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The following liquids are used whose maximum specific gravity is given and which could be lowered by diluting with suitable liquids:—
A set of standard specific gravity liquids with fixed intervals could be kept ready by diluting any one of the first five liquids. It could be used without the Westphal's balance by matching liquids with a series of stones of known specific gravity. This permits a quicker mode of determining the specific gravity. Methylene iodide has a density of 3-3. It is a clear pale-yellow liquid. Stones with higher specific gravity than 3-3 will sink and those with less than 3-3 will float. It is miscible with benzene in all proportions, arid so a series of liquids from 0-88 to 3-33 could be prepared. But there may be variation in the values due to the presence of impurities, cavities or flaws in the stones and also due to variation in composition (chemical). With the larger stones Jolly's balance could be used. (See Table on pp. 166-167 for a List of Gem minerals with specific gravity, etc.)
(4) Jolly's Spring Balance
This enables a most rapid determination of specific gravity of a gem, but the method is not quite so accurate as described in (1) and (3), but results obtained are usually good enough for determination of gems and could be used with advantage with larger stones.
It consists of a spiral spring suspended vertically from a horizontal rod at 0 and hangs against a graduated mirror.
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