The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-16
TO MAKE GEMS
A Paris Professor Causes a Scientific Sensa-
 tion.
POLL LOWS ACTION OF RADIUM
Ruby and Sapphire Produced Artifi- cially from Adamantine
 Spar.

The scientific sensation of the mo- ment in Paris is the fact that Prof. Frederick Bordas of the College of France, has succeeded, after long and patient experiments in producing precious stones by exposing the coarse ordinary form of crystallized alulnlna. known as cerundum or adamantine spar, to the action of r4dium.
 The possibility that this process may be used industrially for the produc- tion of certain kinds of preeious stanes at cost which will seriously modify the present market values of the nas- ural gems, invests the subject with much interest. All these gems are in composition crystalllzed alumina, but through long exposure 10 varying con ditions of heat and pressure during the slow cooling and development Of the earth's surface they have assum- ed different colors, to whica the names of ruby, amethyst, etc, have been giv- en. The discovery of rallum revealaI the active agent through which varl. ous changes in certain substances which had hitherto been of slow pre- gress, might be intensified and a.eom- pllshed in a comparatively bllyf time, says Harper's Weekly.
 The present discovery of Prof. Bor! das was suggested by the fact that the minute glass tubes in which radum is confined and kept for scientific use take on gradually a beautiful azure color resembling the sapphire. This was attributed by Prof. Berth aIot to the presence of traces of manganese in the glass, which the marvellous prs jectile power of radium reveals and revives with varying grades and tints of coloration. Prof. Bordas theret1ca placed crystallized corunjuln If sev- eral tints in contact with minute tubes of radium, laid them away in a lark place not subject to changes of tenn perature, and found after !arIe lf several weeks that the white clrun- dunn had become yellow like the ta- paz, the blue crystals had become green like the emeraW. ani inc violet had turned to blue like .he sapphire.
 This has overthrown the theory held hitherto by accidents tha. each of these precious stones had its own special coloring oxide and that these several oxides-green, blue, red or | yellow--have no definite relation to each other Prof Bordas :ook his newly created gems to . leading la pidary jeweler, from whom he had | nurch nj tho corupd,,,, crNstale u,bn identified and tested lhen,. and found that they had been converted into a topaz, ruby. and sapphire, which fulfilled all the tests and requirements of natural stones.
 He then obtained from the same jeweller a new series of corunllm crystals in palrs, each pair of an ex- actly similar color One stone of each pair was exposed for a month to the action of radium, the other retained l for comparison, and tho resul: Of this second experiment was the same as before The light reddish corundum, | valued in commerce at about 50 cents per carat had been converted intl a i ruby valued at $100 to S150 per carat. l The dark red coruadum became of deep brilliant violet, the violet anne thyst had become a sapphire, and the l bluish corundum a topaz
 The possible effect of this discovers upon the trade in aewelry and preci- ous stones can he readily inferred Radium is as yet one f the rares, and most precious substances known to science, but the duration of Is | ow- CT is practically unlimited, ani since one millegram (0.015i grain) of ra- dium Is sufficient to convert several corundum crystals into precious stones within the space of a month and since this process may he repaatal indefn- itely with the same speck f radium 1t Is naturally, though, perhaps. pre- maturely. assumed thai this latest dis. covery may have an important indus. trial value and lead to a serious modi. | fications In the commercial prices ci certain precious sto1es. Prof. Bordas
 however, regards his discovery as mere laboratory expe lmcn;, ant disclalms any intention to secure foi 1t commercial value.