Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-22
WITHOUT FLAW
PRACnCALLYPR|CELESS
Fine Collection Of Cut and Uncut
Precious Stones in the National
Museum Described.
Demand and Restricted Supply Force
Cost Beyond Reach Of All But
the Very Wealthy.

The National Museum has fine coi-
lection OF emeralds-one Of the most
valuable of precious stones. 1t includes
some forty specimens Of both cut and
uncut stones. Mineralogicafly, the en-
erald, together with aquamarine. gosh.
enite, davidsonite and morganite, is ..
variety of beryl. a mineral species
which crystallizes in six-sided prisms
varying from beautiful green through
light blue. yellow and white to rose
color.
The emerald - rich green in color.
but otherwise similar in hardness and
physical properties to the other forms.
Compared with most gems, however. 10
is soft. being only slightly harder than
quartz.
flaws, and were this not the case. an
emerald would be of greater value
carat for carat than the diamond. To-
day q good diamond is worth froiu
to its purity and size. while an en-
erald varies from $3.50 to $500, increas-
ing very rapidly with size. Flawless
emeralds, weighing more than Tour
a perfect stone of four carats being
practically priceless, whereas dia-
mend would only bring from $1,000 to
$2,00e.
Gems Are Very Hard to Initiate.
The great demand and restricted
supply of emeralds, together with the
fact that they are very hard to initiate,
have forced their cost to height
which puts large stones Of good quail
ity beyond the reach OF all but the
very wealthy.
In writing on precious stones, Pliny
is said to have remarked, concerning
emerald. There is not Go coio M,s ni ace
ouainted with only the comparatively
inferior stones from Egypt ana per-
haps the Ural mountains.
Unlike some green stones, the emerald
retains its color when heated, and
when subjected to artificial light. ana
in this connection Pliny Is quoted az
SAYING that neither sun nor shade, nor
vet the light of a candle caused changa
in its color or luster- 1t was sup
posed, in ancient times, to be goo9
for the eyes, and Pliny also remarks'
There is not a gem or precious stohe
that SO fully possesseth the eye, anu
vet never coptenteth it with safety,
Nay, if the sight has been wearied ana
dimmed by intensive porting upon any
thing else, the beholding OF this stone
doth refresh and restore II again. 3.
While beneficial to human eyes, ~
was believed to be fatal to the eye
sight of serpents, in the words OF the
poet Moore: blinded like serpents
when they gaze upon the emeraid's
virgin blaze"
Many virtues were once ascribed 20
this stone; when worn it was held 10
be a preventative against epilepsy anu
other ailments. 1t was also vaiueu az
taken internally, it was claimed ia
have great medicinal value.
CRYSTALS Are Invariably Flawed.
The crystals are simple in form;
merely hexagonal prisms attached at
one end to the matrix. with unusually
q fat face at right angles to its axis
on the other end They are invariably
| hawed, so much so that =" HAWKES.
emerald" has become a proverbial ex-
preston for unattainable perfection:
weigh nine and three-quarter ounces,
is in the possession Of the Duke OF
Devonshire, but the division of min
eralogy of the National Museum has
Point, Alexander county. North Caro-
lima. which weighs eight and three
quarter ounces or over LOO carats,
and Is the largest ever found In tha
United States.
Among the specimens is n section OF
an uncut crystal from Muzo. Colombo,
South America. collected by DR.. JOSEPH
E. Pogue.
American Institute of Mining Engi-
neers. DR.. Pogue made technical re-
port on the emerald deposits at Muze,
He says, in part:
THE Muzo emerald deposits are stu
ated in the western foothills of tina
eastern branch of the Colombian Andes,
and are distant about sixty miles in q
direct northwesterly line from Bogota.
the capital of Colombia. They en-
brace about eight great open cuts,
closely grouped in a portion of steep
walled valley situated about 500 meters
above sea level, in an intensely tropi-
cal and unhealthful country. The early
history of the MuZo deposits is buried
in the remote past: they were worked
long before the Spaniards first set foot
in the new world.
Sources Are Widely Distributed.
"Muzo formed one of the not more than
Of he