Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-08
LABORATORY sAPPHiREs.
French Chemists Say They Have Got
the Real Thing Now.

Maiden Lane dealers in precious
stones have been warned in cable
messages that a new kind of artificial
sapphire made in Paris is on it's way
to New York and will be here in a
few days. The dealers are now fear
ing that the trade in natural sap
phires may be thrown into confusion
as the ruby trade was when synthetic
rubies first appeared.
The French manufacturers have
notified their correspondents in Maid
en- Lane that the new sapphire meets
all the chemical and physical tests OF
a synthetic stone, Identical with its
natural prototype except in origin
Up to this time no artificial gem ex-
cept the synthetic ruby has met these
tests.
AS soon as the new stone appears
here it will be subjected to the most
careful investigation and analysis to
ascertain if it is the same in COM
position. hardness. specific gravity
color effects and other qualities as
natural gems. failure to meet
any one of the tests would be fatal to
the claims made on behalf of the
stone.
The local representatives of the
French manufacturers say. however
that failure is out of the question
One OF them said recently that artifi-
cial sapphires sold as synthetic in the
last year or two have been lacking
only slightly in hardness and color
properties and that the foreign chem
lists who have been working to over
come these effects would not dare to
make false claims. which could
readily be disproved.
The sapphire is the same as the
ruby except that one is blue and the
that artificial rubies demoralized the
worlds gem markets. They were
called synthetic. or reconstructed. as
they were made by fusing inferior
rubies and ruby dust.
Then years later came the discovery
that the rubies could be made without
the expense of getting inferior rubies
or ruby dust. Instead alumina was
taken from ammonium alum and
chrome alum was mixed in the fused
mass to give the desired color of
pigeons blood. The stones made
in this way have since been called
scientific rubies.
Ever since that discovery the chem
lists have been exerting their wits to
give blue color instead of a red color
to the fused alumni, which makes up
SO per cent. of the sapphires as we'll
as the rubies.. According to the cable
messages oxide. of iron and titanium
are the elements which have at last
yielded the long sought blue color.
The dealers admit that they are in
doubt as to the effect Of the discov-
cry on the demand for the natural
sapphire. When reconstructed rubies
appeared people practically ceased to
buy the natural stones and it took
years for the real gems to get back to
their old standing. The synthetic
rubies' at first sold as high as $50 to
SIS a carat. but thtey. may now be
bought below IS a carat in the best
qualities. Natural rubies of good
size now cost more than diamonds.
Fine sapphires have been selling of
late years from 500 to 5000 a carat.
Several wholesale dealers who were
asked for their opinion, said that if it
is really genuine synthetic sap
phire" it may disturb the values of
natural gems Of the same kind for a
time. hut that ultimately the natural
Stones will regain any prestige they
lose.-New York Sun.