The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-05-24
BAKING THF INGREDIENTS TT
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quantities or at cost below that OF
the genuine stone. AS matter OF
fact the artificial diamond is more
Of luxury than the real article, al
though the production is an achieve
ment to be admired, and to make man
feel that he has done something. On
the other hand, however, the sapphire
of M. Paris is commercial article, and
Is produced in commercial quantities
and at so small a cost that it is be-
lieved that new uses for the stones
will be found. They have all the char
have the color, the hardness or spe
cific gravity of the genuine sapphire,
and can be sold at figure below that
of the most inferior natural stone.
The success of the discovery is be-
lieved in France to foreshadow the
manufacture of other precious stones,
and now it is believed that fabrication
Of the pure carbon, which is to say,
the diamond is measurably within
view. In this prophecy it may be that
the Importance of the discovery is
overestimated, yet it shows that the
electric current, or by means of a "a.
diO-active substance, is unnecessary
M. Paris accomplishes his wonderful
transmutations by means of the COM
mon calcium furnace.
In beginning the operation M. Paris
uses most delicately balanced scales,
so contrived that they answer to the
merest fraction of a millegramme
This part Of the operation must be
conducted with the greatest attention
and with preciseness, for the variation
OF millegramme too much or too lit
tie OF the powder means the failure
of the experiment. Into one of the
buckets of the little balance the in
ventor puts his powder, composed of
two parts, one of them of an alumni
GUS clay and the other OF an oxide COL
oring substance. Here is the real Sc
cret of the operation-the peculiar
kind of clay to be used and the guam
t1ty to be mixed. These are small. for
the stones now being manufactured
are comparatively small.
The next operation is to place this
soft powder in crucibles made of a
refractory earth. This crucible then
Is deposited in furnace heated nv
oxy-hydrogen gas by means of a SHOW
ell with a long handle. This resembles
the implement used by bakers to place
their dough in their ovens. The cru
chile, which is placed in a heavy OIL
is left in the furnace for several hours
where 1t Is attacked by heat of 700
degrees centigrade, or about 5000 de-
grees Fahrenheit.
After lapse of time necessary for
this stage Of the transmutation to he
completed the crucible is Withdrawn
and its contents placed in a lar termed
a "semeuse," which may be translated
as meaning the terminating recep.
tacle. In shape 1t Is not unlike a flow.
er pot, and also looks like a large car
fridge. The operative puts more now.
der into this "semeuse," and then
after sealing it, places it in a special.
ly designed oxy-hydrogen blowpipe fur
mace. These furnaces are protected
by sheet-iron front, and are watched
constantly by women operatives. Here
the temperature is only about 1900 de-
grees centigrade. The powder Is al
lowed to drop slowly from the support
ed jar through funnel to the heat.
ed point Vt blowpipe, and as it falls
the drop Is formed by contact with
the free air into beautiful blue and
translucent sapphire.
1t is then ready for the cutting
which proceeds in exactly the same
manner as with the natural one These
artificial sapphires have been found
to resemble in the cutting the real ar.
tlcle, and excepting for the shape, they
would resemble the genuine stone
even in the rough.