accustomed to heighten its brilliancy by perforations, and also
substitute imitations in colored rock-crystal for the genuine
article — a practice which suggests the scarcity of oriental
beryls. The Greeks used this precious stone for engraving
more than two thousand years ago,.and the Romans followed
their example at a later period, though they used the emerald
more frequently for this purpose. King says the beryl was
the only gem cut in facets by Roman artists.
There are few ancient intagli on beryl, though they frequently occur of the Renaissance and later periods. The
finest engraved specimen is the Glaucus, or Palaemon on a
dolphin, in the Mertens-Schaffhausen collection, while one of
the chief ornaments of the Cracherode gems, in the British
Museum, consists of a beryl engraved with a Cupid on a
dolphin.
One of the finest known beryls, belonging to the Hope collection, is an Indian gem, weighing six and one-half ounces,
and is valued at two thousand three hundred and twenty-five
dollars. A magnificent blue beryl surmounts the globe in the
royal crown of Great Britain.
Mr. Hamlin refers to several remarkable gems of this species, including a specimen from the Siberian mines, of yellowish green and greenish blue tints, constituting one of the most
beautiful known ; and another from Ireland, belonging to the
Vaux collection, in Philadelphia, which measures nine inches in
length and six in circumference, of a rich green, with the
peculiarity of being transparent at one end of the crystal,
while the remainder is only translucent. A Siberian beryl in
the possession of Mr. Clay, of Philadelphia, measuring two
inches in diameter, displays a cerulean blue externally, but is of
a decided green in the interior.
Aquamarine. — This epithet, applied to a variety of other
