The Lovely Iris.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 25 September 1914, Page 2

The Lovely Iris.

GEM WHICH CONTAINS RADIUM

Hidden in a rugged mountain of San Diego, California, the passes of which are guarded by armed men. are the only known examples of the new gem, the iris, placed by connoisseurs only next after the diamond, pearl, and emerald in beauty, and surpassing all precious stones in the fact that it is believed to contain radium. If exposed to the Rontuen rays for five minutes, and then laid upon a photographic plate, the iris will print itself. An imitation gem would never do this. Thus the iris has another quality which other precious stones do not possess, in that, it will always be easy to tell it from a paste imitation. Artificial gems in some'cases bear the closest comparison with the original, and rubies can be made now which actually surpass the real stones in splendour. Given its name of the iris only within the last few months, the first known «em of the kind was found

ten years ago. A shepherd tending his sheep on a Cnlifornian mountain found a specimen accidentally. The late Mr. Pii:rpont Morgan bought one of the first that was found for £l,O<f(j, recognising its rare distinction among gems, and this particular iris is now in the American Museum of Natural History of New York. Like the flower after which it is named, the iris may h&\c many tints. "The iris is something like a topaz, but more brilliant," said a connoisseur of precious stones recently. "It might be compared with a sapphire, but it has a warmer translucency. The coloured diamonds emits no finer ray. The deep green variety of the iris surpasses the Oriental emerald in lustreness. Looking into a well-cut iris is like looking into a thing that is alive." The iris looks its best under a strong electric light. Then it emits rays which, if pearls are set round it, cause them to sparkle as though they were diamonds. It continues to emit these rays even when the wearer passes into darkness. This wonderful quality is believed to be due to the presence of the radium. In a very short time the iris will be extremely fashionable among well-dressed women ; all the more from the fact that it is impossible that it should become common. At present the total weight of the gem in I'-ngland does not amount to more than one-ten-thousandth part of that of diamonds.