Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-13
Sold Always as limitations.

Mr.. Wild, who controls the entire out
put, says they are making only small
quantity, and always sell them as imi-
tations. precisely for what they are. If a
retail dealer puts them on the market as
genuine as is sometimes the case, he and
not the manufacturer is responsible. The
laboratory ruby, as 1t Is called, sells tor
from So to S. carat; the
genuine Burmese ruby sells for from $3.50
for example, will sell at from $3.50 to
81. 40. and genuine three-carat ruby
from $3.50 to $3.50. The stones which
Prof. Miethe makes exact imitation sell
from $15 to So each and look quite as
well as the genuine ones. Indeed, an or
binary dealer cannot distinguish one from
the other. retail dealer usually keeps
his genuine and laboratory rubies in the
same tray, and his customers cannot de-
tect one from the other
Not long ago parcel Of thirty Miethe
rubies cut at 1dar In the Indian fashion,
each having a carefully made defect, SO
that none of the stones should appear
perfect. was sent to Burma and put on
the market there to see whether they
would be thrown out by the experts or
find their way into the shops of European
and American dealers in the ordinary
course of business. They were disposed
Of without question as genuine stones at
the ruling prices. and are now being worn
by people who are unconscious of the de-
ception Since this experiment Mr.. Winds
most regular patrons are Hindu jewel
merchants. and although no attempt is
made to control their business, 1t is be-
lieved that they sell limitations as genuine
stones. They are very careful, however.
not to flood the market. because IL they
should do SO the price of rubies, which IS
made in London, the central market of
all jewels. would feel the effect. AS with
everything else. the price is governed by
the supply and the demand
Opinion Of an Expert.
l handed one OF the Muthe rubes to
DR.. George F. Kunz of Tiffany & Co.,
New York, who is recognized as the high
est authority on precious stones in Amer
lea He screwed him monocle into his
eye, twisted up his face, picked up the
gem with a pair of tweezers. stared at 1t
for a few seconds and remarked: Il hope
you did not pay very much for this"
How much is 1t worth?
.It Is worth $50 if 1t is genuine and
it is not worth a cent II -it'is bogus"
What do you think about it? asked.
II think it - an Imitation, he replied.
How do you tell?'
II can't say: it is more by instinct
than anything else. 1t is a good stone.
| but doesn't look right to me. The color
is not natural and the iuster varies when
| il ought to be uniform.
Prof. Miethe has produced yellow sap
phires and has transformed them into
blue sapphires by .suojecting them to
Roentgen rays, which. as was first dis
| covered by Sir William Crookes, have
| the power of modifying the colors OF cer-
| tain stones But the laboratory ruby has
been placed under the Roentgen rays for
| q period OF four weeks without changing
the color In the slightest degree.
As Old az History.
.Of course, the Imitation Of precious
stones Is as old as history" said Prof
Miethe You can find Egyptian imita-
lions In the museums. and q considerable
| trade appears to have been carried on in