ENGRAVING UPON THE EMERALD.
The
brittle texture of the emerald prevented it from being a favourite with
engravers, consequently there are few engraved emeralds.
There
is a description of a beautiful composition executed in the middle ages
upon this stone. It represented the soul led away by the pleasures.
CYMOPHANE.
The cymophane is formed like the emerald, of alumina and glucina.
The
cymophane of modern mineralogists is the oriental chrysolite, the
chrysopal, and the chryso-beryl of the lapidaries. It is remarkable for
its lively brilliancy, its polish, similar to that of the sapphire, and
its warm gay tint. But its celebrity arises from its unique property of
displaying blue reflections, with a milky tint that seems floating in
its interior. This circumstance originated the name given to it by
Haiiy, which signifies floating light.
Crystals
of cymophane are usually found in alluvial soils; in Ceylon and Brazil
they occur in the same sands that furnish crystals of topaz, corundum,
&c.—sands formed by the disintegration of ancient rocks. Fine
specimens of cymophane have
