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Ch. 6:Other Gems

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	JADE.	361

	hornblende, &c. In the arts, for ornamental purposes, the compact varieties, only, are cut and polished. In Naples, jewelry and ornaments in great quantities are manufactured and exported; such as pins, ear-rings, intaglios, snuff-boxes,· vases, eandelabras, &c. The different lavas are cut with sand and emery, and polished ;vith pumice-stone. Lava is found in all volcanic countries, and particularly at Etna, Vesuvius, Hecla, in Mexico, the Lipari Islands, &c. Lava is often used as the base for mosaic works. The blue lava of Mount Vesuvius lias the appearance of artificial blue-enamel, and is in much demand for jewelry and ornaments. I have inspected fine specimens of polished slabs at the rooms of the Boston Society of Natural History. JADE. This mineral is called, in mineralogical works, nephrite, hatchet-stone, punamu. It occurs massive ; has a splintery-fracture ; a greasy lustre when polished ; it is translucent ; scratches glass, and is attacked by felspar ; it is of mountain-grass and sea-green colors ; is fusible into a greenish glass ; it consists of silex, lime, alumina, magnesia, and iron. It was originally found in China ; it occurs in Egypt, on the Amazon river, in an island in New Zealand, -called Pavia Punamu, and in the United States (Smithfield, R. I., and Newbury, Mass.), of a sky-blue color, and a greenish and reddish-gray variety at Easton, Pa. The name nephrite is derived from νεφρός, a kidney. It was supposed to be a cure for diseases of the kidneys. It is used for snuff-boxes, cups, &c. ; and in Turkey it is used for handles to sabres, daggers, and hatchets. Deities formed of it have frequently been excavated from ancient ruins. Such I saw, a few years ago, in a collection of Indian curiosities brought from Mexico. 16

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Feuchtwanger. Treatise on Precious Stones.

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1 Page 399 second in August and September; and the more rain, the more
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2 Page 401 weight of twenty-four grains is counted as thirty; so that a
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3 Page 398 body on, or by boring a hole in, the shell. The Chinese are
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4 Page 400 At the Pearl Islands, near the Isthmus of Panama, the pearl
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5 Page 406 In 1620, King Philip IV., of Spain, purchased a pear-shaped
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6 Page 401 weight of twenty-four grains is counted as thirty; so that a
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7 Page 402 reach the age of seven or eight years, and in the fourth yea
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8 Page 403 found in the Elster river, in the kingdom of Saxony, from it
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9 Page 404 nearly two millions of francs ; Julius Csesar presented to S
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10 Page 404 nearly two millions of francs ; Julius Csesar presented to S
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11 Page 405 The seed pearls, when quite round, are worth about one hundr
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12 Page 411 and on the Continent ; around Southampton, in England, these
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13 Page 412 Artificial Pearls. Artificial pearls or beads are of variou
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14 Page 406 n 1620, King Philip IV., of Spain, purchased a pear-shaped p
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15 Page 409 near the town of Paterson, New Jersey, went to a neighbori
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16 Page 410 of Messrs. Tiffany & Co., was purchased from Mr. Howell for
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17 Page 415 The shad-fish, as well as the white-fish of our lakes, must
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18 Page 413 decomposition, and for their preservation numerous chemica
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19 Page 414 Heidelberg, Nuremberg, Sonnenberg, Meistersdorf, in Bohemi
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