EMBLEMATIC STONES

1679. _The Jewels of the Months._--In Poland, according to a superstitious belief, each month of the year is under the influence of some precious stone, which influence is attached to the destiny of persons born during the course of the month.

1680. It is, in consequence, customary amongst friends, and more particularly between lovers, to make, on birthdays, reciprocal presents, consisting of some jewel ornamented with the tutelar stone. It is generally believed that this prediction of happiness, or rather of the future destiny, will be realized according to the wishes expressed on the occasion.

1681. _January._--The stone of January is the Jacinth, or Garnet, which denotes constancy and fidelity in any sort of engagement.

1682. _February._--The Amethyst, a preservative against violent passions, and an assurance of peace of mind and sincerity.

1683. _March._--The Bloodstone is the stone of courage and wisdom in perilous undertakings, and firmness in affection.

1684. _April._--The Sapphire, or Diamond, is the stone of repentance, innocence, and kindliness of disposition.

1685. _May._--The Emerald. This stone signifies happiness in love, and domestic felicity.

1686. _June._--The Agate is the stone of long life, health, and prosperity.

1687. _July._--The Ruby, or Cornelian, denotes forgetfulness of, and exemption from, the vexations caused by friendship and love.

1688. _August._--The Sardonyx. This stone denotes conjugal felicity.

1689. _September._--The Chrysolite is the stone which preserves and cures madness and despair.

1690. _October._--The Aqua-Marine, or Opal, signifies distress and hope.

1691. _November._--The Topaz signifies fidelity and friendship.

1692. _December._--The Turquoise is the stone which expresses great sureness and prosperity in love, and in all the circumstances of life.

1693. _General Observations._--When _alabaster_, _marble_, and other _stones_, are colored, and the stain is required to be deep, it should be poured on boiling-hot, and brushed equally over every part if made with water; if with spirit, it should be applied cold, otherwise the evaporation, being too rapid, would leave the coloring matter on the surface, without any, or very little, being able to penetrate.

1694. In grayish or brownish stones, the stain will be wanting in brightness, because the natural color combines with the stain; therefore, if the stone be of a pure color, the result will be a combination of the color and stain.

1695. _Bone or Ivory._--In staining bone or ivory, the colors will take better before than after polishing; and if any dark spots appear, they should be rubbed with chalk, and the article dyed again to produce uniformity of shade. On removal from the boiling-hot dye-bath, the bone should be immediately plunged into cold water, to prevent cracks from the heat.

1696. _Paper or Parchment_ is stained; a broad varnish brush should be employed to lay the coloring on evenly.

1697. _Wood._--When the stains for wood are required to be very strong, it is better to soak and _not_ brush them; therefore if for inlaying or fine work, the wood should be previously split or sawn into proper thicknesses, and when directed to be brushed several times over with the stains, it should be allowed to dry between each coating.

1698. _To Varnish._--When it is wished to render any of the stains more durable and beautiful, the work should be well rubbed with Dutch or common rushes after it is colored, and then varnished with seed-lac varnish, or if a better appearance is desired, with three coats of the same, or shellac varnish.

1699. _Common Work_ only requires frequent rubbing with linseed oil and woolen rags. The remainder, with the exception of _glass_, will be treated of in this paper.

1700. _Alabaster, Marble and Stone_, may be stained of a yellow, red, green, blue, purple, black, or any of the compound colors, by the stains used for wood.

1701. _Bone and Ivory._--_Black._--Lay the articles for several hours in a strong solution of nitrate of silver, and expose to the light.

1702. Boil the article for some time in a strained decoction of logwood, and then steep it in a solution of per-sulphate or acetate of iron.

1703. Immerse frequently in ink, until of sufficient depth of color.

1704. _Blue._--1. Immerse for some time in a dilute solution of sulphate of indigo--partly saturated with potash--and it will be fully stained. 2. Steep in a strong solution of sulphate of copper.

1705. _Green._--1. Dip blue-stained articles for a short time in nitro-hydrochlorate of tin, and then in a hot decoction of fustic. 2. Boil in a solution of verdigris in vinegar until the desired color is obtained.

1706. _Red._--Dip the articles first in the tin mordant used in dyeing, and then plunge into a hot decoction of Brazil wood--half a pound to a gallon of water--or cochineal.

1707. Steep in red ink until sufficiently stained.

1708. _Scarlet._--Use lac-dye instead of the preceding.

1709. _Violet._--Dip in the tin mordant, and then immerse in a decoction of logwood.

1710. _Yellow._--Impregnate with nitro-hydrochlorate of tin, and then digest with heat in a strained decoction of fustic.

1711. _Second._--Steep for twenty-four hours in a strong solution of the neutral chromate of potash, and then plunge for some time in a boiling solution of acetate of lead.

1712. _Third._--Boil the articles in a solution of alum--a pound to half a gallon--and then immerse for half an hour in the following mixture.

1713. Take half a pound of turmeric, and a quarter of a pound of pearlash; boil in a gallon of water. When taken from this, the bone must be again dipped in the alum solution.

1714. _Horn_ must be treated in the same manner as bone and ivory for the various colors given under that heading.

1715. _In Imitation of Tortoise-Shell._--First steam and then press the horn into proper shapes, and afterward lay the following mixture on with a small brush, in imitation of the mottle of tortoise-shell.

1716. _Second._--Take equal parts of quick lime and litharge, and mix with strong soap-lees; let this remain until it is thoroughly dry, brush off, and repeat two or three times, if necessary.

1717. Such parts as are required to be of a reddish brown, should be covered with a mixture of whiting and the stain.

1718. _Iron._--_Black, for Ship's Guns, Shot, etc._--To one gallon of vinegar add a quarter of a pound of iron rust, let it stand for a week; then add a pound of dry lamp-black, and three-quarters of a pound of copperas; stir it up for a couple of days.

1719. Lay five or six coats on the gun, &c., with a sponge, allowing it to dry well between each. Polish with linseed oil and soft woolen rag, and it will look like ebony.

1720. _Paper and Parchment._--_Blue._--Stain it green with the verdigris stain given below, and brush over with a solution of pearlash--two ounces to the pint--till it becomes blue.

1721. Use the blue stain for wood.

1722. _Green and Red._--The same as for wood. (See 717, page 178.)

1723. _Orange._--Brush over with a tincture of turmeric, formed by infusing an ounce of the root in a pint of spirits of wine; let this dry, and give another coat of pearlash solution, made by dissolving two ounces of the salt in a quart of water.

1724. _Purple._--Brush over with the expressed juice of ripe privet berries. The same as for wood.

1725. _Yellow._--Brush over with tincture of turmeric.

1726. Add anatto or dragon's blood to the tincture of turmeric, and brush over as usual. (See 716, page 178.)

1727. _Wood._--_Black._--Drop a little sulphuric acid into a small quantity of water, brush over the wood and hold it to the fire; it will be a fine black, and receive a good polish.

1728. _Second._--Take half a gallon of vinegar, an ounce of bruised nut-galls, of logwood chips and copperas each half a pound--boil well; add half an ounce of the tincture of sesquichlorid of iron, formerly called the muriated tincture, and brush on hot.

1729. _Third._--Use the stain given for ships' guns.

1730. _Fourth._--Take half a gallon of vinegar, half a pound of dry lamp-black, and three pounds of iron rust sifted. Mix, and let stand for a week. Lay three coats of this on hot, and then rub with linseed oil, and you will have a fine deep black.

1731. _Fifth._--Add to the above stain an ounce of nut-galls, half a pound of logwood chips, and a quarter of a pound of copperas; lay on three coats, oil well, and you will have a black stain that will stand any kind of weather, and one that is well suited for ships' combings, &c.

1732. _Sixth._--Take a pound of logwood chips, a quarter of a pound of Brazil wood, and boil for an hour and a half in a gallon of water. Brush the wood several times with this decoction while hot. Make a decoction of nut-galls by simmering gently for three or four days a quarter of a pound of the galls in two quarts of water; give the wood three coats of this, and while wet lay on a solution of sulphate of iron (two ounces to a quart), and when dry oil or varnish.

1733. _Seventh._--Give three coats with a solution of copper filings in aquafortis, and repeatedly brush over with the logwood decoction, until the greenness of the copper is destroyed.

1734. _Eighth._--Boil half a pound of logwood chips in two quarts of water, add an ounce of pearlash, and apply hot with a brush. Then take two quarts of the logwood decoction, and half an ounce of verdigris, and the same of copperas; strain and throw in half a pound of iron rust. Brush the work well with this, and oil.

1735. _Blue._--Dissolve copper filings in aquafortis, brush the wood with it, and then go over the work with a hot solution of pearlash (two ounces to a pint of water), till it assumes a perfectly blue color.

1736. Boil a pound of indigo, two pounds of woad, and three ounces of alum in a gallon of water; brush well over until thoroughly stained.

1737. _Green._--Dissolve verdigris in vinegar, and brush over with the hot solution until of a proper color.

1738. _Mahogany Color._--_Dark._--1. Boil half a pound of madder and two ounces of logwood chips in a gallon of water, and brush well over while hot; when dry, go over the whole with pearlash solution, two drachms to the quart.

1739. _Second._--Put two ounces of dragon's blood, bruised, into a quart of oil of turpentine; let the bottle stand in a warm place, shake frequently, and, when dissolved, steep the work in the mixture.

1740. _Light Red Brown._--Boil half a pound of madder and a quarter of a pound of fustic in a gallon of water; brush over the work when boiling-hot, until properly stained.

1741. _Second._--The surface of the work being quite smooth, brush over with a weak solution of aquafortis, half an ounce to the pint, and then finish with the following:--Put four ounces and a half of dragons blood and an ounce of soda, both well bruised, to three pints of spirit of wine; let it stand in a warm place, shake frequently, strain, and lay it on with a soft brush, repeating until of a proper color; polish with linseed oil or varnish.

1742. _Purple._--Brush the work several times with the logwood decoction used for No. 6 _Black_, and when dry give a coat of pearlash solution, one drachm to a quart, taking care to lay it on evenly.

1743. _Red._--1. Boil a pound of Brazil wood and an ounce of pearlash in a gallon of water, and while hot brush over the work until of a proper color. Dissolve two ounces of alum in a quart of water, and brush the solution over the work before it dries.

1744. _Second._--Take a gallon of the above stain, add two more ounces of pearl ash; use hot, and brush often with the alum solution.

1745. _Third._--Use a cold infusion of archil, and brush over with the pearlash solution used for No. 1 _dark mahogany_.

1746. _In imitation of Rosewood._--1. Boil half a pound of logwood in three pints of water till it is of a very dark red, add half an ounce of salt of tartar; stain the work with the liquor while boiling hot, giving three coats; then with a painter's graining-brush form streaks with No. 8 _black stain_; let dry, and varnish.

1747. _Second._--Brush over with the logwood decoction used for No. 6 _black_, three or four times; put half a pound of iron filings into two quarts of vinegar; then with a graining-brush or cane, bruised at the end, apply the iron filing solution in the form required, and polish with beeswax and turpentine when dry, or varnish.