Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-04
Radium and Precious stOneI


Is radium the philosophers stone?"
The wonder working powers of this dis
covery rather suggest that this Is the case
II is now announced on the authority OF a
fairly wide range OF experiments that
radium will change the color of precious
stones. A few months ago series OF ex-
periments was entered upon TO discover the
effect which radium had on various
precious stones Mr.. Armrooht conducted a
number Of experiments. the results Of which
are highly interesting.
Il began my experiments" he states
with white sapphlres, which is pure oxide
OF aluminium. l placed a number OF sap
phires, about 900 in all, In contact with pure
radium In the course of two or three
weeks the greater number OF them had
turned yellow or orange. A few of them,
which apparently came from another
source, had turned a green, pinkish. or
amethyst color, and fewer still to a rose
color, I should say that. roughly speaking
about 70 per cent OF the whole number had
turned yellow, and the yellow varied from
lemon to dark orange Two or three OF
them turned very slightly blue. but not
sufficiently blue TO take the color OF blue
sapphire, the expensive and fashionable
color.
by the use OF radium I have managed TO
change very pale emeralds into emeralds
OF a darker green. hut they are not suf-
fieiently dark to equal the true green emer-
aid. which is OF considerable value. In ex-
perimenting with diamonds have produced
a clearer lighter color; in other words. l
have bleached' brown diamond almost
white. ! have not yet been able TO obtain
a blue diamond. but Sir William Crookes
has a most beautiful blue-green specimen
which was originally yellow stone. The
bleaching Of a diamond is an easy process,
but Il requires a very long time. Again.
an amethyst, under the influence OF radium
may turn into smoky topaz or yellow
topaz. ! have also treated pearls, but have
only been successful in cleaning a dirty
looking pearl into a clearer white. opals
have not proved amenable to treatment.
That failure was to have been expected be-
cause the color of the opal Is produced by
the reflection of light from the different
l6minae or layers OF the opal. Just In the
same was as the iridescent OF the pearl is
caused. AS TO the commercial value OF the
experiments | am not very hopeful. Radium
Is very dear While sham gems can be
manufactured so cheaply I am afraid there
is no commercial opening for radlum-im-
proved precious stones"
Beet Sugar In England.
The first English sugar beet refining
factory may soon be seen at Maldon.
Essex, where site OF twenty-six acres has
been secured by Dutch firm OF refiners.
acting In conjunction with Essex agricul-
turists. About sLOOo0O will be put into
this business. the machinery alone for the
factory costing s500,O00
One OF the best known men in aEricul-
tural Essex stated that he believed that the
factory would bring a new era Of prosperity
10 Essex farming.
The soil OF Essex" he said. now grows
& the finest mangolds in the country, and |
have proved that IL will grow sugar beet
The higher price which sugar beet will
make assures larger profit TO the farmer,
and I believe before long we shall see the
beet cultivated upon every Essex farm"