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Book VI gems: diamond, emeralds, sapphire, topaz, chrysoberyl, carbuncle, jaspis

Book VI gems: diamond, emeralds, sapphire, topaz, chrysoberyl, carbuncle, jaspis Page of 251 Book VI gems: diamond, emeralds, sapphire, topaz, chrysoberyl, carbuncle, jaspis Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
       
     
 
140
DE NATURA FOSSILIUΜ
  
 
 
  
 
are the blackish purple stones from Cappadocia, the blackish red from the mountains near Sala, Misena, the liver-brown and sard-red. Rarely is it crystalline and similar in color to phlegm. All of these rare colored stones are brought from Misena to the village situated between Chemnitz and Glauca, a town we call Langovicius from the Latin longa alba. Stones simi­lar in color to smaragdus with a single white line through them are called grammatias by the Greeks and with more than one white line the stone is called polygrammos as well as assyria after that country. Those stones with a rich liver color usually have circular color bands of a lighter or black color. Certain snow-white gems contain red points as though set with stars. Some stones contain onyx or jasponyx (jasponyx). These may be half onyx and half jasper and are found near Mittelbach between Chem­nitz and Langovicius. We have even seen jasper with one part purple and opaque, the other green and transparent. Some appears to be filled with smoke and this is called capnias, some encloses a cloud, some is turbid and variable such as the Chalcidian and some of the Misenian stones. It contains such imperfections as "salt," hairs, etc. Jasper has a notable brilliancy, very often is not transparent and in this respect differs from the transparent gems it may resemble. For example, green jasper differs from smaragdus in transparency although Pliny says that this jasper is often translucent. In this same respect the pale green differs from transparent callais; the purple from amethyst and hyacinthus; the blue from sapphire; the sard-red from sard; and the crystalline stones resembling phlegm, from quartz. Although these varieties of jasper sometimes have small trans­parent areas they are very rarely entirely transparent. When they are entirely transparent they are far more desirable than any of the gems they resemble. The older writers give first place to the purple stones of any shade, second to the rose-colored, third to the emerald-green and fourth to the jasper. Today, without question, first place is given to the variety of jasper called borea, second to the green polygrammos, third to stones of any shade of purple, fourth to rose-colored stones and fifth to emerald-green stones, either the pure green stones or those with white lines crossing them. The other stones are of no great value.
Jasper is either rounded like an eye, for example borea which is an oily bluish gray, or it is without form such as that found near Lango­vicius from which they make the small balls we use to calculate prices and the fine pebbles used to put out fires. Such large masses are found that Pliny was not astonished to have seen a piece weighing eleven ounces from which had been carved an image of Nero with a breastplate. Jasper is usually found here in a siliceous rock with a blue color nine feet thick followed by a dark sandstone about twelve feet thick that carries no jas­per. Molochites does not differ greatly from green jasper. The name comes from malvaa which has leaves of the same color. The deep green varieties are not transparent and are best adapted to relief engraving.
  
 
 
  
 
A genus of plants commonly known as mallow.
  
 
 
  
       
Book VI gems: diamond, emeralds, sapphire, topaz, chrysoberyl, carbuncle, jaspis Page of 251 Book VI gems: diamond, emeralds, sapphire, topaz, chrysoberyl, carbuncle, jaspis
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