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ALABANDICUS.
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lits,
occur in this admirable material.* Closely approximating to the
Jacinth in colour, a pure, pale orange, and therefore usually
confounded with it, is the Essonite, or Cinnamon-stone,
although in its composition a true Garnet. It comes to our jewellers
exclusively from Ceylon, but the Vesuvian-garnet, found in small
crystals in the cavities of the lava flowing from that mountain, is
exactly identical with it, both in appearance and constitution. The Common Garnet is precisely of the colour of Burgundy wine, more or less diluted, according to its goodness. The Pyrope differs
slightly from this chemically (magnesia replacing in it the peroxide of
iron), but not in appearance, except in being clearer and blighter. The
Carbuncle is somewhat darker than the last, and is, in fact, the
common Garnet cut " en cabochon," or " tallow-drop," to use the genuine
old English term, that is, into a very convex form on the upper
surface, whilst the base is hollowed out more or less to give
trans-lucency to the stones ; for in their native state they are so
dark in tint as to be nearly black until held against the light, when
the red becomes visible. Many antique Carbuncles are found with the
back hollowed out, precisely in the modern manner; but, if the quality
of the stone allowed it, the ancients preferred cutting the under side
of the gem to a plane surface, instead of increasing the risk of
fracture to so brittle a material by diminishing its substance. The Vermilion Garnet, or Vermeille, so called from its unmixed red tint, is only a jeweller's name for the Pyrope, the Bohemian Garnet.
Garnets
seem to have been little employed by the Greeks for engraving upon, but
were largely in favour with the Romans of the Empire, though not at a
very early date, as may be concluded from the frequent occurrence of
splendid
*
A still rarer shado of the Almandine, but also known to the ancients,
is of a pale rose-colour, much resembling the Balais, now exactly
imitated by the burnt Brazilian Topaz.
(a) "
C
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