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Book VI gems: diamond, emeralds, sapphire, topaz, chrysoberyl, carbuncle, jaspis
Page
of 251
Text size:
130
DE NATURA FOSSILIUM:
Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli
stones. The golden luster of
topazius
distinguishes it from the pale green
callais
and from
nilios
which has a honey-yellow or smoky-yellow color. The
smaragdus
commands the highest price of all green gems and is followed by
topazius, beryllus, callais, nilios
and finally prase. However, the largest
topazius
will sell, no doubt, for more than a small
smaragdus.
26
Sapphirus
(
lapis-lazuli
) and
cyanus
(
sapphire
) are dark blue, hence the name of the latter gem
(wavos,
a dark blue substance).
Lapis-lazuli
is enlivened by small golden points. Both gems are as blue as the heavens but lapis-lazuli especially resembles the heavens because of the golden points which represent the stars. For this reason Dionysius Afer describes the mineral as blue and gold. Although
sapphire
may contain a golden powder it is not completely tinged with it. The blue color of
lapis-lazuli
rarely has purple mixed with it and often has black areas within it.
Sapphire
, on the other hand, approaches the blue color of the ocean.
There are two varieties of
sapphire
, one dark the other light. The former is called masculine, the latter feminine.
27
The feminine variety sometimes has so little color that it is almost like quartz although it is always somewhat darker. The darker the
sapphire
the greater its value. Also, the more brilliant and the more transparent the stone the more prized it will be.
Sapphire
contains flaws such as hairs and phantoms and a golden powder in masculine sapphires decreases their value. The form of both
lapis-lazuli
and
sapphire
varies, being tabular like a board, round and even oblong.
Lapis-lazuli
occurs in the territory of the Arieni in Media, in India
28
and Africa. The dark
sapphires
are found in Scythia, Cyprus and Egypt, the light
sapphires
in Narbonensis, Gaul, not far from the Rhone river.
The light colored or feminine
sapphires
can be darkened by dyeing. A king of Egypt was the first to dye this stone. Quartz and glass are also dyed to imitate
sapphire
but this fraud can be detected readily by the feel, especially to the tongue.
Sapphire
is colder than glass. For this same reason
lapis-lazuli
is advantageously set with
carbunculi
and other stones that give off warmth. Gem dealers today call each of these gems
sapphirus. Hyacinthus
and
amethystus
(amethyst) are purple gems. Amethyst has
26
These descriptions of green gems, while showing some confusion, indicate a quite definite nomenclature. Although other gems and minerals are included on the basis of similarity of color the species are, in general, quite clearly defined.
Smaragdus
is our
emerald
;
beryllus,
beryl;
prasius,
prase;
topazius,
chrysolite or
peridot
;
callais,
turquois. Since the first description by Pliny
nilios
has been an unidentified species. The description given here would indicate jasper although Pliny mav have referred to corundum from India.
27
The idea of sex in minerals was first advanced by Theophrastus. It was long held that stones and minerals possessed the power of reproduction. A logical development of this concept was the effort to distinguish the male and female minerals, in the case of gems on the basis of color. Female gems were always lighter and brighter colored than the male.
28
This probably refers to the mines in Badakshan, Afghanistan, near the Oxus river.
Page
of 251
Table Of Contents
Annotate/ Highlight
Agricola. Textbook of Mineralogy.
Front page, forword and index
To the illustrious duke of saxony and thuringia and misena prince of Maurice
Book I Minerals color, taste, odor , physical properties of gemstones and minerals such as emeralds, diamonds, rubies, sapphires
Book II About different applications of earths (painting, medical) and their occurrences
Book III about halite and nitrium, alum and acrid juices and related minerals, sulphur, bitumen, realgar, and orpiment; the fourth, chrysocolla, aerugo, caeruleum, ferrugo
Book IV Sulphur, amber, Pliny's gems, jet, bitumen, naphtha, camphor, maltha, Samothracian gem, thracius stone, obsidianus stone
Book V about lodestone, hematite, geodes, hematite, selenite, lapis secularum, asbestos, mica
Book VI gems: diamond, emeralds, sapphire, topaz, chrysoberyl, carbuncle, jaspis
Book VII marbles, gems in rings and other applications
Book VIII metals, precious such as gold, platinum, silver
Book IX artificially coloring of metals such as gold, silver, copper
Book X lapis sabinicus, lapis selentinus, lapis liparaeus and other mixtures of stone, metal and earth
Latin Mineral Index
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