GEMS 



2413 



GEMS 



sapphires, opals and turquoises. A fine emerald 

 often sells for more than a fine white diamond, 

 and rubies are sometimes valued five and ten 

 times higher than diamonds. The garnet, al- 

 mandine, tourmaline, topaz, amethyst, moon- 

 stone, chrysoprase, chrysoberyl, aquamarine, 

 heliotrope and azurite are of less value. Agate, 

 lapis lazuli and carnelian are often cut as 

 gems. The sources and values of the various 

 gems are given in articles in these volumes 

 under their individual titles. Few precious 

 stones are produced in Canada and not more 

 than $300,000 worth yearly are found in the 



PRINCIPAL FORMS 



Above are illustrated the usual forms in which 

 gems are cut. The names by which they are 

 designated are as follows : 



(1) Round brilliant, top view 



(2) Oval brilliant, top view 



(3) Rose cut, top view 



(4) Round brilliant, side view 



(5) Cushion brilliant, side view 



( 6 ) Rose cut, side view 



(7) Step cut, octagon 



(8) Pear brilliant, top view 



(9) Step cut, oblong 



(10) High cabochon, side view 



(11) Cabochon. side view 



(12) Lentil-shaped, side view 



United States, the most important of these 

 being the sapphire. Over $30,000,000 worth 

 of precious stones are imported into the United 

 States in average years. 



Although there is no doubt that brilliant 

 stones were at first gathered for their beauty, 

 it is also true that from earliest times gems 

 have held definite meanings to people of all 

 nations. Those who pretended to be learned 

 about the stars (astrologers) believed that 

 gems, as well as stars, influenced the lives of 

 people, and from the first century it was be-' 

 lieved that a special stone was dedicated to 

 each month of the year. Even wise men and 

 seers thought that the health and fortunes of 



individuals could be affected by the wearing 

 of precious stones, and the stories of gems worn 

 as charms are many. The study of carved and 

 engraved gems and of precious stones set in 

 strange designs by people of long ago brings 

 to light many interesting beliefs and startling 

 tales of deeds done for the mere possession of 

 a single precious stone. Gems have also played 

 an important part in religious superstitions, 

 and frequently mention of precious stones is 

 made in Scripture. The histories of kingdoms 

 are woven about the jewels of royal families 

 and of the nobility. 



The art of engraving and carving gems held 

 a high place among Greeks, Etruscans, Romans 

 and Egyptians, and in modern times Italy and 

 Germany have been the chief seats of the 

 precious stone engraving art. Stones which 

 have a design raised above the general surface 

 are called cameos; those with the designs sunk 

 below the surface are called intaglios. Some 

 of the earliest specimens of cut gems are seen 

 in scarabs,, or beetle-shaped seals. Valuable 

 and interesting collections of ancient gems are 

 to be seen in museums in many of the large 

 cities of the world, and private collections are 

 prized by students or lovers of gems every- 

 where. Yet only about 10,000 really antique 

 gems are in existence. The Morgan collection 

 exhibited in the American Museum of Nat- 

 ural History, New York, is one of the largest. 



Gems, Imitation^nd Artificial. The fascina- 

 tion of gems has caused an ever-insistent de- 

 mand for them. Their rarity and costliness, 

 however, make their possession impossible to 

 many. So the jeweler's art developed into the 

 imitation of precious stones, and chemists at- 

 tempted to produce gems artificially. 



Imitation of precious stones has existed since 

 earliest times, and paste jewels, as they are 

 called, have been so well made they cannot 

 be told from the real by an inexperienced per- 

 son. It has become a common custom for 

 women to have paste copies made of their 

 valuable jewels, to be worn at places where 

 attempts at robbery might be made. 



The Egyptians, who understood the art of 

 coloring glass, made excellent imitations of the 

 most 'costly precious stones known to them. 

 Romans used powdered rock crystal in imitat- 

 ing gems. In the Middle Ages excellent imita- 

 tions of the emerald, ruby, sapphire and topaz 

 were produced. In modern times the basis of 

 most imitation gems is a variety of glass known 

 as paste or strass. This glass, which is remark- 

 ably clear and brilliant, consists of pure pow- 



