monopoly on this part Of the
trade will probably continue for num-
Der of years. Both sapphires and ru-
bies are of a kind that a princess could
wear. Their difference from stones
made by nature is such that an expert
gem merchant or chemist only could
discover it,
The four attributes which character
ize a precious stone are it's density, its
refraction, it's capitalization and its
color. The artificial stones are as hard
as those made by nature. Their color
can be graded-as for the rubies, from
light pink to blood red; and for the
sapphires, from palest blue to almost
black. The capitalization is not exactly
the same, nor Is the index of refraction
by which the public does not judge the
value of q stone. What the public de-
mands of a ruby or a sapphire Is that
1t retain It's surface for an indefinite
period-that Is TO say, that 1t be hard
enough to keep its polish and that 1t
shall have a pleasing color. In these
two respects the artificial stones are
perfect. Both rubies and sapphires are
manufactured from pure alum and
chronic acid. The method of manufac-
ture, however, is widely different.
l enjoyed today the unusual privilege
Of visiting the ruby mandatory of
MN. Blavier at Renouf at Courbevoie-
one of the best equipped In France.
During this visit a score of rubies were
manufactured, any one of which would
have been worthy of a place in the
showcases of the Rue de la Paix.
The apparatus is simple $50 simple,
so simple" said M. Blavier, with
smile, that have not had the courage
yet to employ any workmen. l do all
the work myself"
After the process has been continued
long enough and the ruby has attained
commercial size 1t is allowed to cool.
II Is then ready for cutting, like any
rough gem from the mines. One oper-
ator-that is to say, M. Blavier him.
self-can superintend unassisted the
simultaneous manufacture of at least
q score of gems. To obtain fifteen
carat stone about an hour and half
is necessary. The process is much
longer. and more difficult than the man
ufacture of sapphires
At a sapphire factory in the out
skirts of Paris several pounds of per-
feet stones can be made daily 1t would
perhaps be more correct to state that
several pounds of precious stone" can
be made daily For sapphires as big
as mans fist are made and cracked
with a hammer to commercial size.
In this case, as in the case of the
ruby, alum and chronic acid are the
raw ingredients, but mixed so Subtly
with the science of the maker himself
that up to the present he has no rivals
in the field His sapphires are worth
almost as much in the open market
as the natural stones.
His process Is one of apparently sur
prising simplicity. He puts his alum
and chronic acid powder into q cru
chile which he submits to incandescent
heat in an electric furnace.
In the first place ordinary Roman
alum is baked in an oven with small
amount of chronic acid until the whole
takes the consistency of q fine white
powder The proportion, believe, Is
about two pounds of alum to two
ounces of chronic acid. An ordinary
coke oven is used, but one capable of
the powder has been cooked to the sat
isfaction of the gem maker the oven is
allowed to cool. The powder constf-
tutes the rough material for the gems.
Generally speaking, the second process
consists in the capitalization of this
plain white powder by bringing 1t TO
incandescent heat in an oxygen flame.
The apparatus used by M. Blavier con-
sists of a small receptacle to contain
the powder which let's a small amount
Of its contents escape at very brief In
tervals. The powder falls into a tube
which conducts 1t to the center Of an
oxygen flame at the top OF g. small iron
support.
The falling powder gradually forms on
top of this support a small pyramid.
the apex of which, after a time, be-
comes incandescent. This tiny incan-
descent point, If allowed to cool. would
be found to be an embryonic ruby. The
longer the process is continued the
larger the nucleus becomes. The pow
der precipitated on the incandescent
point is 'crystallized as fast as 1t falls.
BY increasing the pressure of the flame
on the growing ruby the latter Is
formed, at the will OF the operator, into
any desired shape, the usual forms be-
ing either tabular or pear shaped.
Ready for Cutting
The great heat of the electric arc In
this furnace is further augmented by
direct blast of hydrogen.
Within five minutes after the crucible
has been placed in the furnace the pro-
cess is complete. The crucible Is with
drawn, and when 1t Is cool is found to
contain a solid mass of sapphire. AS
the cooling proceeds the sapphire
cracks. 1t is then further fractured with
a hammer, wrapped up in paper par
eel like so much salt or blueing or other
household merchandise and carried off
to market.
Visits Factory
1t is the inventors secret how he Sc
cures any desired shade. jewelers. often
bring to him natural stones OF rare col
crs which they wish duplicated. He
never fails.
'I only make sapphires once every
month or So" said the inventor, dis
cussing the subject with correspond
ent. "There is no danger Of glutting
the market at that rate, and, besides,
/ thus have plenty of time TO devote to
my other researches. There is the dia-
mond, for example. We almost have
1t. We will keep on till we get 1t.
'I, for one, do not believe that the
time when we shall make diamonds as
easily as we now make sapphires OF
rubies is very far distant"
The Truth Of 1t
Twas the night before Christmas. and all
through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;