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Ch. 6: Ruby, Sapphire, Spinel etc.

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Jasper.
173
The cat's-eye is usually set with a black or gold foil, to heighten its play and brilliancy. This stone was de­dicated to their god Belus by the ancient Assyrians, and was called by classic authors oculus Beli, and λευκό οφθαλμοί (wolf's-eye).
Jasper.
This stone—another of the many varieties of quartz— is very compact, and is found of various colours—dark green, red, brown, yellow, greyish, and sometimes bluish and black. It is very hard, and takes a fine polish. Oc­casionally it is found banded, or in stripes of different colours, when it is termed ribbon-jasper ; the stripes are usually red and green alternating. Jasper alone is infu­sible before the blowpipe, but it will melt with the addition of carbonate of soda. It is sometimes found imbedded in trap rock, but more frequently in pebbles in the beds of rivers.
The yellow jasper is found near the Bay of Smyrna, in Greece and other places; the red in the plains of Argos ; the variety known as ribbon-jasper comes from Siberia and Saxony ; and another kind, termed Egyptian jasper, is found on the banks of the Nile. This latter is of a fine brown on the exterior, and clouded with brown of various shades, frequently spotted with black; the markings in this variety occasionally resembling natural objects. A specimen in the British Museum is thought to exhibit a likeness of the poet Chaucer. The yellow
Ch. 6: Ruby, Sapphire, Spinel etc. Page of 295 Ch. 6: Ruby, Sapphire, Spinel etc.
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