Page 42 - January1948

NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN

Q. How can I tell a real agate from colored glass or from artificially
<'olored quartz?
A. In many cases only an expert with special training and tools can tell.
.\rtificial coloring is sometimes so deceptive that e)iperts hesitate to pass
.judgment. Lots of the buttons with agate coloring are not masterpieces,
however, and many can be quite easily identified without any outside help.
Here are three simple tests for distinguishing between glass and agate:
(1) if the piece is badly scratched, it is probably glass. (Note that I say
"probably," for eveu stone can be scratched. Glass, however. is softer and
scratches more easily.) (2) If the material vuhen touched to the tongue,
seerns to be about room temperative and if when it is held in the hand, it
soon becomes of body temperature, it is probably glass. Agate will feel
cooler and will warm through less quickly. (Note that this test depends
upon judgment and interpretation.) (3) Examine the button closely with
a magnifying glass and try to flnd a bubble. Turn it from side to side and
expose it to light fron different angles. If a bubble can be located, the
rnaterial is glass. (Of the three this is the only infallible test.)
a. On my de lnxe card I had a button that I thought was jade. When
I exhibited it at a local show I was told that it was glass. Is thele any way
to distiugnish positively betlveen real jade and glass?
A. It is tme that a nottled green glass can be nade to look surpris-
iugl5' like jade. Hefe, as an exanple, is one quite deceptive piece. Here,
also, is a piece of true jade. I am going to place a drop of water on each one.
The drop on the glass button has spread out over the top of the button.
'Ihe cirop on the piece of jade remains a perfect dewdrop in shape. If I put
a little BDrear of lyater on the glass, it colltinues to spr.ead. If I put one on
the jade, it dlaws in ilstead of spreading out. This property of holding a
drop is not exclusive with jade, many other materials react in the same way.
Agate will also hold a dlop. This is really a test for glass rather than for
jade. It could make a fourth in distinguishing between agate and glass.
Q. What is the difference between paste, strass, rhinestones and bril-
liants?
A. Let's begin rvith blilliants, because that word can be eliminated alto-
gether. "Brilliant" is the narne for a special style of cutting diamonds.
There is a special pattern and a large number of facets on a brilliant-cut
diamond. Hence, by extension of meaning, glass with many small facets
cane to be called "brilliants." The words "paste" and "strass" are synony-
mous alld can be used interchangeably. Paste is a heavily leaded glass ap-
proxin)ating a true gem in luster and brilliancy. A German named Strass
perfected a formula for paste that was so admired that his name becarne the
trade-narne for all fine paste, the standard by which all was judged. The
u'<lrd "rhinestone" is a near-synonym for the other two. As one would
guess. it also comes from a proper name. The Rhenish cities produced such
quantities of imitation diamonds for costume jewelry that the output came
to be knowll as rhinestones. All rhinestones are clear and the word should
never be used for colored paste. Clear glass in imitation of diamonds can
be called rhinestones, paste ot strass. Colored imitations of rubies, erleraldg,
etc, can be called either paste or strass, but not rhinestones.
a. I lead in old book that the helo had no silver buttons on his coat,
lrul only ones of trifle. What is trifle?
A. Trifle was one of the three gt'ades of pewter recognized by the
llnglish law controlling standards. Makers of buttons, buckles and other
surall objects were required to use trifle. The men who nrade these thineg
u'r.re called triflers.

JANE F. ADAMS