|
AMETHYSTUS.
|
29
|
||
|
|
|||
|
called
by the Indians Sacondion, Sacon being their term for that particular
tint ; if still lighter, it took the name of Sapenos." The fourth sort
was of a wine (we should say, "Burgundy") colour ; the fifth and worst
of all was so pale as to resemble Crystal. The most admired tint was
where a slightly rosy hue shone out from amidst the purple, and became
more conspicuous when viewed by transmitted light (in suspectu) ; such
were distinguished by the title of Pœderotes (Cupids), or the " Gems of
Venus," on account of the pre-eminence of their kind and their beauty.
The
deeper the tint the less brilliant is the stone, for which reason the
ancient engravers preferred the light-coloured variety, which of all
gems, next to the Jacinth, possesses the greatest degree of lustre ; or
they may have used it for cutting upon on account of its greater cheapness, remarked
above. That Amethysts * of a fine colour (now so -worthless) wore
deemed too valuable by the ancients to have their substance diminished
by the sinking of intagli into them, appears from many examples extant.
They were either worn as mere ornamental jewels uncut, or else polished
to an extremely convex form, presenting in their exact centre a
diminutive intaglio, a Gorgon's Head, or a mask, in the nature of a
talisman that augmented the supposed virtue without detracting much
from the native beauty of the gem. Pliny notes the suitableness of all
the Amethyst family for engraving upon (scalpturis faciles), a
sufficient proof that no species of this stone was the Hya-cintlms (the
common explanation of archaeologists from De Boot to K. 0. Müller),
which Solinus with justice calls
*
The rich Indian Amethyst evidently was then equally precious with the
Sapphire; Pliny undeniably regarded the latter as merely a variety of it ; for this reason the two are often found set side by side in ancient jewels.
|
|||
|
|
|||