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Sandaster, Aventurine

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270                 NATURAL HISTORY OF GEMS.
would not have been described by Pliny as stars, implying a certain definite form, but as gold-dust, the term he uses for the similar appearance in the Lapis-lazuli.
An ingenious derivation for " Avonturine " bas been offered in the " Apanturin," panther-stone, a name given to a species of Jasper in the Targum of Jonathan-Ben-Uzziel, composed in the sixth century. But the "Pantheros" is actually described by Marbodus, after some ancient authority now lost, as coloured with black and white, red, green, rose and purple ; a character, totally unfitting the aventurine quartz, but exactly applying to the Brocatella Agate. It cannot be by an accidental coincidence that Orpheus had before given these very same colours, in spots, to the kind of Agate, the most esteemed for its pro­tective virtues, which he calls the " Leontoseros," highly extolled by the demi-gods of old. Now the specific virtue assigned by Marbodus to his Pantheros is, that whosoever looks upon it in the morning should bo protected thereby from all malice of his enemies throughout that day. In fact, its influence was that of the mediœval St. Christo­pher :—.
" Christophori faciem die quocunquo tueris Illo nempe die mala morte non morions."
The brilliancy of the Indian Sandaster was so great as to injure the sight, if viewed too long. Another character quoted from Ismenias, that this gem could not bo polished in consequence of its tenderness, and therefore brought a high price in its native condition, docs not by any means suit the Aventurine, a hard quartz-gem, and requiring a polish to bring out its beauty. All the writers, con­sulted by the Roman naturalist, were agreed that the more numerous the stars the gem contained, the greater became its value.
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