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Topazius, Peridot

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TOPAZIUS.
315
century. This makes it not improbable that Theophrastus may have had the Peridot in view when speaking (27) of the peculiar process required to give lustre to the Snia-ragdus, naturally a dull stone ; for in his age the coast of the Red Sea was the only locality supplying the Greeks with the true Emerald, and very possibly with the Peridot, at a somewhat earlier period than is allowed by Juba. Certainly tho natural brilliancy of the true Emerald prism is its most distinguishing feature, and could not have been much improved by the simple cutting of the Greek lapidary. Some fine Greek intagli occur in Peridot, to be ascribed from their style to the date of its first introduction at the Alexandrian court, but they are of the highest rarity. The Romans appear never to have used the Topazius for en­graving on, deterred either by its softness, entailing the speedy destruction of the intaglio, or else by its high value as a precious stone. Modern works in it, on the contrary, are abundant enough, and to this class will the majority of supposed antiques in Peridot, when critically examined, be found to belong.
Much light is thrown upon the meaning of Theophrastus as above quoted by the following instructive chapter of Ben Mansur's :—" Abunnasser Farabi, and many other philosophers, hold the Chrysolite for no distinct species, but for a sort of Emerald, than which it is more agreeable and purer (i. e. more free from flaws). It is divided into three classes : the strong green, middling green, and weak green. It comes from the same mines as the Emerald, and appears to be formed of the same substance, but less per­fected. Teifashi says that in his time no Chrysolites were found any longer : those now seen come from Mauritania, and are the relics of the army of Alexander. When he with his host had penetrated into the Land of Darkness,
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