CURING SICK GEMS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3015, 25 March 1926, Page 4

CURING SICK GEMS

The late Queen Mother of Italy possessed a remarkable collection of jewels, and her death has recalled the story of how one of her chief treasures, a wonderful rope of pearls, went “sick,” losing both colour and lustre, and was restored by being placed in a perforated casket and deposited for some months at the bottom of the sea. Though, naturally, the proceeding attracted unusual interest, these pearls were by no means the only ones that have been restored to health by a temporary return to their native element. Many precious stones . are occasionally subject to mysterious ailments which detract from their beauty and value; the worst sufferers are pearls, rubies, and diamonds, though opals, turq'uoises, emeralds, and sapphires are also liable to “sickness.” With sick pearls an alternative to the deep sea cure is an operation. The discoloured outer skin is softened by various processes and then removed by an expert jewel surgeon exposing the clear fresh layer beneath. Rubies that lose brilliancy are treated by cleaning, massage, and dyeing. Diamonds, the most frequent sufferers of all, are doctored in a similar way, and a course of dye baths may bring about a perfect cure. The commonest diamond ailment, however, and the worst, is yellowing, which causes a heavy slump in value, and can seldom be overcome except by faking. By skilful processes of dyeing the objectionable yellow tint can be changed to blue, or even entirely removed —but only for a time. The strangest of jewel cures is also the sumplest. Certain human temperaments or skins —no one can say which —have a stimulating effect upon precious stones, and merely by wearing sick jewels for a short period some women can restore them to health and beauty.