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BOOK VI
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131
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the color of wine before it is tested while it still retains a certain shade of violet,
according to Pliny. He writes that it was named amethyst because of the
ignorance of some learned men who believed that it would prevent
drunkeness (derived from ά, not; μιθύπν, to be drunk). It is also called ion because of its violet color {Xov, the blue violet). Because of its beauty the very best grade is called the "gem of Venus" and for the same reason paederos and anteros (both
words derived from «paw, love). It is found in Thasos, Cyprus, Galatia,
Armenia Minor, Petraea, Arabia, India and Egypt. The hyacinthus is
found in Ethiopia. Amethyst is also found in the Amethyst Mine,
Volchestein, Misena. It is found in large crystals with a hexagonal
base and terminated in a point similar to quartz. Most of the crystals
come from this mine and the silver mines of Bohemia although it is also
collected from a Misenian river above the fortified city of Hoestein,
five miles from Stolpa. It is found in the district inhabited by the
Gom-besani who migrated from Germany into the Alpine valleys of the
Seduni. The poorest amethyst comes from Thasos and Cyprus, ordinary
quality from the other localities and the best from India. Stones of a
deep rich color are found very rarely anywhere.
The color of amethyst is redder, that of hyacinthus blacker.
The purple brilliancy shining from an amethyst is not found throughout
the entire crystal but fades into the color of wine and gives it a
delicate rose color. In hyacinthus the color is weaker and with
the first look the beauty vanishes, I use the words of Pliny, before
one is satisfied and does not completely fill the eye, actually hardly
touches it, fading even more rapidly than the flower for which it is
named. Each is transparent and without form when found but artificers
cut facets on them in order to increase their brilliancy. Some stones
are cut en cabochon similar to the natural shape of some smaragdus. They
are easy to engrave. Pliny describes five species of amethyst. The
first species includes the gems from India that are the pure purple
that is the despair of the dyers. This color emanates from the gem in a
soft caressing manner, not with the glitter of the car-bunculus. The next species includes the hyacinthus. The Indian calls the color of this gem "sacon" and the gem itself sacodion. The stones of lighter color are called sapinos, a name that is derived likewise from the color. The next species includes the stones called paranitis that
come from a district of the same name adjoining Arabia. Stones of the
fourth species are the color of wine. Those of the fifth species are a
very pale purple approaching the color of quartz. This latter species
has little value although it should be as highly prized as the light
rose tint in the purple of the carbunculus.
There are two kinds of hyacinthus. The dark variety we call masculine and the lighter, feminine. The Venetian artificers polish the valueless and false German hyacinthus and
call it the true gem. These are sent to Constantinople and sold to the
Turkish women. The more recent writers place three different gems under
hyacinthus and divide this genus into three
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