Home » categories » rare book library » Castellani. Gems.
This chapter is tagged (labeled) with: 

Carbon

Calcedonix Page of 243 Carbon Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
52
GEMS.
the cause of the difficulty that exists in distinguishing it from the onyx agate, which it much resembles. It is much harder than this stone, but the difficulty of de­termining the degree of hardness without testing the stone prevents the possibility of deciding whether a given substance be really calcedonyx, except by the lapidary who tests it on his wheel.
Barbot is said to have determined the, specific weight of this substance, which according to him is 2-6180.
It is often even more translucent than agate.
It appears that it came from the East, and was not only known to, but engraved by the ancients, and these engraved stones are the only specimens in ex­istence of the ealcedonyx, as, at present, none is found in any part of the world that we are aware of.
In the ancient collection of Genevosio, Caire saw an engraved ealcedonyx, representing a warrior seated op­posite a dead body. In the Viennese cabinet of en­graved gems there is another, which represents a young man leaning on a column.
XX.
CARBON.
By this name, of which every one understands the general signification, we would specially indicate, tech­nically, a mineral substance discovered in Brazil in the year 1812, which was found mixed with deposits of diamonds in alluvial lands and in the mud of rivers.
Calcedonix Page of 243 Carbon
Suggested Illustrations
Other Chapters you may find useful
Other Books on this topic
bullet Tag
This Page