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plumbari kind would be 800. We have not performed experiments upon
other colours. I should believe that the white, green, and red would also be like the ghubari kind, as they are also solid like it, heavy, unperforated. and like the ahmar kind without any perforation. We have standardised 100 of the ghubari kind as the weighing
measure for all other jewels. We shall always adopt this as the absolute measure. Al-Kindi says: Of all the jewels the ruby is the heaviest, if we take a piece of ruby and compare it with the equivalent of any other jewel, we shall find ruby to be heavier. Every body occupies room according to its magnitude, and this occupancy is apparent, not physical. Nor on the basis of its size and measurement does any object obtain any colour. Even if the jewels did not melt, people would have cared for them. Neither is their price dependent upon their gravity. Lead, mercury, and gold are heavier than these stones, and they are melted by fire. The Green Variety (Al-Akhdar)
According to the jewellers, among the akhdar varieties of rubies, the
best is the olivine variety, followed by the pistachio-like kind. These colours gradually fade to white. The green gem does not fetch a higher price than the khaki kind. Abu al 'Abbas al 'Ummani says that a kind of the ghubari is awflah variety. It is the most colourless, inferior, and soft kind. 1 believe that the kind designated by Al-Kindi as the aflah with h has been mentioned as aflaj with j by Nasr. This seems to be more correct as the word, aflaj, is the Arabicised version of awflah. Razi brothers say that the stone brought by Yamin al-Dawlah from
the temple of Nahurah was aieqlah. It weighed more than 35 mithqah. It was mined in India. Compared to the ruby, the awflah holds the same position that beryl and jamast 62 occupy vis-a-vis ruby. This stone was set in 95 mithqah of gold. The king had the gold melted so that he could pride himself upon his achievement among his contemporary rulers because of the gold and jewels. In the Kitab al-Tath (The Book of Conquest or Triumph) we find a khaki jacynth mentioned. I saw the jewel while the Sultan was returning. It reflected slight greenness like that of a mirror. If taken in the hand, it would occupy both fists to the full. It had a perforation upon one side which had a gold circlet, and close to it was written the name (of the jewel) and something else. It seemed light when I felt it in my hands. The Sultan's man seeing this took it from me, lest 1 might see something in it contrary to what the commonalty believed. The White and Dark Kind
According to jewellers, the nifti (bituminous) and the kuhli kinds are
'the dark varieties or both are ghubari, with discoloration predominating |
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