VOL. I.] A Journal of Choice Reading, SELECTED FROM FOREIGN CURRENT LITERATURE. SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1866. ON PRECIOUS STONES. POSSIBLY the commercial value of color was never exemplified in a stronger manner than in the matter of precious stones. Indeed, jewels often depend upon their tint only for their names and value; the same identically composed precious stone being either an amethyst or a piece of rock crystal, an oriental topaz or a ruby, by the addition or absence of a small portion of mineral pigment of different hue. Thus, a piece of rock crystal is comparatively valueless, whilst an emerald is one of the most costly of jewels; a ruby again is even more valuable than the diamond, whilst the topaz is of very inferior value. Even the faintest flush of color often gives a value to the diamond which is far beyond its worth when pure, -an instance this of the value of adulteration. Mr. Harry Emanuel, whose work on precious stones has afforded us the material for this article, illustrates this fact by stating that a diamond, the worth of which uncolored would have been (from its weight, four and three quarter grains) only £22, was lately sold for £300, in consequence of possessing a vivid green tint. [No. 1. a famine price, and up to the termination of the civil war in America they were gradually becoming more valuable in that country. The diamond, like most other jewels, is found generally in granitic gneiss, and in torrents of rivers distributed over the whole world; but they are mainly to be found in tropical countries. It would seem that where the sun shines with the greatest splendor, where the vegetable and the animal creation put on their most gorgeous colors, there also in the depths of the earth the vivid lustre of this gem shines the brightest, and assumes the largest proportions. The mines underground bloom as gorgeously as the flowers above. The diamond, as we all know, is composed of pure carbon crystallized, and is the hardest known substance. Indeed, this quality, upon which much of its value depends, has in many instances been the cause of its destruction, the old rude test of its genuineness being to place it upon an anvil, and to strike it forcibly with a hammer, the idea being that, if pure, it would rather break the hammer or bury itself in the anvil, than split. Of course many valuable diamonds have been destroyed by this ignorant trial in times past. Although the diamond is not really the most val- The diamond is by no means always colorless. It uable of jewels, yet as it is supposed to have prece- is sometimes yellow, red, pink, brown, green, black, dence of all other gems, we shall speak of it first. and opalescent; the admixture of color depending Possibly, however, its commercial value is most con- in some cases upon a metallic oxide. The Indian stant of all jewels, as it is the subject of investment diamond appears to be the most prized in the marto a greater extent than any other. In times of ket. Newton, from its great power of refracting commotion kings or princes and the wealthy-gen- and dispersing light, when compared with glass, erally subject to suffer from sweeping changes came to the conclusion that it was combustible; a look upon diamonds as their best friends; their scientific forecast, which Lavoisier verified by burnpassports, in fact, to the attention of the foreigner. ing it in oxygen, and obtaining as a result carbonie What pemmican is to meat precious stones are to acid. Although our analysis of this gem is perfect, value. They are the concentrated essence of wealth, all efforts have failed to construct it; indeed, chemisa king's ransom in the compass of a marble. Na- try is wholly at fault to produce artificially any of tions, civilized and only semi-civilized, believe in the precious gems, with the exception of the ruby, this currency; it is a circular note that the bearer small specimens of which have actually been pronever need fear will be dishonored in whatever quar- duced in the laboratory. The diamond is split easily ter of the globe he may happen to be. Diamonds with the grain; but it is upon the tact and judgment and other precious stones, however, like gold, are with which it is cut and polished that much of its liable to fluctuate in value according to the laws of value depends. The English were at one time fasupply and demand, like the meanest article of com- mous as gem-cutters; but the art is now wholly merce. A revolution brings forth these "flowers of lost among us, and most of the fine gems are now the mineral kingdom," as they have been poetically intrusted to Dutch Jews. The gem is cut upon a termed; at first a number of them are thrown upon wheel smeared with diamond dust, the only mathe market, and they decline in value in conse- terial that effectually touches it, and it is polished quence. An example of this occurred in the revo- in the same manner, a steel disk being employed for lution of 1848. In all cases where civil commotions the purpose, smeared with fine powder, and revolvare of long continuance, however, and causes of fearing at a great speed by means of steam power. At are prolonged, they gradually rise again in value the present time the most fashionable form is the until they reach exorbitant prices. In the great double cut, which presents a great number of facets, revolution of 1789, for instance, diamonds rose to rendering the flash of the gem very brilliant. The 2 it was, EVERY SATURDAY. table cut, such as we find in old diamonds, is much less sparkling, as it has a very much less number of facets, and a great expansion of table or flat upper surface. The Indian diamond-cutters leave as much of the gem as possible when cutting; an instance of this was seen in the Great Exhibition of 1851, where the Koh-i-Noor was exhibited, in which the cutting followed apparently the original outline of the stone. Our readers will remember how much this gem disappointed their expectations, as it looked like a mere lump of glass. Its weight was then 186 carats. In the intervals between this and the last Exhibition after much consultation, given into the hands of M. Coster, of Amsterdam, who recut it with such skill that, although it lost in the process 80 carats, it yet appeared quite as large, and was transferred at once into a blaze of light. When diamonds are found difficult to split, without fear of great loss, they are sometimes sawn with fine wires fitted into a saw-bow, and anointed with diamond powder and olive oil. Rose-cut diamonds are now coming much into fashion, as they are very brilliant in appearance at a very small expense of stone. really wonderful the delicacy with which these gems It is are cut, considering the smallness of their size; as many as fifteen hundred having been known to weigh only one carat. The larger diamonds, from their great value, have all some extraordinary history. As a rule, like the stormy petrel, their appearance in the market in numbers is an indication of a storm. bility makes them the companion of royal fugitives, Their portaand more than one brilliant of value has witnessed bloody and tragical scenes. instance, has changed hands in many of the convulThe Koh-i-Noor, for sions that occurred in India before our advent. was seized at the conquest of Delhi by Ala ed Din, It and subsequently came into the possession of the Sultan Baber, the Great Mogul, in 1526; it continued in the possession of this line of princes until Aurungzebe intrusted it to a European to reset it. This he did, but so unskilfully that it was reduced from 793 carats to 186 carats, the size, in fact, it appeared in our Great Exhibition of 1851. The Emperor refused to pay the workman for the destruction of his jewel, and we think it speaks well for Aurungzebe, as Indian emperors went, that he did not take off his head at once. fell into the hands of the great conqueror Nadir It afterwards Shah, was passed on in his line, and finally it came into our possession at the capture of Lahore, and was presented to her Majesty by our troops, with whose family it will remain, we suppose, until some future conqueror seizes it to set in the crown of some empire yet to arise in the new world. The Cumberland diamond, of the value of £10,000, was presented to the Duke of Cumberland by the City of London after he had rescued the burghers from the Stuart dynasty at Culloden. We fancy the City would have kept their money had they foreseen that it would ultimately pass to the treasury of the King of Hanover. The Orloff diamond, set in the sceptre of the Czar of Russia, weighs 1944 carats, and possesses a most romantic history. It is said to have formed one of the eyes of an idol in a Brahmin temple, and to have been set in the peacock throne of Nadir Shah. It was stolen by a Frenchman, and ultimately fell into the possession of the Empress Catherine II. The Regent, or Pitt diamond, was so called from having been purchased by the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France, of Pitt, the Governor of Fort St. George. Scandal said that the governor [Jan. 6, 18C6. stole it. It is certain, however, that it was purloined from the Garde Meuble in 1792, but was restored in a very mysterious manner. wards set in the pommel of the sword of the Emperor Napoleon I. It was afternow in the possession of the Emperor of Austria, is The Florentine diamond, said to have been one of three lost at the battle of Granson by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. It was found by a Swiss soldier, and sold by him for of Pope Julius II., who presented it to the Emperor one florin. It afterwards came into the possession of Austria. The Sancy diamond's history is still more curious. It was actually taken from the body of the Duke of Burgundy, and found its way in 1489 to Baron de Sancy, who sent it as a present to the King of Portugal. The servant by whom it was being conveyed was attacked by robbers, when he swallowed the stone, and after his death it was found in his body. James the Second afterwards possessed it, and he sold it to Louis XIV. It disappeared in the French Revolution, but turned up again, which the renowned blue diamond, by the who again sold it to Prince Demidoff. The Nassak by, never did, and was purchased by Napoleon I., diamond, of 78 carats, was taken by the Marquis of Hastings at the Conquest of the Deccan. The great French diamond was lost it is considered Hope diamond is of a sapphire blue, and since the the most unique gem of its kind in existence. In the Russian treasury there is a brilliant red diamond mond of 48 carats, that once belonged to Augustus of 10 carats, and at Dresden there is a green diathe Strong. The value of diamonds has considerthe country goes on augmenting it is likely to inably increased of late years, and as the wealth of value as they increase in size in an extraordinary decrease still further. Brilliants go on increasing in gree. Thus, a brilliant of one carat is worth £18; carats, £220; of ten carats, £320. Beyond this of two carats, £65; of three carats, £125; of four weight they become fancy articles, and, of course, fancy prices are demanded for them. ruby. This precious stone depends upon its color, The most valuable of all jewels, however, is the sapphire, and oriental topaz are composed of identias we have said before, for its value. The ruby, cally the same materials; the red sapphire is a ruby, They are all termed Corundums, an Indian name. the blue ruby a sapphire, the yellow ruby a topaz. the diamond. The finest rubies are found in the The ruby is the next hardest thing in nature after kingdom of Ava, and in Siam; they are also found in Ceylon and in many parts of Europe. it, that of "Lord of the Rubies." In Burmah they the ruby. It was considered an amulet against poi- Every Saturday, ON PRECIOUS STONES. there is a mass of white topaz that for many years value to the ruby. Perfect gems are worth from 1862, but Mr. Emanuel asserts that they are nothing more than spinels, a spurious kind of ruby, of little value. The King of Burmah is said to have one in his possession of the size of a pigeon's egg. The emerald and the beryl have the same chemA true "pigeon's-blood" tinted ruby of one carat is worth from £14 to £20; of two carats, from £70 to ical composition, and differ only in color. The £80; and of four carats, from £400 to £450, which finest colored emeralds are found in New Granada, latter value is more than double that of a diamond in limestone rock. It is also found in Salzburg, and of the same weight. As we have before said, small in Siberia. The Spaniards, it is asserted, came into rubies have been made by chemists artificially, but possession of many hundred weight of emeralds never gems of any size. Now as small rubies are when they conquered Peru; hence their value fell plentiful in nature, it is very doubtful whether it will in the Middle Ages. Orientals, especially the Mopay to make them even upon a manufacturing scale. hammedans, we should say, set great store upon the The sapphire, although composed of identically emerald, believing that it imparts courage to the the same elements, with the exception of the color-owner, that it is an infallible preservative of chasLike many other gems, the aning matter, is of far less value than the ruby. The tity, and that the safety of women in childbirth is color often varies much in the same stone, some por-insured by it. The emerald is but rarely tions of the gem being very nearly black, whilst the cients ascribed many medicinal properties to it other is of a light blue. The clever lapidary can when ground down. correct this by cutting away all the black part, ex-found perfect, and when perfect, it ranks next in cepting a small spot reserved for the cutlet, or small fine flattened point underneath. When looked at through the table, or broad upper surface of the gem, this point of dark blue gives by refraction a beautiful azure lustre to the jewel. The ancients used to call all blue stones sapphires, just as they called all red ones either rubies or carbuncles. The sapphire is invested by earlier writers with It was said to be such an rare virtues, of course. enemy to poison, that, if put into a glass with a spider or other venomous reptile, it would kill it; and a great many other virtues were attributed to it we need scarcely mention. The value of this gem does not, like that of the diamond or the ruby, increase with its size, although in smaller sizes it is even dearer than those brilliants, one of one carat of pure There are a large number of what may be termed color being worth £20. These gems are liable to be imitated so closely as to deceive the best jewellers. valuable, rather than precious, stones, which belong Rock Mr. Emanuel tells us, for instance, that "a noble to the quartz system. Among these are amethyst, lady in this country formerly possessed one which cairngorm, onyx, sardonyx, cornelian, chalcedony, The lady, however, agate, jasper, blood-stone, rock crystal. is, perhaps, the finest known. sold it during her lifetime, and replaced it by an crystal has been used in the arts from the most reimitation so skilfully made as to deceive even the mote times. It is found in large crystals sometimes, jeweller who valued it for probate duty, and it was and is scattered all over the world. There is a estimated at the sum of £10,000, and the legacy specimen in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris measurduty was paid on it by the legatee, who was doubt-ing three feet in diameter, and weighing 800 pounds. cups and goblets of less chagrined when he discovered the deception." It is used by opticians for the lenses of spectacles, The Chinese, the We have no doubt whatever that many other noble and in India it is hollowed into ladies have from "impecuniosity" substituted sham amazing thinness and beauty. for real jewels with the like impunity; such is the Japanese, and the Egyptians also use it for ornafaith we put in station, that even glass-seen mental purposes. Like most precious stones, it is very cold, and the Japanese make balls of it to cool through the sublime medium which surrounds a Duchess shines like an emerald of the purest the hands! In old goldsmith's work crystal is often water. Both the oriental amethyst and the oriental introduced, and as it was considered that it would emerald, which are varieties of corundum, are very turn color if poison came near it, cups and goblets rare; the green variety, or oriental emerald, indeed, of it were often used by the great who went in fear is so curious that Mr. Emanuel, with all his vast ex- of death in this shape. Of course it was supposed perience, says that he has only seen it once in his to possess magical virtues, and we have all read of Dr. Dees's famous crystal globe. Even in the preslifetime. The cat's eye jewel we are told is becoming fash-ent day a well-known London physician, a believer ionable, being considered in India- and, what is more strange, even in Europe- lucky. We wonder at nothing in the shape of superstition; and can quite understand that a gem of this kind only lately was purchased by a nobleman for £1,000. The topaz is now little sought after. The colorless ones are termed Nova Mina, or slave diamonds; those of light blue are termed Brazilian sapphires; those of a greenish hue are termed aquamarine; and the Brazilian ruby is the artificially-obtained pink or It is often obtained in large rose-colored topaz. masses. In one of the cases in the British Museum in spiritualism, pretended to discover secrets by the -- as The iridescent wondrous-tinted opal, we are told, | time occupied a large number of men, but now is nothing but quartz and water. There are several the diving-bell is employed, and their occupation kinds of opals, the chief of which are the precious or is gone. Independently of the labor of diving to "noble" opal used by jewellers, the fire or reddish the bottom of the sea, and remaining there suffiopal, the common opal, and the Mexican opal. ciently long to gather a hundred oysters from the When the different tints in an opal are distributed bottom, where the pressure of the water is so great evenly over its surface, it is known in the trade as that the divers often came up with blood issuing Harlequin. This is a rude way of designating the from their noses and ears, there was great danger exquisite blending of hues which make this jewel so from sharks. Indeed, in such fear were the divers beautiful. The iridescence is owing to minute lines from these enemies, that they would not dive unless on the surface of the gem, which decomposes the the shark charmers were present and mumbling light, just in the same manner as they do in mother- their incantations whilst they were at work. The o'-pearl. Steel buttons used to be engraved with pearl was anciently considered a preservative of very minute lines to produce the same effect. The virtue, although Cleopatra certainly did not disflashes of color in this precious stone are always solve hers with that intent. Although the pearl most marked in a warm day, the knowledge that will dissolve in a strong acid, it is needless to say heat enhances the brilliancy of the stone always that vinegar is far too weak to produce such an leads the dealer to hold it in his hand for some effect. It is a pity to be obliged to demolish such time before showing it to his customer. Mr. Eman- a pretty story, but the truth must be told. The uel, referring to the fact that the Mexican opal loses oriental pearl is just as much prized now as in its beauty when exposed to water, from the fact, ancient times. The charming harmony it has with we suppose, that the water fills up the fine lines in a delicate skin has always made the necklace of it, and prevents the decomposition of the reflected this material so much valued. It used to be one light into its primitive elements, says that Sir of the boasts of the famous Lady Hester Stanhope, Walter Scott having in "Anne of Geierstein " that water could run beneath her instep without cribed this fact to supernatural agency, the stone wetting the sole of her foot, and that her pearl came to be considered unlucky, and they conse- necklace could not at a little distance be detected quently went out of fashion! We are willing upon her neck. Among the famous pearls existing enough to believe in the folly of fashion, and in the at the present day is one belonging to the Shah amount of superstition afloat, especially in the up- of Persia, valued at £60,000. Her Majesty was per circles, but we think the fall in the value of presented with a fine necklace by the East India opals can scarcely be ascribed to such a cause as Company, and the one possessed by the Empress this. They are now again in fashion, however, and of the French is famous. In Europe the pearl is are likely to continue so; for in addition to the sin- not considered to be perfect unless it is of pure gular beauty of the gem, they are, we are told, the white, slightly transparent, and either perfectly only precious stones which defy imitation. Fine round or drop-shaped. In China and India, howopals are very valuable; as much as £1,000 has ever, they are preferred of a bright yellow color. been given for a large stone for a ring or brooch. In North America and the West Indies the pearls The ancients prized them very highly; and Pliny have a pink color; and the Panama pearls have a relates that Nonnius, a Roman Senator, was sent metallic lustre something like the hue of quicksilver. into exile by Marcus Antonius, because he would Black-lead colored pearls are much prized by some not part with an opal of the size of a filbert, and persons. We are told that pearls cannot be imivalued at £170,000, which the latter coveted. The tated with success; but those who remember the finest known opal is in the Museum at Vienna, said case of pearls in the Great Exhibition of 1862, to be worth £ 30,000. There is also a very fine one will remember that real pearl necklaces were examong the French Crown Jewels. hibited side by side with imitation pearls, and the best judges were deceived. Those who possess fine pearls should remember that they are liable to be discolored by contact with acids and gas, and noxious vapors of all kinds. This is the reason that the chandeliers in Her Majesty's theatre were supplied with wax candles, and that in all the balls of the aristocracy gas is never to be seen, ladies' beauty, as well as their pearls, not being improved by its powerful light. gem The opal reminds us somewhat of the pearl, a if we may term a simple excrescence by - which has always been held in high estimation by mankind. The finest pearls come from the pearl-fisheries at Ceylon. They are found in the shell of a large species of oyster; and it is believed, with much show of reason, that they are nothing more than some foreign body which finds its way into the shell, and which the fish covers with a secretion similar to that with which it lines its shell. A pearl, when sawn through, shows that this secretion has been deposited in layers, one upon another, round some central body, just in the same manner in which layers of phosphates are deposited in the human kidney round some foreign body, and resulting in the calculus or stone. The Chinese, with their singular ingenuity, have taken advantage of this method of action on the part of the oyster, and have for ages been in the habit of inserting small objects inside its shell, in order to insure their being covered with this pearly secretion. Small idols are thus coated, but the secretion is not the true pearl secretion, but a similar substance to the mother-o'-pearl. Besides the Ceylon fisheries, there are some in the Persian Gulf and in Borneo. The pearl-fisheries at one There are numbers of valuable stones and substances which are not so rare as to come under the denomination of precious. Thus, lapis lazuli is found in such masses as to be used in the adornment of furniture. This stone used to be far more valuable than at present, as the finer tints were ground to make the costly color ultramarine. But chemists have found out the means of producing this color artificially at a very small cost. Malachite, again, is used for vases, &c., by the Russians. The doors of this material in the Exhibition of 1851 will be remembered for their brilliant green color. Jade, again, seems to be in especial favor in Japan; some fine samples of this stone are to be seen in the Exhibition at South Kensington. Amber used to be fashionable, but it is now wholly gone out, except for mouthpieces to pipes. It is still used in oriental countries |