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The cornelian is a clear and transparent red stone which, in colour, is
like the ruby and, at times, surpasses it in beauty and glitter, although it is less than the ruby in hardness. Its edges and the words (inscribed upon it) are affected by friction rather facilely, and this adverse effect gradually asserts itself upon its surface and its glitter. Glitter in the stone is brought about by golden marcasite. Mineralogists call golden marcasite, turunjah, since its paleness is like that of the citron. Marcasite comprises several varieties: golden-yellow, silvery-white, brassy-red, and pyriteblack. The polishers use the golden-yellow kind. 1 have not yet been able to ascertain whether this golden kind is in
use because of some special characteristic. While the other kinds are scarce, therefore, the golden kind is more often used for polishing purposes. Al-Kindi and Nasr call the ruby bijadhi dhahbi. I do not know why it should be associated with gold. All that one can say is that the word, dhahbi, is associated with the stone, because for polishing purposes it is dependent upon golden marcasite. But even then 1 should think that the word, dhahbi, is beyond probability, since gold and this stone have nothing common with each other as regards colour to recall any likeness or relationship as is the case with some lapis lazuli pieces. Nasr says: Its mine is (said to be) in Badakhshan. But this is not so.
It is associated with Badakhshan as this place constitutes its market. Traders pass through it and here the stone is polished and made smooth. It is as if Badakhshan is the gate through which it goes to the other cities, just as Kabul is associated with the names of the embelic myrobalans, aloewood. and the hiring myrobalan. In the past it was the closest frontier in the Muslim world to India. Kabul was the capital of the rulers entitled Shahiya — the Turks and then the Brahmans. Kabul thus became like a port where people unload their goods, although pure aloewood is brought to us from the coasts of southern India. Embelic myrobalan is brought from Jalhandar. 64 At even speed there is a journey of more than two months between these two places. Hiring is brought from the environs of Qayrat which is situated near the borders of Kashmir and Gandhara. It is known to all that no other kind of ruby, except the red kind is
stable when heated, and that its yellow and ghubari colours change in the process. But a person who performs polishing and rubbing has informed me that ruby is stable if heated gradually and also if the stone is left in the furnace and allowed to cool. Fire makes it clearer and more transparent. I have neither observed nor experimented upon it. Ruby mines are situated near the village of Warzqanj which is situated in the direction of Kharukhan while -going from Badakhshan at
three days' journey. It is a part of an emperor's domain, the capital of which is Shakasim, which is close to the mines producing this stone. The |
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