SOLIS GEMMA. 301
Psellus
also, much to the same effect : "It is so named because it displays as
it were an eye within itself, which increases or diminishes according
to the growth or decline of the moon." Marbodus, improving upon this,
makes the stone itself increase or decrease proportionally with the moon, whence it derived the title of the Sacred Stone.
Orpheus,
however, differs from Pliny in his description of the " Gem of the Sun
" (388), of which he makes two kinds. " In both, there grow real rays,
straight, shining, and in appearance like unto hairs ; but the colours
of the stones are different : one of them you would deem a Crystal, but
the other is exactly like the Chrysolite, and if it did not contain the
hairs it would be a Chrysolite." Now, the first of these is evidently
the Venus-hair Crystal—a Crystal of Quartz of extreme brilliancy, full
of long straight fibres of asbestos, like the finest hairs inclosed
within its substance. This attribution is confirmed by an intaglio
discovered by me amongst the Marlborough Gems—a figure of Sol engraved
upon such a Crystal, marking it for that god's own peculiar property.
The yellow variety it is \ more difficult to identify.
The
modern Venus-hair Crystal is not, however, the Veneris Crinis of Pliny
; for that was " extremely black and lustrous, containing in its
substance the appearance of red hairs," characters assigning it to the
Jasper species.
No
wonder that so singular a phenomenon should have been regarded as the
sign of wondrous inherent virtues. " Phoebus hath planted in both
species a mighty spirit that gives glory and heroic beauty to whosoever
shall wear them with due understanding," adds Orpheus.
The
" Sun-stone " of our jewellers only differs from their " Moon-stone "
in colour, being of a very lustrous brownish-yellow, instead of a faint
bluish-white. In the opinion, however, of a very experienced lapidary
it is not a felspar
