Khatibi has said that good quality emerald is found admixed with
sand and taken out of wells mixed with sand in the manner of gold.
Al-Kindi states that some emeralds are mined by excavating
mountain veins, while some are taken out by breaking the earth with
stones.
According to the Razi brothers, if a prospector suspects the presence
of emerald in a stone, he rubs oil over it, so that its greenish veins begin
to shine.
Nasr writes:
Anyone desirous of visiting an emerald mine has to pay five dinars
for every twenty nights according to the law. Sometimes the stone
as well its segments are located and sometimes only clay is to be
found. The latter is then washed and sifted. Clods having stones
appear; they are collyrium-like. These segments are better in colour
and have stones amongst them having greenish colour but inclined
towards whiteness. The kind that is salt-like is the bahri variety.
Two more colours are found in the clay. One is known as the main
(solid) and the other as the Maghribi, They are polished through abrasion. Segments found admixed with the earth are peeled occasionally to make beads. They are called 'adasayyat.
The Razi brothers state that the largest, clearest emerald, having
a pleasing green colour seen by them, did not weigh beyond five dirhams.
There is a tradition that an emerald weighing 10 dirhams has been seen.
It was priced at fifty dinars a dirham and later, according to the hierarchical order, one dinar.
It is rather surprising that a stone so precious should have been rated
so low in value by these two authorities. Such a low value is possible
only if the stone has been set on another, but even then its own value
cannot diminish.
Other jewellers besides Razi brothers have claimed that the price
of half a mithqal of emerald is two thousand dinars. The price prevalent
during the Marwanid period was according to the table which I have
reproduced below. 1 have done so with all the integrity at my command.
These prices do not obtain in our time.
God knows best.
