136	The Emerald and Beryl.
	Its name appears to be very similar in most lan­guages, whether Oriental or European; in Arabic it is called Zamarut; in Chaldean, Ismaragdon; in Greek, Smaragdos; in Latin, Smaragdus; in Spanish, Esme­ralda; in French, Emeraude; in Italian, Smeraldo. The Persians call it Pachee; the Greeks sometimes called it Prasinus, on account of its colour resembling the greenness of leeks. The origin of the name is said to be a Sanskrit word signifying green. The emerald is so rarely found perfect, that the say­ing, "an emerald without a flaw," has passed into a proverb. It is the stone which ranks next in value to the ruby, and on account of the pleasing effect it has, both by day and candle-light, is a very favourite gem. Latterly it has increased enormously in value. The emeralds which now come into the market seem to be far inferior to those found in former times. The value, when of a deep rich grass-green, clear, and free from flaws, is from £10 to £40 the carat; those of lighter shade are worth much less, the price ranging from 55. to £15 the carat; but experience is the only guide which can enable any one to form a correct estimate of the ac­tual worth of any but the very finest quality. The eme­rald is cut on a copper wheel with emery, and polished on a tin one with rottenstone; it is most commonly trap cut, and, when cut like a brilliant, with rounded tables, it is generally to disguise flaws, which would otherwise be apparent. In India, advantage is taken of the fa­cility with which the emerald can be cloven at right