Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 2, 1802).djvu/254

224&#93; 224] E M B to count all the threads of the mus- lin ; this latter mode, however, is much richer in points, and is like- wise susceptible of greater variety. Cloths which are milled too much, will not easily admit of such orna- ment. The thinnest and finest muslins only arc left for this pur- pose, and are embroidered to the greatest perfection in Saxony. Of late years, this work has been at- tempted in England and Scotland ) but it has not yet arrived at that degree of perfection to which it has been carried in France and Ger- manv. There are various kinds of em- broidery, namely, 1. Embroidery on the stamp • where the figures are raised and rounded, cotton or parchment being p'aced beneath, in order to support them. 2. Loiv embroidery ; in which the silver or gold lie's loiv upon the sketch or pattern, and is stitched with silk of the same colour. 3. Galmpcd, embroidery, which is performed either in gold or silver : a design is first made upon the cloth, and then placed on cut vellum ; after which the gold or silver is sown on with silk-thread. 4. Embroidery on loth sides ; which is thus denomi- nated, from its appearing on both sides of the stuff, 5. Plain cm- broidery ; where the figures are flat and even, being totally desti- tute of ornaments. By the statute 22 Geo. II. c. 36, no foreign embroidery, or gold or silver brocade, shall be imported, on pain of being forfeited and burnt, and a fine of 1001. for every piece. Nor shall any person sell or expose to sale, any foreign embroidery, gold, or silver thread, lace, fringe, brocade, &c. or make the same up into any garment, on pain of hav- ing it forfeited and burnt, and of EME paying a penalty of lOOl. : the mer- cer, or other person in whose cus- tody it may be found, incurs a si- milar fine. EMERALD, a genus of preci- ous stones belonging to the order of siliceous earths. This is perhaps the most beautiful of all the gems : when heated in fire, it changes its colours to a deep blue, and becomes phosphorescent ; it resumes its na- tural green on growing cold. Emeralds are divided by jewel- lers into two classes or kinds, namely, the oriental and the occi- dental. The former is at present extremely scarce, being found only in the kingdom of Cambay, in In- dia. The occidental emeralds are chiefly imported from Peru, in South America. A very inferior sort is also obtained from Silesia, which, however, is little esteem- ed. Genuine emeralds being seldom to be met- with, several experi- ments have been made, and direc- tions given for imitating them j from which we select the follow- ing: Take of natural crystal and of red lead, each 4 ounces ; ver- digrease 4S grains j and of crocus raartis, prepared with vinegar, 8 grains. The whole is to be finely pulverized, sifted, and put into a crucible, the space of one inch be- ing left empty. It is then to be well luted, set in a potter's furnace, and left for the same space of time as earthen ware. When cool, the crucible is to be broken, and these ingredients will be found converted into amass of a fine emerald co- lour j which, after being properly cut and set in gold, will at least be equal, if not superior, to genuine oriental emeralds. EMERY, a kind of metallic stone, found in several mines, but chiefly