If the indications are good, the natives proceed to build a hut if they

are at a distance from their village, and prepare for the operations,

which often extend over many weeks. After diverting a part of the force

of the stream so as to form a quiet pool, they proceed to excavate the

sand and gravel within a certain area. In order to accomplish this they

use hoes with handles fifteen or more feet in length. The top strata

are hurriedly raked up and thrown away; but as the pit deepens and the

gem stratum is approached, the work is performed with greater care. As

soon as the hoes bring up fragments and bowlders of white quartz, or

strike a thin ferruginous crust, every particle of the gravel drawn

up is carefully preserved. The gravel and sand thus obtained are then

placed in large baskets woven of split bamboo and shaped to a conical

point at the bottom. The basket thus filled is placed in the current of

water, and its contents washed by imparting to it a circular motion.

This washing process is kept up until the stones, gravel, and lesser

particles are cleansed. During this operation the gems, which are much

heavier than common stones, settle at the bottom of the basket, and are

there collected together, so that when the superincumbent gravel is

removed, the sapphires, garnets, zircons, etc., are easily discovered

at the bottom and removed. This is the manner in which the wet diggings

are carried on, and is the easiest mode of exploration; but it is by no

means as sure or often as profitable as the operations in dry ground

on the river banks or in the plains. The dry diggings are much more

laborious, as the soil is firmer and the gem strata must be transported

to water to be washed and sifted. These dry deposits are found the

richest beneath the alluvial plains, which seem to have been in distant

times shallow lakes and lagoons.

The gem stratum called mellan is always well defined, and occurs at

a certain depth, which seems to correspond to the bottom of the lake

at a definite period. This depth varies from two to twenty feet, and

is perhaps even greater; but the natives rarely excavate below the

depth of twenty feet. This peculiar formation, which is generally

horizontal, is composed of a conglomerate of quartz gravel resting upon

or mixed with a stiff clay, often indurated by a ferruginous oxide. In

among this cascalho, or just below it and adhering to it, are found

the fine pebbles and crystals of sapphire, tourmaline, garnet, zircon,

spinel, and chrysoberyl. Under these rocks and in peculiar hollows in

the plastic clay, which the natives call elephants’ footsteps, the gems

are found clustered together heterogeneously, and often so perfect in

form as to appear as though created there. At other places they are

collected together in these pockets in such a manner as to suggest the

idea that they had been washed in by a current of water.

All these varieties of gems, some of them widely differing from each

other in composition and form of crystallization, are here embedded

together, and seem to have one common origin. This is the true matrix,

and the gems are not found in other portions of the soil unless some

disturbing force has removed them, like a strong current of water

breaking up the cascalho and transporting the gems to alluvions of its

own deposit.

It is maintained and generally believed by mineralogists that the

sapphire is formed in crystalline rocks; that in process of time the

matrix is disintegrated, the gems set free, and washed down to the

alluvial soils where they are now found. It is also thought that the

gem-seekers might with patient care trace the precious stones to their

source in the primitive ledges or the mountains, as the gold miner

often follows for long distances the particles of gold in the soil

until he discovers the parent vein in the solid ledge. But in Ceylon

this view is not entertained by the natives; and all scientific efforts

to find the sapphires in the mountain ledges have utterly failed. All

trace of the sapphire and its attendant gems ceases as soon as we reach

the limit of the gem stratum, and what seems to have once formed the

shore of the lagoon. Beyond this plainly marked outline we may search

in vain for the least sign of a connection with the older rocks either

adjoining or at a distance. The result is the same if we examine the

ledges on the same level or those of a higher elevation.

In some countries, in the granular limestone of New Jersey for

instance, or the ripidolite of North Carolina, the granite of Siberia,

or the dolomites of Switzerland, we find sapphire, or more properly

corundum, of undecided colors, of inferior transparency or even of

opacity; but it is very rare that a specimen is found of sufficient

purity for ornamentation. The most transparent and perfect of these

sapphires are generally impaired by cleavage planes which traverse the

stone in several directions, preventing refraction of light, and often

so marked as to appear like flaws. This circumstance indicates that the

forces that deposited corundum and the fine sapphires were certainly

different in character, or that the conditions in which they were

exerted were not the same. For in Burmah, Pegu, India, or Ceylon, and

wherever the perfect sapphires are found, they have one common matrix,

and that is the peculiar ferruginous conglomerate.

This conglomerate is recognized as a recent formation; and how came

these gems, which are believed to be as old as creation itself, to be

found among it? This formation is not only recent, but it is actually

taking place all over the world at the present day, and examples may

be found in almost every country. We find in many places the peculiar

strata of sand, gravel, and masses of stone in proper position to

change into conglomerate, which requires the action of water highly

charged with iron and lime or silica. Darwin found these stony layers

in process of forming on the beaches of the Cape de Verde Islands,

and in vain attempted to knock out a bolt of iron which had been cast

ashore from some wreck not long before, and had in a short space of

time become firmly fixed in the conglomerate. We may observe the same

process taking place to-day on the coast of Cornwall, and among the

_débris_ of the ledges of the Abrolhos Islands. In dredging rivers

large masses of solid conglomerate are often brought to light.

The Thames has furnished many examples; and not many years ago a

cannon-ball embedded in a crystalline calcareous rock was taken from

the bed of the Mediterranean not far from the mouth of the Rhone. Fresh

water laden with _débris_ of vegetable matter also possesses the same

cementing action as sea water, and an excellent example is seen in the

allios now forming in the Landes of southern France. This allios is

also a conglomerate, which has formed and is now forming at the depth

of about three feet below the surface. Here the conglomerate of sand,

pebbles, and angular fragments of rock is firmly cemented together by

the rain-water, which filters down from the surface of the earth laden

with vegetable matter. The cascalho in which the diamond is found is of

similar character, and has a similar origin, for we likewise find there

traces of vegetable _débris_, and the diamond itself contains germs of

fungi and vegetable fibres of higher organizations.

But whence come the elements which form the gems? the inquirer will

say. Can we gather figs from thistles? Marco Polo in the thirteenth

century visited these gem beds, and has left his views in the

following lines: “In ista insula nascuntur boni et nobiles rubini et

non nascuntur in aliquo loco plus. Et hic nascuntur safri et topazii,

amethisti et aliquæ aliæ petræ pretiosæ et rex istius insulæ habet

pulchriorem rubinum de mundo.” Buffon, four centuries later, in

seeking for the causes of the formation of this mineral, observed the

peculiarities of the matrix on this island, and boldly stated that

the origin of the precious stones like the rubies, the sapphires, and

topazes of the East is the same as that of the diamond. He also stoutly

maintained that these stones form and are found in the conglomerate

in which is collected the _débris_ of other matters. The researches

of Sir Samuel Baker and others on these deposits seem to indicate, if

they do not prove, that the sapphire in particular was formed in the

sands, clay, or conglomerate where it is now found, and was not set

free by the disintegration of the old crystalline rocks. Nordenskiold

recognized these gem beds as true placers, but was inclined to think

the gem strata had decayed and left the gems free. An article published

some years ago in “Once a Week,” and supposed to have been from the pen

of Sir Samuel Baker, who had lived many years at Ratnapoora, and had

attentively examined the gem-bearing formations, gave the following

account:--

“A common but erroneous belief is that the gems are formed in the

mountains and washed down by the abrasion of the rocks and deposited

in the alluvial bottoms. If it were so, they would have been traced

to their source and sought for in the mountains, where they would

naturally be found in greater quantities; but the natives never

think of searching for precious stones in such places, and in the

localities where they are found there does not appear to have been

any local alteration in the veins of gravel since they were first

thrown there; and my own conviction formed from observation on the

spot, and for this and other reasons following, is that the sapphire

and other gems have been formed and are still forming in the places

where they are now found. In the first place, rounded sapphires and

sapphire crystals with facets of brilliant lustre are found lying side

by side. Secondly, both the rounded stones and the numerous perfect

crystals, with their pyramids unbroken, show that they were never

broken from other rocks, but were formed unattached to any matrix, in

a soft medium such as fine sand or clay. I have seen hundreds of these

taken loose from the same spot. Thirdly, crystals of sapphire are

found with their edges reduced, yet with brilliant facets, which is

inconsistent with their reduction by rolling. Fourthly, sapphire being

much harder than any other stone with which it could come in contact,

it is not easy to understand how any attrition could be brought to

bear upon it to bring it to the beautifully translucent polish which

the rounded stones usually bear more especially considering the short

distance from the mountains to the alluvial bottoms between which the

water-wearing process is supposed to be effected.

“It is remarkable that the rounded sapphires and rubies are always

the densest and of the finest water and color; showing that they were

formed by different chemical forces from the others. In short, there

is no more reason for supposing rounded sapphires to be water-worn

than for supposing that the bowlders of jasper, for instance, on the

Egyptian desert were so formed, when a fracture shows them to have

been formed in concentric layers and to be in their original state.

The same remarks apply to the crystals of some other minerals, as

zircon, tourmaline, and spinel.”

The mineralogist, in contesting this opinion, will point to the round

pebbles of sapphire as evidence of disintegration and subsequent

aqueous action. But upon careful inquiry we shall find that these

nodular masses are regular concretions and natural formations, which

do not owe their form to the abrasion of exterior force, but are the

results of crystalline action. We shall also find that these peculiar

stones always form the finest specimens of the class of gems to

which they belong, whether sapphire, diamond, tourmaline, topaz, or

chrysoberyl.

In regard to beauty of color, density, hardness of texture, and

brilliancy, these apparently water-worn masses are decidedly superior

to the perfectly shaped crystals, and among all the true gem mines of

the world this rule is observed. In the conglomerate of Ceylon we often

find gems whose appearance indicates the shock and abrasion of waves or

currents of water, while we find in adjoining places perfectly formed

crystals whose facets display a lustre as brilliant as on the day of

their creation. Some, then, have perhaps been moved about by aqueous

action, while others have never stirred from their first position.

Among all the multitudes of sapphires taken from the mines of Ceylon,

we have never seen or heard of a specimen fairly attached to any rock

as a matrix. Sometimes the ferruginous cement which is one of the

necessary components of the matrix unites accidentally the rough gem to

a mass of quartz, but all the sapphires we have seen exhibit no sign of

having been attached permanently to any mineral substance. In fact, all

the rounded stones and the more perfect crystallized specimens have the

appearance of having been formed in a soft medium like sand or clay.

Whence come the masses of quartz that are always found in the

conglomerate, and which sometimes occur of a large size? may be

asked by the inquirer. This is a question which cannot be answered

satisfactorily, especially when the adjoining ledges do not contain the

material. We can, however, solve the problem by supposing that beds of

quartz have been formed on the beds of the lagoons, and were afterwards

broken up by the action of the waves, frost, or other agencies.

The clay, which is often a component of this matrix, is sometimes

argillaceous and at other times kaolin. We are generally inclined to

believe that these substances are always the results of decomposition;

yet there are abundant evidences to show that they may be original

deposits. The distinguished geologist Jameson was forced to admit this

from his extended observations. We find blue, reddish, and yellowish

mud in cavities of the hard crystalline rocks enveloping crystals of

quartz and topaz, as at Greenwood, in Maine, or Schneckenstein, in

Germany. The phenomena are well marked in the felspar quarries at

Bowdoinham, in Maine, and also at Schemnitz, in Hungary, in a vein four

or five inches wide traversing porphyry. Whence comes this substance,

when there is no opportunity for infiltration, if it is not an original

deposition? Perhaps by pseudomorphism.

How and why were these sapphires deposited in globular forms when the

law of crystallization is so rigid and inflexible? This is a question

which requires considerable assurance to answer, in the view that they

are original depositions; but Nature offers many examples to sustain

the theory if we search her domain; for instance, how were the rounded

nodules of flint formed in the chalk-beds? Their shape is not due to

attrition, and their peculiar arrangement forbids the belief that they

have been rolled or abraded by the agency of water. In the interior of

solid ledges we find nodules of quartz with rounded edges, as though

they had been exposed to some dissolving agency or abrading force; yet

they have been beyond the reach of external violence. Hence we must

conclude that their globular form is perhaps due to some deviation in

the usual process of deposition or crystallization. Huronite occurs in

spherical masses in hornblendic bowlders; and we may find nodules of

tourmaline in the interior of the most perfect crystals of the mineral.

There are other examples.

The Cingalese do the mining and sell the gems to Moors, who resort

to Ratnapoora to attend the jewel fair, which is held at the annual

Buddhist festival of the Pera. Purchasers not only from all parts of

Ceylon, but India, come to buy gems at this time. It has therefore

become the great jewel mart of the world; and one can find there many

of the rare and beautiful gems found in other parts of the world: the

emeralds of Peru, the topazes of Brazil, the opals of Honduras, the

turquoises of Persia, the jade of China; in fact, most of the gems

that have a commercial value, or any tradition attached thereto, are to

be found at these fairs. They are of greater importance than the famous

fairs at Novgorod in Russia, to which the gems and precious stones of

Northern and Central Asia are annually sent.

The Hindoos are the best buyers of gems of all the nations of the

world. Their rajahs and princes pay the highest prices for the

paragons; and the poor native had rather invest in a gem, which to

his simple belief adds to his security and happiness, than hoard

gold coins, which are no better for concealment. The Moors are also

generally the lapidaries. The tools which they use in cutting the gems

are rude and primitive, and often the stones are much impaired under

their hands; but some of the workmen are skilful and are able to copy

with exactness the most perfectly cut gems of the European lapidaries.

Workmen of the inferior class may be found in the little towns all over

the island; but the artists of the first rank are located at Callatura

and Colombo. Immense numbers of garnets, zircons, and inferior

sapphires, with other gems, are cut by these rude artisans, who place

but little value on their time, and therefore work for a trifle. These

precious stones are then sold on the island or exported to foreign

lands, but are generally taken to India by travelling merchants, who

exchange them for produce or money. The demand is so great from the

populous Mohammedan nations, that many of these gems are really higher

in price in India than in the gem marts in Europe, as in the time of

Tavernier, three hundred years ago. Another potent reason prevents the

market from being glutted: the Hindoo parts with his gem reluctantly,

and only in case of necessity or in hope of greater gain; and the

wealthy Parsee prides himself upon his display of gems, as well as

upon his degree of caste. The quantity of gems treasured up by the

inhabitants of India must be immense.

The composition of the sapphire, when found in the clear, transparent

form, is pure alumina. Its degree of hardness is 9, being inferior only

to the diamond; and its range of colors is very extensive, embracing

most of those seen in the solar spectrum. Its specific gravity varies

from 3.9 to 4.3; and, with the exception of the zircon, it is the

heaviest of all the gems. It is also compact and exceedingly tough in

its texture, and resists the shocks and wear of time better than any

other gem, not excepting even the diamond, which is harder, but far

more fragile. In point of brilliancy, it is below the zircon, garnet,

and the spinel, its refractive index being 1.77 to 1.79. This mineral

possesses remarkable electrical properties, but not so marked in degree

as in the tourmaline or topaz; when this property is excited in the

polished specimen, the attraction continues for a considerable length

of time. The property of double refraction is not often very distinct,

and by means of this peculiarity it is sometimes detected from the

spinel.

The term corundum is now applied to the coarser and less transparent

kinds of the stone, which have been used as a polishing material from

time immemorial. The granular variety known as emery is largely mixed

with iron ores, and is far inferior to the transparent and purer

varieties as an abrading agent. It is always of a blackish or dark-gray

hue, and is often mistaken for iron ore. Asia Minor furnishes nearly

all of the emery used in the arts. It is found there in masses or

bowlders, either free or in granular limestone. In the United States it

is found along the gold belt in the Southern States; and in Chester,

a town of Massachusetts, it occurs in a large and valuable vein

associated with diaspore, ripidolite, etc., which generally accompany

it. At this mine at Chester, translucent sapphires of bi-pyramidal form

are sometimes found. Dr. C. J. Jackson found one small blue crystal

quite transparent and doubly terminated.

The corundum belt of the United States has been traced, with wide

intervals, however, from Philadelphia to Northern Georgia. All along

this distance of several hundred miles, masses of corundum, more or

less transparent, have been found during the past forty years, but

active search failed to reveal the mineral in its matrix. A few years

ago exploration in the extreme southwestern part of North Carolina

discovered the long-looked-for corundum _in situ_. It was found on the

side of a mountain, in a mica-like substance called ripidolite. The

corundum from this locality appears in geodes and also in well-marked

crystals, ranging from small size to even the weight of three hundred

pounds. It is often of perfect transparency, but may be translucent

or opaque. The transparent crystals and masses, although possessing

limpidity, are traversed in all directions with cleavage planes, which

prevent their use in ornamentation. The colors are also irregularly

distributed in patches, clouds, or in thin veneers; many specimens have

been seen of variegated hues,--red, white, yellow, and blue,--and even

the whole of these colors have been seen in a single specimen.

From the great number of specimens submitted to our examination we

have no hesitation in saying that gems cannot be quarried at will from

these mines. The inequality of color and the frequency of cleavage

planes will forbid. Small gems of few grains weight may be cut from

some of the transparent masses if the clear portions are selected with

care, and cut with that skill which is required in the shaping of gems

whose color is unequally distributed. But it is doubtful if fine gems

are found in this formation, for the conditions which deposited the

corundum here, and the more perfect specimens in the true gem strata

elsewhere, are quite different.

The colors of the North Carolina corundum are often very fine, and

we have seen specimens of a superb blue that retain their hues

by candlelight. None of the reds we have ever seen have the true

pigeons’-blood tint, but are tinged with blue, and are therefore of a

finer shade when seen by artificial light than by daylight. The yellows

are also of a decided shade, and generally form a portion only of the

crystal or mass of sapphire.

Some fine crystals have been found here, but we have seen none so

perfectly crystallized as the pyramidal specimens from the Asiatic

mines. Several large crystals have been exhumed, one of which

weighs three hundred pounds, and is well defined in its form of

crystallization. It is now preserved in the valuable cabinet of

Professor Shepherd, of Amherst College.

A few years ago the gold-miners, while seeking for gold in the

river-beds and alluvial deposits among the mountains of Montana,

observed little transparent crystals of stone among the nuggets and

flakes of gold, as they cleared out their rude apparatus used in

washing the auriferous soils. But little notice was taken of these

limpid stones, as their colors were generally faint; but the observing

gold-seekers remarked their great weight and the remarkable coldness

to the touch, as they passed them around to each other in wonderment.

For a long time the miners flung these minerals away with other refuse,

unconscious of their character or their value; but one day there

appeared in the dark sands of the gold-pans a stone which flashed forth

such brilliant red gleams as to excite anew the curiosity and cupidity

of the miners. This discovery led to inquiry, and the gold-seekers

learned too late concerning the value of the treasures they had

carelessly thrown away. Afterwards the gems were preserved and sent

with the gold-dust to the States. They proved to be sapphires. Some

of them were finely crystallized in long, regular prisms, but the

most of them were without definite form. None of the several hundred

specimens that have been submitted to us exhibited smooth faces, like

the brilliant facets of crystals found in cavities of the crystalline

rocks or in the gem mines of Ceylon; but all exhibited a roughness of

the exterior, as though they had been abraded by aqueous action.

The colors of these sapphires are generally faded or faint; some are

snow-white, but the most of them are of a faint bluish or greenish

cast. We have, however, seen small gems of fine red, yellow, hyacinth,

light-blue, and celadine green. We have also information of a beautiful

red sapphire of six karats, but failed to trace it after it was sent

from Montana.

This discovery establishes the fact beyond a doubt that the gem occurs

in quite perfect form in the territories of the United States. Most

of the specimens we have seen were collected at El Dorado Bar, which

has since been abandoned by the gold-seekers. From this superficial

search and incomplete information concerning the locality of the gem,

we are unable to determine whether regular gem mines are to be found in

this country, or along the slope of the mountains, which extend either

north or south to a great distance. We have been assured, however, by

officers of the army, that fine sapphires have been brought to them

by the Indians in Colorado living on the same range and formation

that stretches into Montana. Therefore we shall not be surprised if

well-directed search along this formation should reveal gem beds of

value; and the mere circumstance that the gold-washers do not discover

them is of but little weight; for gem-seeking and gold-mining are two

different explorations.

It is a little singular that none of the beautiful gems occur in huge

specimens, like some of the products of the vegetable kingdom. Nature,

however, in the mineral line, or certainly with the gems, creates

her perfections in small bodies. We sometimes find a clear crystal

of topaz, tourmaline, or emerald of a few ounces or even pounds in

weight, but they are very rare; while the generality of all the choice

specimens are comparatively of a diminutive size. When occurring above

a certain weight they become defective either in color, limpidity,

or form. They are precious stones, it is true, so far as composition

is concerned, but they are not gems according to the acceptance of

the word. By the word gem we not only mean a precious stone, but its

transformation into a form possessing limpidity, brilliancy, attractive

color, or some other charm.

As regards the sapphire, its perfect forms occur in diminutive

size. This mineral is also found in Bohemia, near Merowitz, in an

argillaceous or marly cement, with garnets, zircons, and even fossil

shells. Tavernier relates that he saw in possession of General

Wallenstein, when at Prague, some beautiful rubies, which were obtained

in Bohemia. Fine stones of even five karats weight have been discovered

at these mines. Concerning the mines of Lower Bengal we have but little

information, and will not venture to give a description. We think they

have the same characteristics as those of the gem beds of Ceylon. The

Ilmenes Mountains, in Siberia, furnish sapphires of a strong blue. In

Greece and Saxony they are also found in small quantities of undecided

colors, and generally opaque. Impure specimens of well-defined colors

are found in the volcanic _débris_ of Expailly, in France, or among the

snow-white dolomites of St. Gothard; in the granite ledges close to

the base of the glacier of Bois, in the Alps of Savoy, we may observe

regular prisms of sapphire, quite transparent and sometimes of a

decided blue or a tender green.

The massive and opaque varieties known as adamantine spar are said

to be found in granitic rocks in China, and on the coast of Malabar;

but very little is known concerning the exact condition of these

localities. Fibrolite and magnetic iron are said to accompany the

corundum in several of its localities. Brard believes that the blue

diamond of Pliny of the Island of Cyprus is no other than the blue

sapphire. And this belief is not without foundation, as some of the

varieties of corundum are found on the islands and coasts not far

distant. Occasionally stones of fine blue tints and of considerable

size are found. In 1853, a large and beautiful piece was found in the

gem strata near Ratnapoora, and sold to a Moor at Colombo for $20,000.

Fragments as large as goose eggs are also sometimes found in the

Saffragan district, but are of an inferior character, according to Dr.

Davy. Mawe describes one of three hundred and ten karats. We have in

our collection a transparent, light-blue, and finely shaped crystal of

three hundred and eight karats, but we fear that it will not match the

distinct crystal of three inches in length which belonged to Sir Abram

Hume.

The suite of blues exhibited by this gem is very extensive, and

embraces all known shades and even the purest prismatic hue. The deep

regal blue is too intense a color for a night gem, as by artificial

light it becomes black. But there are sapphires of a celestial blue

possessing perfect limpidity and rich velvety reflections that retain

their splendid colors by night as well as by day, and they merit the

distinction bestowed upon them by the ancients when they consecrated

them to Jupiter. These superb gems are, however, exceedingly rare, and

are eagerly sought for by amateurs at prices far above that of the

colorless diamond. The general color of the blue sapphire is a light

shade, from which it passes through various gradations to a blue black.

Perfect stones of fine colors are quite rare, for they are apt to be

clouded, and the color distributed unevenly in the mass. Frequently

the color is in one extremity of the crystal, or appears as a spot on

the surface of a nodule. In other specimens it is arranged in bands or

thin clouds. Hence much skill is often required to cut them so that the

gem may display a proper distribution. Frequently the color is left in

the bottom of the gem, and when the stone is set the color is diffused

by refraction through the upper portions, so as to give the gem the

appearance of being colored throughout.

One of the most perfect and beautiful specimens of sapphire is the

magnificent blue gem now in the Natural History Museum of Paris. It

was given by M. Weiss in exchange for a collection of choice minerals.

It is of the form of an oblique angular parallelopipedon of 132¹⁄₁₆

karats. Haüy thought it had been cut and polished; but Satrin believed

that only its natural faces were polished, and that the form of the

primitive crystal was not altered. This is the most probable view,

for no lapidary of even ordinary skill would select the rhomboidal

form for so beautiful and valuable a gem. This remarkable gem, without

defects, notwithstanding its great size, was found in Bengal by a poor

wooden-spoon maker. It finally was acquired by Rospoli, of Rome, but

was purchased for the French Crown after several vicissitudes. It was

obtained at the price of 170,000 francs, which price is certainly below

its true value. France also possesses several other superb sapphires

of large size. There is also in Dresden a fine sapphire, a gift from

Peter the Great.

There was in the ancient Hungarian crown a fine large sapphire,

surrounded with four oblong green gems, the nature of which has not yet

been made known. These mysterious green stones, rendered still more

interesting by the disappearance of the crown, are perhaps of modern

introduction, as they are not mentioned in the inventory of the jewel

when Queen Elizabeth pledged it to the Emperor Frederick IV. Hence the

inquiry arises, are they green sapphires, emeralds, tourmalines, or

antique glass?

In the Universal Exhibition at London, in 1855, two immense and

beautiful sapphires were displayed among the collection of gems and

jewels which had been gathered from all parts of the world; they

belonged to Miss Burdett Coutts, and were valued at nearly $200,000.

At the same exhibition might have been seen a beautiful oval sapphire,

and another in the form of a drop, and of very unusual size and beauty,

belonging to a rich Russian countess.

The Imperial Crown of the First Order of the Czar of Russia contains an

enormous blue sapphire of great beauty and value. The Russian treasury

also possesses some others of great size and rare beauty. Among them

is the famous light-blue stone which formerly belonged to the cabinet

of the English banker, the late Mr. Hope. There is also a very large

and celebrated sapphire, said to be of marvellous beauty in the Vienna

Kronenschatze. Most of the treasuries and regalias of Europe contain

fine sapphires of value and beauty. Among the Crown jewels of France,

there are two superb gems of twenty-seven karats each, one of nineteen

karats, and about a dozen ranging in weight from nine to thirteen

karats each.

The Hindoos took great pleasure in carving images of their idols, and

in making grotesque forms as well as talismans, from the precious

stones found in their country; and very many examples are shown to the

traveller. The sapphire was often chosen for this purpose; and neither

its excessive hardness nor its high price offered any serious obstacles

to the determined votary or the superstitious grandee. There is a

statuette of Buddha, one inch in height, carved by the Hindoos out of

a perfect sapphire, in the British Museum, which came from the sack of

India. One of the richest reliquaries of any age or any country is the

golden case at Kandy in Ceylon, which contains a tooth of Buddha, but

which the naturalists declare to be the tooth of a monkey. Never was

fancied sanctity so dearly enshrined. The dental specimen is enclosed

in five golden cases fitting each other _en suite_ and incrusted with

the finest rubies, sapphires, and other gems Ceylon and India has

afforded.

Philostratus describes a chamber in the ancient Royal Palace of the

Parthians at Babylon as follows: “It has a roof fashioned into a

vault like the heaven, composed entirely of sapphires, which are the

bluest of stones, and resemble the sky in color. This is the chamber

in which the King delivers his judgment.” The Asiatics, in all periods

of their semi-civilized history, made a lavish use of this gem in the

decorations of their dwellings and their temples. Even the partial

ruins of some of these edifices still to be seen in various parts of

India, exhibit great beauty in their impaired mosaics of precious

stones.

The red sapphire is known in commerce as the Oriental ruby, and when in

perfection is the most magnificent of gems, and is rarely approached in

the beauty of its gorgeous hue by any other gem. The term ruby is an

indefinite one, and refers to any stone of a rich red color. All these

gems were classed together in the time of Pliny, under the generic name

of “carbunculus,” but the red sapphire was reckoned a variety, and

especially referred to under the name of “lychnis.” It is seldom found

exceeding three karats in weight, and the distinguished mineralogist,

Beudant, declares that a perfect red sapphire of thirty troy grains

is unknown, and would be of inestimable value. It is a singular fact

that while the blue variety should occur in masses and crystals of even

several ounces in weight, the red is rare even at four karats. Modern

mineralogists now maintain that all of the large historic rubies are

spinels, but it is within the bounds of possibility that large red

sapphires do occur sometimes as exceptions to an apparently rigid rule;

for we have lately received from the Ceylon mines a transparent crystal

of pink color which weighs two hundred and forty-one karats. It is

also stated that the King of Arrakan possesses two magnificent prisms

of one and a half inches in length and an inch in diameter.

But of all the fine red sapphires which are known and proved, there

are but few above five karats. The largest one of which we have

any definite knowledge is the beautiful gem set in the Toison d’Or

of the French Regalia, and which weighs 8³⁄₁₆ karats (= 26 grains

troy). The inventory of the French gems in 1791 justly illustrates

the comparative rarity and diminutive size of the stone; for in this

splendid collection, which had accumulated during a long period of

time, and was then the richest in Europe, there were but four red

sapphires above five karats, and only five above four karats. This

variety is singularly liable to imperfections, and far more so than

either the blue or the yellow. It is rare to find a ruby of the pure

and characteristic pigeons’-blood tint that does not in some degree

exhibit silky and opalescent fibres. This defect, which generally

appears as a milkiness in the interior of the gem, is due to minute

crystals dispersed throughout the stone, and which become apparent when

the mineral is viewed parallel to the primitive axis of the crystal.

Hence, in cutting the rough stone, considerable care must be exercised

by the lapidary, so as to shape the gem and render its opalescence

invisible. Rubies of exquisite color are often rendered comparatively

valueless on account of fibres, clouds, and chalcedony-like bands.

All the red sapphires, however, are not affected in this way. The

blood-red are much more liable than those which have a tinge of

blue. We have examined a number of red sapphires perceptibly tinted

with violet, which were completely free from internal defects. This

opalescence is never possessed by the spinel, and is therefore one of

the distinguishing marks in testing the nature of the red gems. The red

tourmaline is also strangely liable to internal fibres, hollow threads,

clouds, and longitudinal streaks, and sometimes presents an appearance

similar to that of the ruby. The red sapphire is also distinguished

from the other varieties by being decidedly heavier, and also by being

softer than the deep-blue.

Ceylon is famous for the abundance of blue sapphires, while the red

variety is comparatively rare. In Burmah, however, the red variety is

the most abundant and of the finest hue. The Ceylon rubies are regarded

as inferior in tint to those found in Ava and Pegu of the Burmese

Empire; but they are less inclined to be opalescent, and are therefore

more brilliant. The violet tinge of the Ceylon rubies lessens their

beauty when viewed by daylight; but it disappears in a great measure

by artificial light, and the hue then becomes of a fine prismatic red,

accompanied by the most vivid lustre; therefore we may say in general

terms that the Burmese rubies are the most beautiful by daylight, and

that the Ceylonese are superior by night.

The finest mines of rubies in the world are near the Capelan Mountains

in Ava. But concerning their extent, history, and exploration, very

little is known. Colonel Symes, who visited the country in 1795, with

the British Embassy, stated that the richest and most valuable of the

mines were then situated in the vicinity of the capital; but that there

were many other mines in various parts of the kingdom. The information

concerning these remarkable deposits is vague and uncertain even at

the present day; but sufficient is known to establish the fact that

the geological formation is very similar to the gem beds of Ceylon and

Lower Bengal. According to the publications of the Asiatic Society of

Bengal, the principal mines of Burmah are situated about seventy miles

east of the capital; and the deposits are discovered by sinking pits

at various depths in the earth until the gem stratum is reached. It

appears to be precisely like the conglomerate of Ceylon, and occurs at

a depth varying from two to forty feet below the surface.

It is stated that all of the fine gems above a certain weight are

monopolized by the king, who styles himself “Lord of the rubies,” and

consequently but very few find their way to the marts of other nations.

It is also stated that the gems are polished at Amarapoora, where there

are about twenty lapidary establishments; and that pulverized blue

sapphire, or the massive corundum spar, which is a trifle harder than

the red variety, is used as the abrading material. All of the mines

are jealously guarded from the visits of Europeans; and when Professor

Oldham was allowed to examine some of them in 1855, he could learn of

but one European who had previously seen them. This favored person

was a deserter from the British army, and was employed by the king as

superintendent of the mines.

This gem is so highly prized in Burmah that when a fine gem is

discovered a procession is formed of grandees, elephants, and soldiers,

and sent out to meet it and escort it to the royal treasury. The

long and exclusive possession of these mines has enriched the Crown

immensely; but nothing is known with certainty. Colonel Symes,

however, saw some of the state carriages of the King of Ava, which

were splendidly decorated with jewels. One of these carriages was a

magnificent and singular production of art. Its decorations were so

profuse and contained so many precious stones set in silver and gold,

that it presented one entire blaze of the most brilliant colors. A

vast variety of gems were used in the construction of this truly

Oriental vehicle; and among them were to be seen diamonds, rubies,

white and blue sapphires, emeralds, amethysts, garnets, topazes, and

crystals of all kinds. Another of these queer barbaric monuments of

art was lately exhibited at Rangoon. It is known as the Royal Hitee.

This grotesque piece of architecture, with fantastic name, is a light

edifice thirty-five feet high, formed of seven terraces, surmounted

by an umbrella, which is the emblem of royalty. The terraces were

richly inlaid with gold and precious stones; and the sacred umbrella

was profusely decorated with valuable rubies, pearls, diamonds, and

emeralds.

Rambusson has recently stated that none of the mines yielding rubies

have been worked for one hundred and fifty years; and that all of the

gems now offered in commerce have been collected previously. We think

this author is somewhat mistaken in this statement; for we know that

the Ceylon gem-deposit yields more of these gems at the present time

than for a long time past; and we do not quite believe that search

for them has been entirely suspended in Siam or in Burmah. During the

last years of the occupation of Ceylon by the Dutch, they exacted

from the tribes of the interior of the island an annual tribute in

the form of a certain quantity of precious stones. Hence the King of

Kandy forbade further exploration for gems by the natives; and so the

gem-fields lay neglected for a long time. Lately, however, under the

English rule, the ancient fondness for gem-mining has revived among the

Cingalese, and some fine gems have been discovered. In 1875 a native

hunter found in a remote district of Siam some remarkable mines of red

and blue sapphires; and explorations brought to light many valuable

stones, which found their way to the gem marts of Rangoon and Calcutta.

Splendid specimens were shown to Admiral Coote; and the consul at

Bangkok saw a magnificent stone of three hundred and seventy karats,

which yielded a blue gem of one hundred and eleven karats weight, and

of the finest water.

Rubies are even now scarce in India, and probably always will be,

since the demand for them is very great among the wealthy of the

populous nations of that country. Even three centuries ago Tavernier

found it profitable to buy them in Europe and sell them again in the

country whence they had been taken perhaps many centuries before. Red

sapphires not only exhibit singular internal structures, but they may

be colored strangely, thus puzzling the experimentalist to account

for the distribution of coloring matter. Davila possessed a fine and

rare ruby which exhibited a clear white band between two parts of red.

Another gem showing a strange arrangement of color was to be seen in

the cabinet of Chantilly. It was half red and half yellow. Stones of

such distribution of color are marvels of rarity; but it is quite

common to meet with them partly red and blue or white, or blue and

yellow. They sometimes display a vague dichroism which is not so well

defined as in the iolite or tourmaline. The naturalist Fanjas found

at Expailly, in France, a transparent sapphire which, viewed in one

direction, exhibited a green hue approaching the emerald in its beauty

of tint, but when seen in another light it appeared of a very beautiful

blue. In the Orleans collection there was a curious sapphire which had

been engraved with the figure of a woman, the head being formed of

white, and the dress of intense blue. It is related that M. Bossi, of

Milan, who was an excellent connoisseur in gems, saw in possession of

Prince Metsch a superb sapphire which appeared to be dotted with flakes

of gold. We sometimes notice this singular appearance in the interior

of other gems, and find by the use of the microscope that it is due

to internal flaws or reflections from plate-like crystals within the

stone. We are inclined to believe that this gem of Prince Metsch is

to be classed with the sapphire owned by Abbé Pullini, which had been

engraved upon by the ancients. This stone, when viewed in a certain

direction, exhibited flakes of gold in the interior, which disappeared

when the view was changed, which would hardly have been the case if the

reflections had been produced by opaque bodies. We have before us a

polished Siberian beryl which shows flakes of silver-white in certain

lights, but which appear of dark-brown when the axis of vision is

changed.

The Crown of England possesses some large and beautiful colored rubies,

but they are probably spinels. The large one standing in the centre of

the Maltese cross on top of the British crown is probably a spinel,

but nevertheless of great beauty. It is also a gem of considerable

historic interest, if we can believe the traditions that cluster around

it, and it is believed to be the identical stone given to the famous

Black Prince of England, by King Pedro of Castile, after the battle of

Najara. Tradition also asserts that King Henry V. of England wore it

in the front of his helmet, in the bloody battle of Agincourt, about

a hundred years later. Its earlier history seems to be lost. Perhaps

this is the identical ruby given in 1360 to Rudolph II. of Austria

by the Queen Dowager of France. When Peter the Great visited England

he gave one of the members of the royal family a very beautiful ruby

which he carelessly took from his vest pocket. The last message sent

by Mary, Queen of Scots, before execution to the Duke of Guise was

accompanied with a beautiful ruby ring, as proof of the credibility of

the messenger.

The King of Burmah is said to possess an immense ruby of wonderful

beauty, of the size of a pigeon’s egg, but there is no authentic record

of it. Tavernier mentions a ruby of 50 karats and another of 17¹⁄₂

karats, which he saw in possession of the King of Visapour; but as all

gems of fine red color were then classed as rubies, we are ignorant

of their nature. Among the numerous articles of loot obtained by the

French in the sack of the Summer Palace at Pekin, was the necklace

of the Emperor of China. This celestial jewel was formed of green

jade stones of delicate color, perforated and strung upon a cord, to

the centre of which was attached a monster red stone, of the nature

of which we are not informed. It has been stated that the East India

Company has the largest specimen of red sapphire known, but we are

unable to vouch for the statement. The largest ruby seen in India by

Garcia was of twenty-four karats weight. Chardin, however, describes

a magnificent one among the crown jewels of Persia, in the year 1666.

This matchless gem was as large as a hen’s egg cut in half, and was of

superb color. On its superior face the name of “Chaic Sophy” had been

engraved by one of its former possessors.

The Crown of Russia possesses the finest and most valuable collection

of rubies in the civilized world. Some of them are of enormous size and

are probably spinels, but they are nevertheless of great beauty and

value. The degree of color gives the true value to the gem, no matter

what its composition may be, if its hardness is equal to quartz. Among

the red gems of lesser size there are undoubtedly red sapphires of

value, but we have no positive details concerning them. In fact, all

of the red stones of fine hues are classed as rubies without regard to

their nature. The famous ruby placed under the cross in the Russian

crown of Anna Ivanovna is said to have been bought at Pekin by the

Russian ambassador for 120,000 roubles. It is indeed a wonderful gem,

and is one of the marvels of the mineral world, whether its material be

corundum, tourmaline, or spinel. It is now known that the Chinese have

mines of rubies in the mountains of the Province of Yu-Nan, and it is

possible that this gem may have come from that locality. The tourmaline

deposits of Nertschinsk, which yield gems of splendid red hues, are

not far distant from Pekin, and those mines may claim the honor of

producing this rare stone.

The throne of gold, called by the Persians Takdis, was supported on

feet formed of rubies. One of the seal rings of Chosroes II. was a

pink ruby, with the legend engraved upon it, “Riches are the source of

prosperity.” The fifth seal ring was a red ruby, bearing the legend,

“Splendor and prosperity.”

The flowers, composed of the finest gems afforded by the mines of

India, and placed by Shah Jehan on the tomb of his beautiful wife, in

that wonderful mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, were the most precious ever

made. The roses of these garlands were made of the finest rubies; and

the leaves were composed of emeralds, which were made to glisten with

diamond spray. The screen which was built around the tomb was carved

from marble, and as delicately wrought as a veil of lace; and along its

borders, lilies, tulips, roses, and other beautiful flowers, composed

of precious stones, were inlaid in the marble.

The tomb of Mahomet, at Medina, must contain some superb gems and

works of the goldsmith’s art. Here is to be seen that masterpiece of

embroidery, the veil of Kunderas, which is composed of inwrought pearls

and various precious stones of the value of ten millions of rupees. The

faithful relate, that when the rays of the morning sun glance over it,

its wonderful beauty seems enhanced by invisible influences. The famous

sympathetic ruby of the sacred Kaaba, now preserved in the temple at

Mecca, and believed to have fallen from the heavens at the beginning

of the world, is undoubtedly an aerolite. The fiery red hue which it

exhibited when traversing the sky, coming from unknown space, gave rise

to the tradition of its being a latent ruby whose gleams of beauty had

been temporarily suspended.

The yellow variety of sapphire is quite common, and exhibits many of

the finest shades of yellow; but they are generally very faint in

tint and often like the lemon in hue. They are exceedingly liable

to imperfections, and especially to that opalescence which so often

disfigures the red sapphire. Fine specimens, therefore, possessing

transparency and beauty of color, are rare gems. But when it does occur

in perfection, it forms a magnificent gem, which is only surpassed by

the yellow diamond and zircon. Its rich golden hues, with soft and

satin-like flashes, are far superior to the Brazilian topaz.

The Museum of Natural History in Paris possesses one of the finest

yellow sapphires known. It is a wonderfully lustrous gem of fine color,

and measures nearly an inch in length by half an inch in breadth. There

is also in the same cabinet a strange gem which was once placed among

the crown jewels of France. It was mentioned in the famous inventory

of 1791, as a singular corundum of 19²⁄₁₆ karats weight, and of 6,000

francs value. It had been polished in the form of an elongated oval,

and exhibited the remarkable appearance of being deep-blue at the

extremities and yellow in the centre. This singular distribution of

color is not often seen in fine specimens, although it is frequently

met with among the inferior. We have also had the pleasure of examining

another large gem, cut into the form of a brilliant, whose diagonal

corners were blue and yellow, and yet, such was its play of dichroism,

that light reflected through these two colors produced but a faint

tinge of green.

This double arrangement of coloring is sometimes seen with blue and

red sapphires, or yellow, blue, and white; but we have learned of but

one fine gem displaying the red and yellow. Several of the transparent

crystals from North Carolina exhibit the two hues in the same crystal;

and we have seen one that was actually red, yellow, white, and blue.

But the specimen was not sufficiently perfect to form a gem. Sometimes

the yellow hues are of a greenish cast, and then they resemble the

finest of the golden chrysoberyls, or they may approach the more

verdant shade of the peridot. It is said by the antiquaries that none

of the collections of ancient Greek and Roman engraved gems possess a

single specimen in yellow sapphire. This singular absence may be partly

accounted for by its rarity in perfection, and also from its liability

to appear pale when set in gold.

In the French casket of gems, in the year 1791, mention was made of

a superb yellow sapphire of 27¹⁴⁄₁₆ karats, two of 13 karats each,

and one of 11 karats, all of which were valued at 8,900 francs. The

beautiful specimen now exhibited in the Cabinet of Minerals, in the

Garden of Plants at Paris, which is of the purest and richest color,

joined with wonderful lustre, is supposed to be the gem mentioned above

among the crown jewels. The French amateur and writer on gems, Caire,

once possessed a remarkable and charming yellow sapphire of the great

weight of twenty-nine karats. Its former Hindoo owner had seriously

impaired its beauty by drilling a hole in one extremity for the purpose

of suspension; and had also engraved on its sides inscriptions in

Arabic, which were probably condensed quotations from the Koran to

preserve the possessor from harm.

The green variety is probably the rarest of all the forms of sapphire,

and finely tinted stones are very seldom seen. They are generally of

a faint sea-green tinge, and resemble beryls in their hues. But when

they do occur of grass-green color, they form magnificent gems and far

exceed the true emerald in lustre and brilliancy. We very much doubt,

however, if they ever approach the emerald in its exquisite shade of

green. We have examined many green stones from the Ceylon gem mines,

and with one exception have found them to be green spinels, zircons,

and tourmalines of various intensities of shade. The one undoubted

specimen referred to was of an impure hue. The celebrated Romè de

L’Isle possessed two beautiful crystals of green sapphire. When they

display the sea-green hue or the mountain-blue of the beryl, they are

then called Oriental aqua-marines, but fine stones of this description

are not common. We have seen some small but very beautifully tinted

gems of this class from the gold fields of Montana. Barbot speaks

with ecstasy of two green sapphires from Matura in Ceylon, and which

far exceeded any other gem in their velvety color, limpidity, and

brilliancy. It is possible that these two gems may have been zircons,

as these stones abound in Matura, and are of the most vivid lustre when

perfect. But stones of fine green hues of this mineral are exceedingly

rare. We have also seen a specimen of transparent corundum from Siam

which was dichroite, blue and green one way, and entirely green the

other. It called to mind that found at Expailly in France, by the

naturalist Fanjas, and which appeared of an almost emerald green when

viewed in one direction, or of a most beautiful blue when the axis of

vision was changed.

The name girasole is applied to those gems that exhibit a peculiar

radiance when exposed to the sunbeams. This curious play of light is

seen in the transparent and translucent stones, but especially in

the translucent. When the gem which possesses this quality is cut in

the boss form it shows a glimmering light brighter at one part than

at another, owing to a peculiar internal refraction. The effect is

very beautiful when the gem is of fine color, and the bright spot

moves mysteriously over a more sombre ground as the stone is turned

in various directions. The sapphire rarely shows this property to

the same perfection exhibited by one of the varieties of opal. We

have seen two specimens from the North Carolina corundum mines, which

would have been very superior gems if they had not been traversed in

all directions by numerous cleavage planes. They were quite an inch

in diameter, of a nodular form, and had been deposited in a ledge of

ripidolite.

One of the most remarkable varieties of the sapphire is known as the

asteria, which was so named by Pliny from the fact of its displaying

diverging rays of light. This phenomenon is only seen in stones of

semi-opacity or inferior clearness, and the star-like rays are so

arranged as to be inclined to each other at an angle of 60 degrees.

These stones may be of various colors,--blue, red, or gray,--yet the

rays of the star are always white or faintly tinged, and stream forth

in beautiful contrast to a ground of delicate blue or decided red.

The stars appear the most distinctly to view when the polished gem is

exposed to direct sunlight or a small bright flame. This mysterious

play is seen in but few of the gems, and the sapphire exhibits it

in its greatest perfection. It is indeed a curious thing to see a

six-rayed star with long silken beams of light suddenly appear to view

as the gem is turned to the light, and as quickly disappear as the

focus is changed. No wonder the ancients believed the appearance due

to supernatural powers. The microscope, however, has disclosed to the

moderns the cause of the asterism. This instrument reveals multitudes

of minute crystals within the stone, arranged in three different but

equal angles. To obtain the stellate appearance in perfection, then,

the stone must be cut and polished in cabochon or dome-like form.

The apex of the gem is then in a direct plane to these angles, being

perpendicular to the axis of the primitive form of the crystal, and

therefore the rays of light are reflected from the sides of these

multitudinous crystals producing the asterism.

As we have said before, some other minerals exhibit this phenomenon

at times. We find it in rare specimens of quartz and in some of the

mica group. In some rare fragments of quartz from Siberia the stellate

appearance is seen in extraordinary perfection. The six-rayed star is

not only seen by refracted light, but is even visible by transmitted

light. Sometimes these stones also exhibit reflections of red and blue

as the direction of the stone is changed, thus combining the girasole

and asteria in the same gem. Lancon relates that M. Desmaret possessed

a little plate of this variety of quartz, of so great beauty and

perfection as to refuse 25,000 francs for it. There is in the Museum

of the Jardin des Plantes a remarkable diamond asteria; and there are

also in this collection and in the cabinet of the École des Mines some

superb blue and red sapphire asterias.

The pure white sapphires are not often found. When well cut they

exhibit a vivid eclat, and are sometimes mistaken for diamonds; but

they are easily detected by the expert, since they do not possess

even three fourths of the degree of brilliancy of the diamond, nor

the prismatic play of color. Some of the faint-colored stones lose

their tints when subjected to a high degree of heat, and improve in

brilliancy and lustre. It is said that the Orientals practise this

trick extensively, and sell the altered gems for diamonds. We are not

aware of the refractive index of these fire-tested stones having been

measured with the view of ascertaining the degree of change; but it

is certain that their lustre is increased in a marked degree. Heat,

however, does not affect all colored sapphires. Some of the red are

often changed to deeper hues, and others are not affected. Brogniart

found that the French sapphires from Expailly were actually rendered

more intense in color by the action of fire. After numerous experiments

with the faint-colored sapphires from Montana, we also have come to

the conclusion that the stones from this locality are not perceptibly

affected by long-continued heat.

Sir David Brewster, in conducting his famous experiments in optics, was

of the opinion that the white sapphire, on account of its structure and

its refractive power, was superior to all other transparent minerals

for lenses for the microscope. The diamond, which one would naturally

suppose to be the most perfect material for the purpose, on account of

its high refractive power and apparent clearness, is really faulty, and

comparatively worthless on account of its internal structure. If the

white sapphire is of such excellence in this respect, on account of its

compactness and refractive power, why will not the white zircon prove

far superior as a lens, as it is the most compact, transparent, hard

mineral known, and its refractive power is much greater than that of

the sapphire? Black sapphires are now and then mentioned by authors,

but we are inclined to believe that they are very rare; for Davy

declares that he met with but two or three specimens in his travels

in India or Ceylon. Blue stones of very deep hue appear sometimes

quite black; but when they are placed in a strong light, and viewed in

another direction, the blue tinge clearly appears. The violet sapphire

of perfect hue is a very rare gem, and may be regarded as an accidental

stone, being formed of an admixture of the blue and the red. Davy,

in all his extended researches in Ceylon, found but two specimens of

violet sapphire; and in our examinations of the rough gems from the

mines, we are inclined to think the purple spinel is often supposed

to be a purple sapphire. Romè de L’Isle found that this variety of

sapphire is oftener ruby-violet than sapphire-violet, or that the red

tinge prevailed more distinctly than the blue. The lilac-blue are

exceedingly rare, and are eagerly sought for by amateurs.

There are some sapphires which exhibit a double play of colors when

viewed by natural and then by artificial light. For instance, they may

display a decided blue color by day and an amethystine tint by night.

D’Auguy possessed a stone that showed in the daylight a beautiful,

clear, and sparkling blue, but by candlelight it changed to a royal

purple. The cause of this phenomenon is perhaps due to an excess of

latent red in the stone, which, however, is not visible in the daytime;

but which is called forth by the difference in the illuminating lights,

as is shown in their spectra. The hyacinth sapphire is seldom seen, and

when perfect is regarded as among the marvels of the species. Dutens

possessed a fine one which had been engraved upon by the Greeks.

The subject of the glyptic art, or engraving upon stones, is very

interesting to the student who seeks for evidences and traces of the

social life of man in early ages. The engraved cylinders of Babylon

and Nineveh, with their cuneiform legends, carry us back to traditions

two thousand years before the Christian era; and from the engraved

scarabei of Egypt and Etruria we form some ideas of the people whose

history has otherwise been lost. We may, perhaps, consider the true era

of the glyptic art as dating from the time of the Macedonian princes

and the Persian conquests, although it had been practised in a rude way

from far earlier times. This art of cutting figures upon bright and

richly colored, though minute stones, was quite as much admired among

the ancients as the laborious skill, with its powerful blows, which

produced the heroic statues out of bronze or marble. And perhaps we may

say that these gems, in their estimation, were of greater value, not

only on account of their beauty and rarity and their minuteness, but

also on account of their hardness, which defied the steel instruments

of the ordinary sculptor, and yielded only to the dust and splinters of

the hardest minerals, like the sapphire and the diamond. We may also

safely affirm that the gem-engravers of the Alexandrian and Augustan

ages were, in all that concerns excellence of design and composition,

rivals of the most famous workers in marble and bronze. These admirable

and wonderful artists contrived to enclose within the narrow limit of a

little stone all the complicated details of an event in history, or of

a fable in mythology; and to make them stand forth in beautiful relief

as a cameo, or to sink them down as an intaglio, with all that truth of

design and power of expression which characterize the excellence of the

largest works of the most consummate masters.

By means of these engraved gems, miniature but accurate copies of some

of the celebrated masterpieces and noblest works of ancient sculptors

have been preserved to us, while the originals have been destroyed,

and even the record of them lost. An instance may be observed in the

engraved gem in the Orleans cabinet, which is the only representation

we now have of the famous statue of the Repose of Hercules, by

Lysippus. As a learned critic has said, in these gems we have the

emanations, ever fresh and unfaded, of the feelings and the taste

of those ages when the love of the beautiful was the all-prevailing

and almost sole religion, and flourished unfettered by tradition,

prejudice, and conventional rules; whilst from the universal demand

during those same ages for engraved gems, whether for signets or for

personal ornaments, artists of the highest ability did not disdain the

narrow field of the precious stone as the arena for the exercise of

their power. The unparalleled vigor and perfection of many of these

performances are a sufficient proof that they proceeded directly from

the master’s hand, and were not mere slavish copies, by a mechanic,

after designs created by the genius of another. The lovers of the fine

arts may derive much benefit from the study of the antique in this

particular branch of workmanship. What is there more pleasant than the

contemplation of the work of the artists of antiquity; and to behold,

shut up, as it were, within the narrow compass of a small gem, all the

majesty of a vast design and a most elaborate performance? During the

flourishing periods of the Greeks countless statues were carved by

numerous artists; and it has been stated that Lysippus alone executed

fifteen hundred, all perfect, and some of them colossal. Throughout

Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy every town had its temple, gymnasium,

or forum peopled with statues of those among her sons who had in any

way distinguished themselves in arms, letters, or public games. These

became the spoil of the later Romans, and an incredible number were

transported to Rome from time to time. Nero is said to have selected

from Delphos alone five hundred bronze statues for transportation to

Rome. The Etruscan bronzes were quite as plentiful; and Flaccus is

said to have carried away in triumph two thousand statues from the sack

of Volsinii.

From these statements in ancient history concerning the number of large

works in statuary, we can form some idea of the inexhaustible treasury

of portraiture in another and oftentimes less costly material. It is

estimated that for a period of three hundred years, the engraved gems

were manufactured in countless numbers all over the Roman world. It is

a little curious that licentious scenes and figures are never or rarely

found on antique gems.

Among the gems preserved in the museum of the Vatican may be seen two

engraved intaglios of early date, upon sapphires of an amethystine

hue. Among the most beautiful of the engraved sapphires that have been

preserved to us from ancient times is that of Cneus, now placed in the

cabinet of the Strozzi, in Italy, which represents the figure of young

Hercules. In the collection of gems at Turin there is a white sapphire,

on which a fine head of Tiberius has been engraved. There may be seen

among the crown jewels of Russia a beautiful sapphire of two shades,

engraved with a representation of a female figure enveloped in drapery.

The figure is engraved in the darker shade of the stone, while the

drapery is carved from the lighter part. The French cabinet boasts of

a very fine blue sapphire with an engraving representing the Emperor

Pertinax.

King, the excellent and tireless antiquary, mentions, in his chapter

on the hyacinthus, several beautiful and unique engraved sapphires. He

states that engraved gems of this class, dating to times previous to

the Imperial epoch, are extremely rare; still, there are extant some

undoubted specimens, among which are a small Etruscan scarabeus and a

magnificent head of Jupiter, executed in the purest Greek style. The

accidental discovery of the last indicates how many more of the fine

gems of antiquity may yet appear in course of time to gladden the

lovers of the glyptic art. This gem was an inch in diameter, and of

fine color; but to utilize it to the wants of the Turkish possessor,

who wished to set it in the handle of his dagger, the engraved side

was set downward and thus preserved from injury, while the back of the

stone was rudely faceted by some Eastern lapidary. A Medusa’s head of

the same style of execution, upon a stone of remarkable beauty, is

one of the chief glories of the celebrated Marlborough collection.

In the same museum there is another larger and deeper-hued sapphire

bearing the head of Caracalla, the short, curly hair of the irascible

tyrant being represented by a series of minute holes closely drilled

together. One of the most famous of all engraved gems of this material

is the signet ring of Constantius. The stone is one of great beauty and

perfection, and weighs fifty-three karats. Its engraving represents the

Emperor as spearing a monstrous wild boar before a reclining female

figure, personifying Cæsarea of Cappadocia, the scene of exploit.

It bears an inscription in proof of its royal use,--the letters

“Constantivs Avg.” King mentions another fine specimen of the time of

Hadrian, representing “Hebe feeding the eagle.” It was heart-shaped in

form, of fine color, and quite an inch and a half in diameter.

The museums of Europe contain many examples of mediæval and modern

engraved sapphires, one of the finest of which is the famous portrait

of Pope Paul III. among the Pulsky gems, and attributed to Il Greco.

It is a very beautiful stone, and three quarters of an inch square. In

the Marlborough cabinet there is an extraordinary specimen of a thumb

ring of high antiquity, cut from a single stone, but of rather a pale

tint. Rings containing both plain and engraved sapphires have been the

appointed symbol of church authority from a very early day. They have

often been bestowed as the badge of pontifical rank, and the custom has

descended to the present day. King devotes an interesting chapter to

the history and description of this class of ornaments and symbols; and

to his pages we must refer the interested reader.

Engraved red sapphires of ancient date are extremely rare, so rare

that the experienced antiquaries, Lessing and Clarac, deny the

existence of any antique intaglios of this variety. Investigation

has proved that many of the supposed engraved rubies are really red

spinel, garnet, or zircon. Nevertheless, there are a few examples to

prove that the ancients did make use of the gem in the glyptic art,

although the act was regarded as one of extreme extravagance, from

the rarity, costliness, and beauty of the material. The Devonshire

parure exhibits a convex red sapphire of about three karats weight,

of pure pigeons’-blood tint, and engraved with a Venus Victrix in the

latest Roman manner. Another shows a full-length figure of Osiris, in

half-relief, of the time of Hadrian. In the museum of the Jardin des

Plantes there are said to be two engraved red sapphires.

There are but few gems with which the blue sapphire can be confounded.

The blue diamond can be easily detected by its superior brilliancy and

hardness. It is very rare that the tourmaline appears of a deep blue,

and still more rare for the topaz to assume the appearance except of

the very light varieties, and the same may be said of the beryl. The

iolite, which, however, is a very rare mineral, may resemble the blue

sapphire, but its inevitable dichroism betrays its character. Turn the

gem before the eye, and the deception vanishes; the blue disappears as

if by magic, and the stone is gray. Kyanite sometimes appears of the

most beautiful blue tints, but its softness indicates its nature, and

prevents its use as a gem. The glass-workers, however, produce the most

beautiful and attractive imitations of sapphire, and of all colors,

lacking but one desideratum, and that is the thus far unattainable

degree of hardness. The red, green, yellow, and white varieties may

all of them be closely approached in color by other gems, and the best

methods of detection are the tests of specific gravity, degree of

hardness, and the optical phenomena.

The blue variety of sapphire being less sought after in ornamentation

than the diamond, has not had a fixed scale in valuation. Still, prior,

or for a few years prior, to 1850, the ordinary sapphire was placed

by jewellers upon the same valuation as the emerald, or at about $15

the karat. Since this period its value has quadrupled, but has not

kept pace with that of the emerald. The pale-blue stones have only a

nominal value, and the same may be said of the very dark blue. But

those sapphires which exhibit the perfect tint of the prismatic blue

can command very high prices.

The ancient Romans excelled in their imitations of the ruby, both

in hardness, color, and lustre; and a number of examples are yet

preserved in some of the European cabinets. The bold robber, Charles,

the Duke of Burgundy, was the possessor of several famous gems which

he carried with him on his campaigns, and used as personal decorations

on particular occasions. One of the choicest of them was a monster

ruby more than an inch in diameter, which the famous Margaret of Anjou

had given him. On that fatal day at Grandson it was placed with the

historic diamond in a golden box, and left in the tent of the Duke,

where it was captured by the mountaineers. The gems were carried to

Berne by the victorious Swiss, and afterwards offered for sale to the

rich Nuremberger, Jacob Fugger. Then it was discovered by the expert

that the ruby was indeed a lump of red glass of ancient make, and

probably of the date of the Roman Empire.

As the red sapphire is one of the rarest as well as the most beautiful

of all gems, its value is in keeping with its attributes. As it

overpowers all other gems with its gorgeous red, which is a pure

prismatic hue, so it transcends all others in price. There are but

very few gems with which it can be confounded in color. But no matter

what the material may be, provided it displays the royal tint. It is

extremely rare that the red tourmaline or spinel exhibit the perfect

tint which is the characteristic of the red sapphire. The zircon

sometimes displays a fine red color, and may imitate the sapphire. It

is also within the range of possibilities that the diamond and garnet

may closely resemble the true ruby. We have seen small garnets that

exhibited the pigeons’-blood tint. The scarcity of the ruby is so great

that fine gems are only to be acquired by the very wealthy. In the

times of Cellini, three centuries ago, the price of the red sapphire

was eight times that of the diamond. And to-day we may safely adopt

Cellini’s estimate, for the gem is so rare that we cannot readily

compute its value in comparison with the diamond, which is so abundant.

King, in commenting upon the valuation of precious stones during the

past three hundred years, mentions two fine rubies which were sold in

London recently for enormous sums of money. One of three karats brought

$1,500; while another of finer tint, of less than four karats (11

grains), was sold for $5,500, or for $500 a grain, which price is quite

equal to Cellini’s estimate made in the year 1560.

INDEX.

A.

Abbas Murza, 214.

Abbé Haüy, views of, 75, 91, 253, 371.

Abbey of St. Dennis, gems of, 236, 320.

Acber, banquet of, 209.

Achille de Sancy, 172.

Adamas, 15, 89.

Adamantine flash, 91.

spar, 393.

Adolphus, marriage of, 123.

Advice of Rabelais, title page.

Agrah diamond, 213.

Ahmed’s ring, 116.

Alaric and his Goths, 121, 122.

Alexander, Emperor, 177.

fêtes of, 115,

helmet, 229.

marriage of, 287,

ring, 289.

Palace, collections of, 146.

Alfred de Vigny, poem on the diamond, 12.

Alla-ud-deen, 209.

Amsterdam diamond cutters, 242.

Ancient gem localities, 48.

gems and regalia, 106.

glass, 323, 325, 351, 352.

monster emeralds, 325.

Anna Ivanovna, Empress, 136.

Anne Boleyn, jewel of, 192.

Antitheses of carbon, 16.

Aqua marines, 318-320.

Arabian romance writers’ fancies on gems, 363.

Asiatic gems, 201.

Assyrians and gems, 369.

Asteria sapphires, 414, 415.

quartz, 416.

Augustus the Strong, gems of, 225.

Aurelian, triumph of, 119.

Austrian gems, etc., 226, 227.

B.

Baba, trial of, 161.

Babinet, views of, 99, 185, 223, 263.

Bahia, mines of, 39, 44, 45.

Baillou’s views on gems, 371.

Baker, Sir Samuel, views, 381, 382.

Barbarossa, Emperor, 226.

Barberini vase, 326.

Barbot, views of, 108, 181, 256, 257, 269, 306.

Bariatinsky, jewels of, 155.

Baron d’ Eschwège, 39.

Batavian display of diamonds, 281.

Begagem mines, 223.

Beke, Dr., account of large diamonds, 214.

Belisarius, triumph of, 125.

Bernier’s estimate of Persian gems, 213.

Berquen, lapidary, 167, 238, 241, 272.

Beryl, 145, 311, 320, 332.

name derived from, 317.

of English Crown, 318.

Beudant, Prof., views of, 99, 398.

Bheen, temple of, 209.

Biot, views of, 72.

Blue beryls of Ireland, 316.

diamond of France, 163.

of Mr. Hope, 189.

of Munich, 226.

Boetius de Boot, views of, 105.

Bohmer, French jeweller, 179.

Bordeaux, architect of Peacock Throne, etc., 219.

Borghis, Hortensio, lapidary, 202, 203.

Brewster, Sir David, views of, 65, 184, 259, 263.

Bronze horses of Venice, 127.

Brunswick, Duke, gems of, 232.

Buchanan, views of, 32, 34, 74.

Buffon’s views, 59, 380.

Burial of Cardinal Borromeo, 290.

Lord Palmerston, 290.

Burning-of-Troy opal, 353.

Byzantium, 129, 130, 139.

C.

Cæsar, ring of, 289.

Cagliostro, 175.

Canopies of the Persians, 26.

Cape de Verde, conglomerate, 61.

Capture of Ctesiphon, 24.

Caravans of the ancients, 26.

Carbon, combinations of, 18.

Carbonado, 45, 89, 104.

Cardinal Borromeo, 233.

Cardinal Mazarin, 242.

Carpet taken at Ctesiphon, 24.

Cascalho, 60.

Cassia oil, refractive power of, 257.

Castellani, collection of, 288, 289, 352.

Catherine, Empress, 153, 155.

Cedrenus, the historian, 128.

Cellini’s value of emerald, 331.

ruby, 427.

Ceraunia, 363.

Cerulean throne of the Nizam, 211.

Ceylon mines, 26, 56, 64, 372.

Chalice of Abbé Suger, 161.

Charlemagne, jewels of, 226, 239.

Charles I., gems of, 194.

Charles VIII. of France, 177.

Charles the Bold, 167, 242.

bogus ruby, 426.

Chladni, 71.

Chosroes, palace of, 126.

Chrysoberyl, 95.

Chrysostom, the historian, 129, 241.

Church regalia, 232-234.

Churches of England, ornaments of, 208.

Cingalese gem miners, 374-378.

Clay as an original deposit, 384.

Claudian’s description of treasures of Theodosius, 114.

Claussen’s views on the diamond, 42, 43.

Cleaveland’s views, 315.

Colesberg Kopje mines, 52.

Coliseum decorated with gems, 119.

Collection of armor, 142.

Collections of the Arabs, 116.

Mamelukes, 117.

Color of fossils, etc., 82.

gems, 82, 99-104.

Comnenus, Emperor, 137.

Conglomerate strata, 60.

Connecticut beryls, 314.

Constantine, 128.

Constantinople, conquest of, 113, 126, 127, 130.

Constituents of perfumes, 19, 205.

Coocha diamond, 205.

Cortez, emeralds of, 294.

Cortez’s presents to Charles V., 296.

Corundum, 368, 378, 388.

Cossacks, 132.

Coster, the lapidary, 184, 223.

Count de Douhet, 45.

Crawford’s estimate of Borneo diamond, 218.

Crown of Anna Ivanovna, frontispiece.

Austria, 227.

Chosroes, 22.

Goths of Spain, 321.

Kazan, 139.

Khan of Tartary, 22.

Lombardy, 321.

Muscovites, 136.

Portugal, 222.

Russia, 143.

Saxony, 226.

St. Stephen, 232, 300.

Victoria, 179.

Vladimir, 137.

Cumberland diamond, 232.

Cuneiform crystals, 369, 370, 378.

Cup of Chosroes, 23.

Theolinda, 326.

Cutting of the diamond, 238.

Kohinoor, 247.

Mogul, 247.

Regent, 247.

Star of the South, 247.

Cystine calculi, change in color, 308, 309.

D.

Daubenton’s ideas of the gems, 371.

Davy, Dr., 394.

De Drèe’s Cabinet, 101.

De Laet, 240.

Delattre, report on the French gems, 158.

Delisle, 172.

Demidoff, Prince, 173.

Despret’s experiments, 265.

Development of insect life, 84.

vegetation, 84.

Devonshire gems, 288.

Diamond, antiquity of, as a gem, 21, 114.

appearance of, in nature, 86.

asteriated, 103.

black, 45, 87, 89, 104.

blue, 103, 163, 164, 222.

bort, 87.

Cascalho, or conglomerate, 60.

celebrated Agrah, 213.

blue, of France, 163.

Daria-i-noor, 205, 213.

De Drèe, 102.

Holland, 232.

Hope, 103, 164.

Kohinoor, 151, 180, 206-208, 214, 263.

Mogul, 181, 202, 205.

Mountain of Splendor, 214.

Munich, 103.

Napoleon, 163.

Nassac, 187.

Orloff, 149, 187, 206.

Paul Pindar, 195.

Pigott, 187.

Polar Star, 154.

Prince Riccia, 102.

red, of Russia, 107.

Regent, 161, 164, 165, 187, 206, 223, 263.

Sancy, 166.

Sea of Glory, 214.

Shah, 150, 205.

Stewart, 55.

Sultan of Mattan, 36.

Sultan’s, 112.

Taj-Mah, 213.

yellow, of Austria, 227.

Chancourtois, views, 69.

cleavage of, 91, 245.

color of, 97, 99, 100-104, 228.

rough diamonds, 257, 258.

comparative brilliancy of, 93, 95.

density of, 94.

Cumberland, Duke of, 191.

cut diamond, 241.

deposition of, 20, 65.

diminutive size of, 26, 27.

dispersive power of, 96.

Du Toits Pan placer, 53.

electric properties of, 88;

hardness, 88, 90, 25.

formation of, 59.

forms of brilliant style, 244, 251.

brilliolette style, 252.

rose style, 244, 251.

table style, 250.

globular forms, 87, 95, 245.

green, 102, 135.

imitations of, 265, 267.

worn by Duchesse de Berri, 268.

influence of, 83.

injured by fire, 256.

in time of Emperor Severus, 22.

Pliny, 15, 22, 26.

localities of Africa, 53.

Algiers, 52.

America, 49, 50.

Arabia, 51.

Australia, 56.

Borneo, 35.

Brazil, 37.

Golconda, 31.

India, 30.

Ireland, 47.

Java, 56.

Russia, 47, 48.

necklace of Rohan, 174.

old English style, 243.

origin of, Arago’s views, 69.

Buffon’s views, 59.

Davy’s views, 69.

Goppert’s views, 65.

Hartt’s views, 44.

Humboldt’s views, 43.

Lavoisier’s views, 68.

Newton’s views, 67.

pans, 62.

phosphorescence of, 88.

physical properties, 85.

pink, 159, 228.

placers, 58.

prismatic display, 91, 96, 244.

purity of, 262.

quantity of, in use, 279, 280.

red, 107, 222.

refraction of, 92, 97.

rough, value of, 274.

specific gravity of, 87.

spiritual properties, 104.

swindle of Arizona, 51.

testing of, 253, 258-264.

value of, 269-282.

yellow, 159, 227.

Diminutive size of precious stones, 392.

Dogni collection, 104.

Dolomieu, views, 70.

Don Antonio, 171.

Duke of Anjou, diamonds of, 240.

Brunswick, diamonds of, 232.

Buckingham, jewels of, 194, 198.

Burgundy, fête of, 241.

Duten’s views of the emerald, 151, 285.

E.

Earl of Effingham, 151.

Eastwick’s account of Persian Treasury, 214.

Eleanor of Provence, jewels of, 191.

Electric properties of diamond, 88.

Elf-bolts, 362.

Elphinstone, British Envoy, 212.

Emerald Isle, 301.

Emeralds, 145-283.

abundance of, in Peru, 291.

ancient, 285-291.

at Dresden, 301.

at Florence, 300.

Kandy, 302.

Leiden, 301.

Madrid, 302.

Munich, 301.

Rome, 301.

Vienna, 301.

carved by the Mexicans, 294.

color and composition of, 304, 305, 307, 308, 315.

derivation of name, 290.

engraved by Carlo Costanzi, 302.

found by Maj. Pearse, 304.

given to Hortense, 299.

Napoleon, 299.

imitations of, 321-327.

in times of Queen Elizabeth, 297.

localities of Africa, 331.

Finland, 327.

France, 327.

in ancient times, 330, 331.

Norway, 327.

United States, 309.

Siberia, 328.

South America, 306, 327.

Tyrol, 329.

mentioned by Heliodorus, 285.

Pliny, 285, 287.

of Dhuleep Singh, 301.

Duke of Devonshire, 301.

Charlemagne, 299.

Cortez, 294.

Emperor Jehangir, 302.

French crown, 300.

Mustapha of Tunis, 297.

Pedro II., 11, 145.

Prince of Virianagram, 302.

Princess of Bariatinsky, 304.

Queen of Navarre, 297.

Rudolph II. at Dresden, 298.

Runjeet Singh, 304.

Russia, 298.

Shrine of Loretto, 301.

Sultan of Turkey, 300.

pillage in Mexico and Peru, 296.

of Marshal Junot in Spain, 303.

of Marshal Lannes in Spain, 303.

price of, at various times, 331, 332.

rarity of, 291.

sent by Elizabeth to Henri IV., 299.

supply of, 329.

the Great Mother, 297.

Empress of Austria, gift to the Archduke, 229.

Enamels of the ancients, 215.

Englehardt, 47.

English clergy, magnificence of, 200.

Engraved gems, 14, 288, 289, 320, 351, 418, 424.

abundance of, 421.

Esterhazy, jewels of, 229-232.

F.

Fairs of Armenia, 26.

gems, etc., in Ceylon, 385.

Russia, 386.

Ferishta, historian, 202, 211.

Fêtes of Alexander, 25.

Fitchburg beryls, 313.

Florentine diamond, 227.

Francis I., emerald of, 296.

Franka, Dr. Nello, 65.

Freaks of nature, 79.

French Regalia, 158.

display of, in 1855, 166.

inventory of, in 1791, 159.

in 1810, 162.

in 1849, 162.

stolen, 160.

G.

Garcias, 33.

Gem engraving, 239, 240.

Fair’s of Ceylon, 385.

Fairs of Russia, 386.

mining in Ceylon, 374-378.

Gems as abodes of spirits, 364.

meaning of, 392,

of Palace of Tezcuco, 293.

Genseric, pillage by, 124.

Gifts to Charles V., 295.

Girasole sapphires, 414.

Glass gems, 267.

ancient, 267.

Globular forms of minerals, 385.

petrifactions, 73.

Glorious Masque, pageant of, 193.

Glyptic art, 417.

Godoy, 173.

Gold nuggets, deposition of, 75.

placers, 76.

of Danube, 78.

of Tesino, 78.

Gomara, chronicles of, 295, 296.

Goppert’s views of gems, 65.

Gothic and Grecian forms, 81.

treasury at Toledo, 123.

Gouttes d’eau, topaz, 95.

Grandson, battle of, 169.

Graphite, production of, 266.

Great Harry, jewel, 193.

Great Mogul diamond, 181, 186, 202-206.

Green diamond of Dresden, 225.

garnets, 327.

prase, 326.

sapphires, 413.

stones sought for by primitive man, 286.

Greenockite, 93.

H.

Halpen gems, 100, 223.

Hamlin, Dr. Cyrus, 106.

Hardening of rocks on exposure, 307.

Harlai de Sancy, 170.

Hartt, Prof., 44.

Haüy, Abbé, 75, 91, 253, 371.

Helmreicher collection of diamonds, 104, 228.

Henrietta Maria, 172.

Henry VIII., 170, 192.

Heraclius, capture of Persian treasures, 126.

Hermitage, gems of, 144.

Hervey, Lord, 196.

Herz collection of gems, 190, 191.

Hidden, Win. E., naturalist, 309.

Hiddenite, 309-311.

High refractive power of fluids, 257.

Hindoo’s love of gems, 201, 386.

Hitee, the royal, of Ava, 403.

Holy synod of Moscow, ornaments, 147.

Honorius, rings of, 288.

Hope beryl, 319.

blue diamond, 103, 190.

collection, 101, 102, 190.

Horse gear of the Turks, 146.

Hughen’s views, 99.

Humboldt’s emerald, 328.

views, 43.

Hungarian opal mines, 349, 350, 354.

Hyacinthus, 368.

I.

Ictinus, constructor of the Parthenon, 369.

Imitation gems, 265, 267, 321, 326, 351.

Indian arms, decoration of, 215.

Iolite, 425.

Iridescence of minerals, 341.

quartz, 347.

Iris, Marbodeus’s description of, 348.

ornaments of Empress Josephine, 348.

Itacolumite, 61.

J.

James II., 172.

jewels of, 196.

Jansetsee Jejeebhoy, 173.

Jarlet, lapidary, 154.

Jewish Temple, spoils of, 125.

John VI., golden cane, 223.

Joseph I., diamonds of, 222.

Justinian, 125, 129.

K.

Kaaba, sacred stone, 410.

Kaianian Belt, 215.

Crown, 214.

Karat, weight of, 264.

Kazan, Cathedral of, 147.

Crown of, 139.

King, views of, 167.

King of Ava, gems of, 217.

Kabul, 212.

Kohinoor diamond, 181, 206-208, 212, 214.

Korund, 368, 371.

Kremlin, 132, 135, 141.

Kyanite, 423.

L.

Lahore, Treasury of, 208.

Lamartine, historian, 113.

Lapis lazuli, 368.

Lavoisier, views of, 67.

Le Conte’s description of Honduras Opal mines, 343, 346.

opals, 355.

Lecourbe, General, 157.

Lewy’s views on the emerald, 304-306.

L’Isle, Romè de, his views, 371.

Linnæus’s views, 370.

Lithoscope, 259.

Lollia Paulina, 22.

Louis VII., 199.

Low’s work on Borneo, 217.

Lucretius, poet, 73, 90.

M.

Maine beryls, 313.

Maiolica pottery, colors of, 352.

Mandanga diamond mines, 38.

Mansur Ben, views of, 90.

Marbodeus’s poem on emeralds, 284.

sapphire, 366.

Marc Antony’s opal, 353.

Marco Polo, celebrated traveller, 380.

Maria Theresa, cross of, 228.

Mariana, account of emeralds, 295.

Martyr, account of emeralds, 295, 296.

Mary Queen of Scots, jewels of, 193.

Matura diamonds, 225.

Mawe’s visit to Lisbon, 221.

Mellan, or gem conglomerate, 374, 379.

Minas Geraes diamond mines, 41.

Mirror of Naples, diamond, 193.

Missorium, or emerald table, 123.

Mithridates, 130.

Montezuma’s mantle, 294.

Morse, H. D., diamond establishment, 247, 272.

Mosaics of precious stones, 398.

Murat, General, uniform of, 229.

Murchison’s views, 43.

Muzo, emerald mines of, 327.

N.

Nadir Shah, 151, 152, 186, 187, 204, 206, 211.

Narbonne, pillage of, 123.

Nassac diamond, 187.

Navajos, turquoises of, 293.

Nero’s Lens, 288.

New Hampshire beryls, 314.

Newera Ellia sapphire mines, 373.

Newton’s views, 67, 81, 92, 99.

Nizam diamond, 217.

North Carolina sapphire mines, 388-390.

O.

Oldham, visit to the Burmah ruby mines, 402.

Oliva, actress, 175.

Opal, 335.

ancient mines of, 341, 349.

Babinet’s views of, 339.

beauty of, 338.

black variety of, 349.

cause of its colored reflections, 339, 340.

commerce of, 367.

Count Waliski, 354.

Damour’s experiments with, 337.

dandritic, 338.

Delius’ account of Hungarian opals, 350.

Descloizeaux, views of, 347.

described by Jackson, 355.

division of, by Jameson, 338.

Werner, 338.

Dr. Le Conte’s, 355.

engraved, 351.

formation of, 346, 347.

Harlequin variety, 349.

Hydrophane variety, 337.

imitations of, 351.

mines of, 341.

Central America, 343.

Gracias a Dios, 343.

Honduras, 342.

Hungary, 341-349.

Queensland, 346.

Zimapan, 348.

Mohr’s views of, 339.

Newton’s views of, 339.

of Austria, 354.

Opal of D’Auguy, 354.

Empress Josephine, 353.

Fleury, 354.

France, 354.

Humboldt, 354.

Nonius, 352, 353.

U. S. Centennial Exhibition, 355.

on image of Mexican deity, 355.

physical properties of, 336, 337.

purchase of, 357, 360.

splendors of, 356.

superstitious fancies regarding, 361-364.

treatment of, when mined, 350.

value of, in rough state, 360.

Nonius’s gem, 361.

varieties of, 338.

Orb of Russia, 140.

Order of the Golden Fleece, 225, 226.

Origin of diamonds, 57.

gems, 335.

Orloff diamond, 149-152.

Ottoman display of gems, 117.

P.

Passion for gems, etc., 280, 281.

Paulina, gems of, 288.

Peacock Throne, 210.

Peligot’s views on ancient glass, 352.

Persian emblems of authority, 287.

treasures, 214-216.

Peruzzi, inventor of the brilliant, 251.

Peysonnel, 72.

Phidias, 369.

Philip of Spain, 170, 196.

wedding of, 197.

Pictet, 71.

Piggot diamond, 187.

Pitt, Wm., and Regent diamond, 164, 165.

Placidia, marriage of, 123.

Plato’s views on gems, 73.

Pliny’s views on gems, 15, 285, 287, 288, 328, 330, 331, 368, 369,

414.

Plumbago, or graphite, 16, 18.

Plunder of Delhi, 204.

Polariscope, 261.

Poles, customs of, 134.

Polycrates, ring of, 116, 288.

Pompadour’s jewels, 174.

Pompey, 130.

ring of, 290.

Pope Julius II., beryl of, 319.

Potemkin, gems of, 154.

Potemkin’s plume, 145.

Priest’s treasury in the Kremlin, 141.

Prince Esterhazy jewels, 212, 229.

Prismatic display of the diamond, 92, 93, 96-98.

Q.

Queen Caroline, jewels of, 196.

Elizabeth, jewels of, 197.

Mary, jewels of, 196.

R.

Raleigh, Walter, dress of, 198.

Ralph Potter, lapidary, 243.

Rambusson’s remarks on ruby mines, 403.

Ramusso, Venetian historian, 130.

Ranee Ruthen’s diamond, 218.

Ratnapoora, sapphire mines of, 372, 374.

Ravenna, capture of, 125.

Refractive power of gems, 259-262.

Regale of France, gem, 199.

Regalia of Charlemagne, 226.

England, 179.

France, 158.

Russia, 132.

Regent diamond, 161, 165.

Richelieu’s wreath, 160.

Ring of Ahmed, 116.

Polycrates, 116.

Rohan, Cardinal de, 174.

Rome, triumphs of, 119.

Romè de L’Isle, description of diamond, 222.

Rose-colored diamonds, 228.

Rose diamonds, Antwerp form, 244, 251.

Holland form, 244, 251.

Round brilliant, 222.

Royalston, locality of beryls, 311-313, 315.

Ruby, lustre of the potters of Umbria, 325.

of Crown of Persia, 407.

Crown of Russia, 407.

East India Company, 407.

King of Burmah, 406.

Prince of Wales, 180, 406.

price of, 427.

seen by Garcia, 407.

Runjeet Singh gems, 206-208.

S.

Sacred standard of Persia, 23.

vestments, 127.

Sacro catino--emerald dish, 323.

Saffragan sapphire mines, 374.

Sancy diamonds, 166-171.

Sapphire, 365.

black variety, 417.

carved by the Hindoos, 397.

colors of, 394, 398, 411-420.

composition and characters of, 387, 400.

deposition of, 377-384, 389.

engraved, 405, 412, 417-424.

formation of, in Ceylon, 384, 385.

imitations of, natural and artificial, 424, 425.

Sapphire, mines of, 372, 378, 379, 388-390.

Ava, 401.

Bengal, 393.

Bohemia, 393.

Burmah, 400-403.

Ceylon, 400-403.

China, 408.

Colorado, 392.

Montana, 390, 391.

North Carolina, 388, 411.

Siam, 403.

red, known as Oriental ruby, 398-400, 403-408, 424, 426.

refraction of, 98.

roof of the Parthian Palace, 397.

varieties, early known, 367.

Sapphires of the French Crown, 395, 397, 399, 411, 412.

Hungarian Crown, 396.

King of Ava, 402.

Miss Coutts, 396, 398.

the Russian casket, 397.

price of, 425-427.

Sapphirus, 368.

Sarmatia, ancient, 133.

Sassanian kings, 23, 25.

Saxon white brilliant, 223.

Saxony, Elector of, gems, 224.

Sceptre of Vladimir, 138.

School of Mines, St. Petersburg, 145.

Scythian incursions, 133.

Selwyn’s views of gold deposits, 77.

Serena, 121.

Shah Jehan, 202, 209, 210, 218.

Nasiru’d-din of Persia, 216.

Soujah, 207.

Shrine of Thomas à Becket, 199.

Siberian beryls, 313-315.

Silicified trees, 347.

Sinan Pasha, jewels of, 117.

Sir Stamford Raffles, 36, 218.

Smith, J. Laurence, discovers Hiddenite, 310.

Sokolli, gems of, 117.

Sorel, Agnes, necklace of, 177.

Soujah and the Kohinoor, 207.

Spanish Conquest of Mexico and Peru, 292.

Specific gravity of diamonds, 87.

emerald, 308.

opal, 336.

sapphire, 387.

Spiritual properties of gems, 104.

St. Chapelle of Paris, 127, 128.

St. Laurent, views of, 239.

St. Mark’s Palace, 127, 130.

St. Melania, 121.

St. Sophia, mosque of, 129.

Stamboul, 130.

Star of the South, 41, 223.

Stewart diamond, 55.

Sultan of Mattan diamond, 36.

Sumnat, idol and temple of, 209, 220.

Superstitious fancies about gems, 362.

Suvaroff gems, 98, 144, 156.

Sword of Solyman, 107.

Symes’s visit to Ava, 217.

Symes’s, Col., visit to Burmah, 401.

T.

Table of Solomon, 326.

Taj Mahal, palace tomb, 218, 219, 408.

Talasca, standard of, 293.

Tavernier, the traveller, 27, 30, 34, 66, 67, 150, 154, 163, 182, 202,

203, 205, 213, 227, 238, 246, 251, 272, 387, 404, 406.

Telesie, a name proposed by Abbé Haüy, 371.

Tennant, Prof., 40, 179.

Theophrastus, 25, 368.

Thiers, Madame, necklace of, 178.

Throne of Nadir Shah, 107.

Russia, 140.

Throne of Takdis, 23.

Turkey, 107.

Timour, Fêtes of, 114.

spoils of, 114, 186.

Tiridates and the Parthian nobles, 120.

march to Rome, 121.

Titus and the spoils of Jerusalem, 124.

Tomb of Mahomet, 409.

Topaz, 95, 98, 145, 425.

Tourmaline, 97, 99, 145, 310, 326, 408, 425, 427.

tongs, 260.

Tournament of the cloth of gold, 192.

Townley collection of gems, 288.

Treasury of the Seraglio, 107, 118.

Troitza, treasury of, 147.

Tschudi, Prof., 86.

Turkish casket of jewels, 106.

Turquoise of Mexico, 292.

Persia, 216.

U.

Ural Mountains, 47.

V.

Vaal region diamond fields, 62.

Value of gems in 15th century, 270.

Vaux, mineral collection of, 317.

Veil of Kunderas, 409.

Venice, a gem mart, 270.

Verneuil’s views of diamond, 43.

Volo, plain of, in Poland, 134.

Voysey’s views of diamond, 37, 74.

W.

Wallerius, views of, 290, 370, 371.

Walpole, Horace, 195.

Weight of large diamonds, 247.

Werner collection of gems, 102.

Wilson, Dr., descriptions of the Kohinoor, 207.

Winter Palace, collection in, 142.

Wollaston, Prof., 245.

Wooden-spoon seller’s sapphire, 395.

Wright’s discovery of opal mines, 345, 346.

Y.

Yellow diamond of Austria, 227.

sapphires, 410, 411.

Yriarte, history of Venice, etc., 128.

Z.

Zenobia, captivity of, 120.

Zircon, 91, 93, 96, 255, 427.

Transcriber’s Notes

Errors in punctuation and accentuation have been fixed.

Page 140: “Boras Godunoff” changed to “Boris Godunoff”

Page 255: “gobular forms of crystallization” changed to “globular forms

of crystallization”

Page 281: “as it their price” changed to “as if their price”

Page 298: “Kasan was subjugated” changed to “Kazan was subjugated”

Page 343: “State of Gautemala” changed to “State of Guatemala”

Page 410: “a single speciimen” changed to “a single specimen”

In the Index, “Runjeet Sing” changed to “Runjeet Singh” and the page

numbers for the turquoise references have been corrected.