subjected
to heat, and the crocidolite which has lately come so much to the
front, owing to recent large discoveries, but the price of an ounce of
which, not long ago, would buy "a ton to-day, is also dyed past
recognition, a means of giving it, as I have said, a blood-red tint
having been hit upon. One family has the sole secret of converting
crocidolite into ' cat's-eye.' The cat's-eye and emerald are the two
most easily imitated stones. Aragonite, crocidolite, and even fibrous
gypsum, and some of the hornblendes, are a few of the substances from
which imitation ' cat's-eyes' are made. I have not mentioned all the
stones treated at Oberstein, but those I have given you are the first
that occur to me."—Pall Mall Budget.
SEARCH FOR GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES. By P. L. Simmonds, F.L.S.
The
insatiate desire for ornaments and articles to decorate the person, and
hence the race for the acquisition of wealth, gives employment to
thousands of persons in different parts of the world, who are kept
busily engaged in searching for gems and precious stones, and in this
aspect we would consider it here. It is somewhat difficult to know
where the line of demarcation as to " gems and precious stones" is to
be drawn, and what properly come within this category, for tastes
differ materially, and fashions change from time to time. About one or
two, however, there can be no doubt as to classification; diamonds and
pearls have always been highly esteemed and appreciated, and the demand
for these is universal. But there are some stones and substances that
have value chiefly in special localities, such, for instance, as jade
among the Chinese and Pacific Islanders, from its hardness and rarity ;
amber among the Chinese, Turks, and Russians; and coral among the East
Indians, Chinese, and Africans. The African race appreciate the
artificial Venetian beads above any valuable gem, because they have
long been familiar to them, and are the fashion.
Precious
stones have been prized in all ages for their portability, and high
intrinsic value in a small compass. In Christopher Marlow's celebrated
play, " The Rich Jew of Malta," the merchant is represented as having
before him :—
" Bags of fiery opals, sapphires, amethysts;
Jacinths, hard topaz, grass-green emeralds,
Beauteous rubies, sparkling diamonds,
And seld seen costly stones of so great price, "
As one of them, indifferently rated,
And of a carat of this quality,
May serve, in peril of calamity,
To ransom great kings from captivity.
This is the ware wherein consists my wealth!"
A
glance over the various regions of the globe will show us men of all
races, in large companies, delving in the ground or diviug in the sea
for this commercial wealth. Indeed, scarcely a sea or a river but has
its fleet of boats at certain seasons laden with men eagerly searching
for pearls, although it is' chiefly in the tropics that these boats
congregate. It may prove interesting to gather a few facts connected
with this important quest, taking the searchers on land first, and then
investigating the rich produce gathered from the sea.
In
the Indian Empire there is a great commerce carried on in gems and
precious stones, although no reliable data are available, as they are
so portable, and there is no absolute necessity for records being kept.
The Indian trade returns of the last three years give the value of the
imports at an average of £200,000. A large trade is carried on in them
to Sewistan, Kashmir, Ladakb, Thibet, Nepaul, Sikkim, Upper Burma,
Siam, and Karennee. There is no doubt that through private sources four
or five times the reputed values art brought in and also exported each
year to Europe.
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