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92 NATURAL HISTORY OF GEMS.
lucency
of the last species seems to me to controvert his attribution. There
can, however, be no doubt some variety of green Jasper was the stone in
question.
Epiphanius mentions under " Chrysolithus" a variety, the Chrysopastus, or
gold-spotted. This afterwards came to be confounded with the
Chrysoprasius, for Marbodus makes two kinds of the latter—one that of
Pliny, named from its resemblance to the leek-leaf, the other purple
with golden spots. After these he makes a third, of a
similarly-compounded name, the Chrysoprasion, which blazes by night,
but resembles a piece of gold in the daytime, applying to it what Pliny
(52) says of the Chrysolampis.
At
the beginning of our century this beautiful stone was much in fashion,
both set round with small brilliants for brooches and rings, and also
singly for necklets and bracelets. The paler pieces were coated on the
back with verdigris, to heighten their tint No other coloured gem so
well becomes a blonde complexion. But it loses its beauty, fading away
to a mere white Calcedony if long kept in a warm and dry place, or if
constantly exposed to the light, still more rapidly if to the direct
radiance of the sun.
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