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42
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PRECIOUS STONES.
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rubies
in such designs as those named is a matter of much moment. It is a
mistake to attempt to match the colourless and the coloured stones in
respect of size, and generally of shape also. One should be smaller
than the other. Large rubies with small moonstones, or small rubies
with large moonstones, and similarly, square stones with round, and
oblong stones with round, generally produce happier effects than
square with square, and oblong with oblong. Pearls accord with rubies,
not only by reason of their colour relations, but also on account of
their shape. In the case of rubies cut en cabochon, brilliant-cut
or square step-cut diamonds will be found to yield very satisfactory
combinations. A border of small brilliants or roses is a usual and a
useful mode of setting off the qualities of a ruby. The colour of the
pale stone is heightened by contrast with the colourlessness of the
diamonds ; the richness of a rich stone is enriched, and a small stone,
if surrounded by stones still smaller, becomes magnified in proportion.
Next
to the ruby, amongst the red stones, comes the spinel or balas ruby, an
entirely different mineral species, without any pleochroism, and
inferior in hardness to the true ruby. The scarlet, aurora-red, and
flame-coloured spinels are the most beautiful , those which verge upon
crimson, purple, and violet, looking dull and black at night, but
showing very delicate and often rare hues by day. Red spinels accord
well with small orilliants, or with larger pearls or moonstones. A fine
aurora-red spinel looks well when surrounded with delicate foliage of
white, orange, and black enamels. Step-cutting, similar to that
employed for emeralds, accords best with the optical qualities of this
stone. A biconvex lenticular form may be so adapted to this stone as to
throw a good deal of soft and rich colour into a specimen which would
otherwise have had little beauty to recommend it. What richness of hue
the finer examples of red spinel may show is to be studied in two
specimens in the Townshend collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, Nos.
1326 and 1327.
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