Meerschaum has no outstanding qualities of great merit. It is opaque with an earthy texture, porous, with hardness of only 2 to 2 1/2, and specific gravity of about 2. Chemically, it is a hydrated silicate of magnesium. A doubtful advantage it possesses is its property of adhering to the tongue, this being due to its porous nature and its peculiar texture. Meerschaum is found in Turkey, Greece, Spain and Morocco, but most of the worked material comes from Asia Minor. Here, it occurs in alluvial deposits as nodular masses of irregular shapes and varying sizes. It is systematically worked by digging pits and galleries; the earthy matrix is collected and scraped, and the lumps are then dried and scraped again, after which they are boiled in a wax and polished. When first unearthed, meerschaum has a greasy feel and lathers like soap. On this account, it was for long used by the Tartars for washing their linen. If heated, meerschaum gives off water and a fetid odor, subsequenty hardening and becoming perfectly white in color. The meerschaum industry at Eskischir in Turkey has in recent years experienced something of a revival. Some 621 metric tons were produced in 1935, but output varies considerably with economic factors. For instance, there was always a good demand in Hungary for large meerschaum pipes, but during the last few years, unsettled conditions has temporarily put an end to that business. The pipes were cut in Hungary, this industry being started there some two centuries ago, and the use of such pipes enjoyed a long period of popularity. They were made in large quantities; many were carved into intricate designs, and some were of such size that one filling sufficed to last a whole day. Such pipes are now treasured carefully, and serve as a reminder of more peaceful days. In Morocco, meerschaum is used as a substitute for soap when fresh and soft. In Spain, it is sometimes used as a building stone, but its chief use in ornament is still in the manufacture of pipe bowls, often elaborately carved. This form of pipe is now in very little demand, however, except in Turkey, so there is not much call for meerschaum and its value has decreased considerably. The turning and carving was carried out chiefly in Budapest; some was done in Vienna, as well as in Germany, France, and Italy. Several imitations are used, the chief being a treated form of Plaster of Paris. The use of meerschaum for cosmetic purposes is not new, for ground meerschaum was used as a face powder over a century ago. In Hungary, it is again being used for this purpose, and pieces of polished material are used for smoothing lines from the face and absorbing grease. Such uses hardly suggest that meerschaum should be classified as a jewel stone, but it has certainly come the way of most jewelers in some form or another, and its resemblance to certain varieties of amber may merit the detailing of its properties. |
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A German term meaning "sea-foam," this material somewhat resembles in appearance the froth sometimes seen on sea water. It is amorphous, very light and soft, and a dirty white, grayish, or light yellowish in color. The French also know this stone by the name ecume de mer—sea-foam.