Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 129, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1911 — DOCTORING A DIAMOND. [ARTICLE]

DOCTORING A DIAMOND.

Trick That Makes a Yellow Stcna Appear Claar Blue White. Let me show you a little trick that I would advise you not to put Into practice, Maid a Jewel fancier to a number of friends the other day. The conversation had turned to diamonds during the midday luncheon, and the expert bad been bolding forth on his favorite subject The little group of St Louisans were* interested still more when the speaker drew a big solitaire from his finger and beckoned a waiter across the case. “Bring me a glass of water and an Indelible pencil.” said hp when the aervltor came over to the table. “This Is a trick that is essentially crooked,” said the jewel fancier, “and will get by nine times ont of ten even when the examiner is an expert at judging precious stones and detecting trickery. It will make a yellow ‘off color* diamond took like a stone of the very first water. Pawnbrokers innumerable have been fooled by this same trick, as it is extremely difficult to detect even with a powerful glass.” The expert took the pencil and allowed the indelible lead to dissolve in the glass of water. In a couple of minutes the water was as blue as indigo water. “Now watch,” said the man who knew the lore of jewels. He took the ring and dropped it into tiie glass. Its brilliancy was dimmed by tbe hazy, bluish water until it looked like a dead stone.

“Now, yon noted,” said the demonstrator, “that the diamond I placed in there was a bit yellow. It will be a clear bluish white when it comes out of its bath.” At the end of a minute tbe stone was taken out The top of tbe gem was dried with a soft handkerchief and then the ring was waved to and fro for a few moments. It was held up for inspection. Not a gleam of yellow was to be seen. The stone was apparently a magnificent blue white gem that any one would be proud to own and loathe to pledge. “It la tbe blue pigment deposited on the back of tbe stone that has made the difference,” said the jewel expert “The deposit is so filmy that a strong glass cannot detect it You cannot see It from the rear of the mounting and only a bath of alcohol will remove it It will stay on the gem for weeks If It Is not removed in that way. It used to be a favorite of many folks who now and again had to put a diamond into .the hands of a pawnbroker. “The trick is called ‘doctoring a atone,* but as I said in tbe beginning, I would not advise you to try it I don’t know what the law on such matters Is in Missouri, but there are states where a person convicted of such an offense would serve a long penitentiary term for his cleverness.”— St Louis Republic.