It is now our desire to divert our attention towards the description,
categorisation, and assessment of the precious objects and jewels that are
buried as treasures. For this purpose we will be presenting a discourse
which will be followed by another. This will address itself to the values
of the minerals as the latter are similar to jewels. Both have been suckled
by the self-same mother and both surpass all other objects of adornment
in both beauty and utility. This treatise of mine shall remain in the
treasury of the Most Glorious King, the Chief of the Respected Ones, the
Strengthened the Star of the Faith, the Pole of the Faith and the Pride
of the Ummah, Abu al Fath Mauducl bin Mas'ud bin Mahmud as a
memorial. May God bless the youth of this monarch with exultation and
cheer and grant him glorious victories. When he has left his affairs in the
Hands of God, God shall have become his Support and Succour. He has
made the love of God his creed. Whoever has begged from him forgiveness in the Name of God has been reprieved. Whoever sought from him
refuge in His Name has been granted asylum. Besides the largesse which
he has lavished, he has made it his practice to distribute secret sadaqahs
so that in the realms of the secret and the apparent both, he may practise
what is good only. May God Almighty fulfil his wishes, and vouchsafe to
his acts the Seal of His Acceptance.
I have not come across any other book on the subject than that by
Abu Yusuf Ya'qub bin Ishaq al-Kindi on jewels and the likes of jewels.
This book is unique and of a very high standard. Indeed, in every field,
this philosopher has brought to bear his originality and interpretation.
He is undoubtedly the leader of those who think, and an example for
others.
I also procured a treatise by the calligraphist, Nasr bin Ya'qub
Dinawari which he has written in the Persian language; the object of this
treatise being to be of use to the non-Arabic speaking public. But he is
more or less a follower of al-Kindi for most part. It will be my effort to
present here all that is found in these treatises. I shall also try to include
everything that I have learnt from the jewellers, although the so-called
famous stories of the jewellers are tinged with the fiction of the storytellers and the gossip of the bazaar. This falsehood is of such magnitude as to stun heaven and earth.
Ptolemy is an example for us in this behalf. He was very chary of
the gossip of the jewellers. Yet he was always keen to hear from them
accounts of their journeys and conditions for correcting latitudes and
longitudes. I pray to God for the fulfilment of my intention and the
capacity to undertake this work. It is God Who sustains and assists.
