Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-07-20
EASY TESTS FOR DIAMONDS
Deep and Shallow Stones Are to Be
Equally Avoided by Buyer.

some time or other in his, or her lie
to buy a precious stone of some sort
and a few hints on the fascinating TOP
ic of gems will not come amiss.
Diamonds are the thing nowadays
for the engagement ring. In buying
such, see to it that your stone is neith-
er too deep nor too shallow. If it b!
too deep, the table" at the top of the
stone will have dead look, instead OF
showing as much color and light as 9!
the edge, where the diamond is cut
thin to receive the light You are
simply paying for extra weight that
adds nothing to, but rather detracts
from, the appearance OF the gem.
The shallow stone, on the other hand
which is technically known as a FISH
eye-has CLASSY look. Some people
buy them because they appear bigger
than they really are, but the bargain
is a poor one, and to be avoided
The brilliant is generally considered
the finest for cutting. The top of the
brilliant consists of the table-al
eight-sided facet in the center-sur-
rounded by 80 smaller facets, which
reach to the girdle-the thin edge sep
arating the crown from the lower part
of the stone, called the pavilion. The
pavilion has "a facets, terminating in
a small facet called the culet. The best
stones are cut so that less than one
third of the whole is above the girdle.
A few hints concerning the testing
of stones will perhaps be found useful.
An aluminium point will mark the
surface of an imitation, but not real
stone. limitations, too, are warmer to
the touch than is the genuine article,
and a drop of water will spread more
quickly on an imitation than on a re Il
stone.
If you are buying pipe for your
friend of sweetheart, and want to make
sure you are getting a mouthpiece of
genuine amber, the imitation made
from gum copal can be detected b
soaking in alcohol. Sometimes real
amber pieces are glued or melted to-
gether to initiate the solid piece, but
these will fall apart if submitted to tn,
alcohol test.
All gems of the finest quality, ire
spective of the part of the world from
which they come, are generally spoken
of as Oriental" because the supply Oh
precious stones came only from the
East for many centuries; and when
mines were discovered in the east, il
was at first assumed that the stones
were inferior. Occidental" is the term
applied to inferior stones to this day
On the other hand, Oriental topaz,
"Oriental emerald" and Oriental am
ethyst' are really all sapphires, ana
are given these names only on account
of their color.
There never was an emerald mound
in Spain; but fine old Spanish emer-
aids are the best emeralds on the
market When Spain conquered Peru,
the victors returned to their own coun-
try with much valuable loot, of which
emeralds formed no inconsiderab; e
portion. Thus the finest emeralds then
known in Europe came into the posses
sion of the old Spanish families, and
the term quoted came to be applied -
all stones of the best quality.
Brazilian emerald is really journal
ne The balas ruby is spinel. Among
our crown jewels the stone known as
the Black Princes ruby is only red
spined.
Unlike diamonds, emeralds, rubies,
sapphires, &c, opals have no standard
from which the value may be aecu-
rately fixed. Every stone is individual
end depends on it's own beauty for its
worth.
WORLD TOO SMALL FOR GRIMM.