Show AS HARD AS THE DIAMOND bach are two products of the diamond has always been regarded as possessing one quality which placed it beyond rivalry namely that of hardness there are several gems which compete with it in beauty and at least one the ruby when of rare size and quality ou it in costliness but none in the whole list equals it in hardness diamond cut diamond has become a popular saying the hardest steel cannot equal the diamond in that respect the diamond says a recent and authoritative text book of chemistry is the hardest form of matter known aut science progresses and if nature lias set aside for lier king of gems the distinction of unparalleled the art of man has not been equally considerate there are at least two products of chemical experiment which have proved according to the great french chemist henry doissan Moi ssan to be as hard as diamonds these are produced from the rare metal titanium monsieur doissan has succeeded in preparing titanium in the electric furnace in the pure form it is harder than steel or quartz and when combined with silicon or boron so as to form a or boride of titanium it matches the diamond itself in titanium resembles tin in its chemical properties and it is the characteristic element in the beautiful red and brown crystals of these in the shape of needled ne edlea arc sometimes found penetrating large while quartz crystals forming gems that the french call loves arrows |