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LYNCURIUM.
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163
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Romans understood the Black Sard (our Black Agate), only red and translucent by transmitted light ; but though ì,ïñìù masks, in intaglio, are frequent enough in this variety, those in relief never occur in it. De Boot, with as little foundation, supposes it Obsidian.
The
exact nature of the Mormorio is much elucidated by the discovery made
(1838) in a tomb near Kertch, by Alexis Tscherkow, where lay a female
skeleton, richly adorned with her choicest jewels—a laurel crown, in
massy gold, on her head ; earrings,, with pendants, formed as Bacchic
genii ; and two necklaces, with hollow gold beads : " cre-pundia," as
the Romans called them. On her fingers were eight rings, of which three
had been votive, to judge from their extraordinary and unwieldy size.
One was set with a bust of Pallas, in three-quarter face, her helm
crested by a bird with drooping wings (not her proper owl, however), in
high relief, of the finest Greek work : cut on " une pierre qui
ressemble au grenat le plus foncé." The second bore the same relief,
but with the head in front face. Both these stones are nearly two
inches long—their form., a wide oval. The third had a superb Siriam
Garnet, nearly as large, with an intaglio, a god leaning on a sceptre,
and placing his hand on the head of a smaller figure standing on a
basis. (Published in the ' Bull, de l'Inst. Arch. Rom.' 1840).
A
perfect Jacinth is indeed a splendid ornament to the finger ; much more
agreeable and superior in,tint to the best Brazilian Topaz, having a
peculiar golden lustre mixed with its rich orange ; however, it is now
completely out of fashion, and consequently of but little selling
value, such are the unaccountable, unreasoning, mutations of taste in
these matters.
Our Jacinth was not the Lychnis of Pliny, as some have taken it to be, the latter was indeed electric and hard to
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