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Sardius, Sard

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NATURAL HISTORY OF GEMS.
Pliny's statement as to the disrepute into which the yellow-coloured had fallen.
Bright-red, indeed, was the primary distinction of the Greek and Roman Sard, and hence the origin of Epi-phanius' ridiculous etymology ; and thus Marbodus charac­terizes it " Sardius est puniceus, cujus color sanguineus." But now, by a singular perversion of meaning, the French restrict the name Sardoine to the brownish yellow (fame) calling the red alone Cornaline. The former word being naturally enough translated, by English and German writers, as Sardonyx, has given rise to much confusion in quoting from Catalogues drawn up in French. Similarly, the unaccountable practice of the English lapidaries of the last century, in calling Beryls the yellow shades of Sard, has proved to the French and German archaeologists (like Clarac and Dr. Brunn) a fruitful source of error in their (copied) descriptions of engraved gems. This Sardoine runs to a very much larger size than the true Sard. Amongst the French Eegalia one is catalogued as of 7-1/2 inches in diameter, engraved with the Head of Medusa, and valued at 480Z. The Marlborough " Phryne " (or rather a Venus Victrix) to be reckoned amongst the finest intagli of the Roman period is also a rich dark Sardoine, 2-1/4 inches high.
The supply of Sards from Babylon bad failed before Pliny's age. They were said to have been found in the vicinity of that city, enclosed, like a heart, within other stones on their being broken open, and therefore termed " lapi-cidinse." This means, speaking popularly, that the Sard nodules formed the " plums " in a pudding-stone. The tradition is confirmed by the curious fact that many antique Sards exhibit on the back a central circle of a different density from the rest, leading to the inference that the stone was primarily generated in a spherical
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