Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664) Part 11

[42] _I after bethought my self of imploying a way, which produc'd the desir'd Effect both sooner and better. For holding betwixt my Fingers a Steel Bodkin, near the Lower part of it, I press'd the point hard against the Surface of the Diamond, and much more if I struck the point against it, the Coruscation would be extremely suddain, and very Vivid, though very Vanis.h.i.+ng too, and this way which commonly much surpris'd and pleas'd the Spectators, seem'd far more proper than the other, to show that pressure alone, if forcible enough, though it were so suddain, and short, that it could not well be suppos'd to give the Stone any thing near a sensible degree of Warmth, as may be suspected of Rubbing, yet 'tis sufficient to generate a very Vivid Light._

A Postscript.

Annexed some Hours after the Observations were Written.

_So many particulars taken notice of in one Night, may make this Stone appear a kind of Prodigie, and the rather, because having try'd as I formerly noted, not only a fine Artificial Crystal, and some also that is Natural, but a Ruby and two Diamonds, I did not find that any of these disclos'd the like Glimmering of Light;[43] yet after all, perceiving by the Hardness, and the Testimony of a Skilfull Goldsmith, that this was rather a Natural than Artificial Stone; for fear lest there might be some difference in the way of Setting, or in the shape of the Diamonds I made use of, neither of which was like this, a flat Table-stone, I thought fit to make a farther Trial of my own Diamonds, by such a brisk and a.s.siduous Affriction as might make amends for the Disadvantages above-mention'd, in case they were the cause of the unsuccessfulness of the former Attempts: And accordingly I found, that by this way I could easily bring a Diamond I wore on my Finger to disclose a Light, that was sensible enough, and continued so though I cover'd it with Spittle, and us'd some other trials about it. And this will much lessen the wonder of all the formerly mention'd Observations, by shewing that the properties that are so strange are not peculiar to one Diamond, but may be found in others also, and perhaps in divers other hard and_ Diaphanous _Stones. Yet I hope that what this Discovery takes away from the Wonder of these Observations, it will add to the Instructiveness of them, by affording pregnants Hints, towards the Investigation of the Nature of Light._

[43] We afterwards, try'd precious Stones, as Diamonds, Rubies, Saphires, and Emeralls, &c. but found not any of them to s.h.i.+ne except some Diamonds, and of these we were not upon so little practice, able to fore-tell before hand, which would be brought to s.h.i.+ne, and which would not; For several very good Diamonds, either would not s.h.i.+ne at all, or much less than others that were farr inferiour to them. And yet those Ingenious Men are mistaken, that think a Diamond must be foul and cloudy, as Mr. _Claytons_ was, to be fit for s.h.i.+ning; for as we could bring some such to afford a Glimmering Light, so with some clear and excellent Diamonds, we could do the like. But none of those many that we try'd of all Kinds, were equal to the Diamond on which the Observations were made, not only considering the degree of Light it afforded, but the easiness wherewith it was excited, and the Comparatively great duration of its s.h.i.+ning.

FINIS.