Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-01
other day by New FORK gem-eulting

other day by New York gem-eutting
firm.
For some time craftsmen had been
resorting to the establishment for
stones 10 be used in hand -made jewel
ry and ornaments. So the manager
decided to hazard an advertisement in
a publication dealing with handicfafts
He put up papers of cut and polished
semi-precious stones. five papers in all
One contained chiefly lapis (the Jew
ellers do not bother To add the '.laZuli3)
of two kinds, Chile and Swiss The
latter is much lighter. containing large
whitish splotches, and is much less eX-
pensve. A piece of Swiss lapis often
costs less than half as much as the.
other variety.
Paper No. > contains jade and topaz
quartz, No. has carnelian and anna
Zonite, No 4 garnet and maiachite and
No. moss agate and amethyst quartz
Each paper contains fifteen or sixteen
stones of various sizes. but mostly in
the cabochon forms. Some are round
some oval, some pear-shaped, and
there are few fiat stones in square
and diamond shapes. These We're the
papers advertised.
The astonishing thing is that on an
average ten letters a day are received
from all parts of the country concern
ing these stones. Orders come not only
from the cities but rom small towns,
little places that nobody had ever be-
fore heard of. \ few envelopes picked
up at random We're postmarked Los
Angeles. Bots Qdaho). Kansas City
nui- l. co or
Most of the letters were from Wom-
en-. which is the reason for saying that
they are recovering the use of their
hands. OF course some of these orders
are from professional craftsmen, but
many Of them, the majority in fact
are from amateur workers who have
taken up the work simply for the love
of it. The West and the Northwest
particularly are interested in the revi-
val of handicrafts. Chicago has shops
which are said TO be ahead of anything
New York can show. Even pork pack
ing Kansas City has craftsmen 3
shop.
Although most of the persons who
send for these arts and crafts gems are
women. there are men amateurs too
For some reason physicians seem to
have chosen handicraft as an ocoupa-
ton for their hours of relaxation. Ev-
ierybody in the gem-cutting establish
ment referred to is wondering where
the connection comes in between medi-
cine and craftsmanship. Whatever the
fascination may, he, doctors seem Pc
culiarly susceptible to it.
The gem most in demand is the
Swiss iapis. Next perhaps, comes Jade
Malachite is much used, and topaz
quartz is popular too. The prices at
which these craftsmen buy stones
would tempt anybody with Il taste that
way to see what could be done by Il
prentice hand. The s;ones are sold by
measure, ana as it is metric measure ii
is to be hoped that Boise. Idaho, and
Oakmount, KY, know what a MILNE
tire is. BY way of giving general
idea it may be said that it takes about
twenty-five millimetres to make an
inch.
Craftsmen buy the stones included in
the five general assortments above
mentioned at from five cents to a dol
lar stone. Round pieces of Swiss
lapis cut en- carbochoh. about a quart
er of all inch in diameter, cost all of
five cents apiece, That's the price for
round mass agate not quite SO large,