German
"Hyacinth," and " ein breuneder jacinth," End in French "Jacinthe la
belle." We apply the term hyacinth to trasparent and bright-coloured
varieties; jargon to crystals devoid of colour and of a smoky tinge,
which are occasionally sold as inferior diamonds. Anselmus Boetius
gives the following description of this gem:—(ist) "There are some
that flame like fire, or are similar in colour to crimson or to natural
Vermillion, these the French jewellers call 'Jacinthe la belle,' and
these they esteem the best. (2nd) Those with a yellow-red colour. (3rd)
Others which are like unto amber, so that they can hardly be
distinguished from it, but by their hardness. These are of no great
value by reason of the atoms they contain, and the multiplicity of
small bodies which are in them, which do hinder their transparency and
translucency."
Little
grains of zircon are found in the valley of the Iser, in Bohemia; and
small violet-blue crystals are obtained from the gold sands of the
Ticino, and also from Vesuvius. It is obtained from Ceylon, which is
one of the richest beds of natural wealth in the world, and also from
Pegu in the river sands.
PRECIOUS STONES IN CEYLON. (From "Ribeyro's Ceylon" by George Lee.) The precious stones which are most remarkable in Ceylon, and which the Moors and Indians most prize, are the cats-eyes. They
are scarcely known in Europe. I saw one on the Prince of Uva's arm,
when he came to visit us, of the size of a pigeon's egg. It was quite
round and of the form of a large musket-ball. These stones are heavier
than other precious stones ; they are never worked up, but are only
cleaned off. It seems that nature has concentrated in this one stone
the finest and most lively colours which light can form; and that those
colours contest with each other which shall produce the greatest
effect. One colour is more prominent to view than another, according to
the light in which the stone is held ; and if its position is changed,
another colour strikes the eye to greater advantage; on this account
the stone is called a cats-eye, as it has rays opposed to each
other which create that variety in its appearance; as we see the eye of
the cat itself change in brilliancy and effect, as the animal turns or
removes it. These rays in the cats-eye are never of an even number; there are three, five, or seven of them; these lines of light -are called, betas, and the price of the stone increases according to the number of those betas. The
rubies are the finest stones after the cat's-eyes, then come the
sapphires and topazes. The Moormen attach high value to the topazes of
Ceylon, because some of them are very large. These four precious stones
are the most common in Ceylon; we have already spoken of some others,
but they are of smaller value. There are some mountains on the island
from whicli white, green, or red crystal is procured; and the native
workmen cut it well and polish it for crucifixes, images, crosses and
other emblems of religion, by means of two wheels and emery and solder.
Addition by the French Editor.
On Precious Stones.*
Edward
Barbosa, who has published a treatise on what he saw, most remarkable
in the East Indies and of their chief articles of trade, dwells
parti-cularly on the precious stones of the country. He gives us their
peculiar marks, the places where they are found, and their respective
prices and values. He begins with the rubies and he states that the
finest and best are found in the
