30 THE MAGIC OF JEWELS AND CHARMS
other
mineral, such as rutile, for instance, and sometimes even of gold. To
specimens of this latter type may be referred the Greek name
"chrysothrix," used in the Orphic poem "Lithica" and signifying
literally "golden hair"; of this the verses tell us there were two
varieties, that which may be identified with quartz, having a
resemblance to "crystal," while the other, said to have the appearance
of chrysoberyl, may have been a yellower variety. To the quartz
traversed by filaments of rutile, or the red oxide of titanium, has
been given the taking name of " Venus's hair stone"; a pretty French
name is Flèches d'Amour or ' ' Cupid's Arrows. "49
The
California beaches have furnished some of the most interesting
ornamental pebbles, the greater number being of chalcedony or agate
weathered from an amygdaloidal rock, while a few are of jasper or
fossil coral. Their variegated color-markings made them very
attractive ornamental objects in themselves, and there is reason to
believe that centuries ago the Indians of this region valued them as
talismans or amulets. At present the finest specimens are gathered
from Pescadero Beach in San Mateo County, about twenty-four miles west
of San José, Redondo Beach, fifteen miles south of Los Angeles, and
also from Crescent City Beach, in the northern part of California. On
Moonstone Beach, Santa Catalina Island, many beautiful quartz and
chalcedony nodules have been picked up, which have weathered out of
ryolite rock of sanidine feldspar and quartz. It has been quite a
custom for guests of the hotels to go down to Redondo Beach and gather
these pebbles, and some of those collected by enterprising natives are
placed in a bottle of water to bring out the beauty of their colors.
Sometimes they are drilled and strung on flexible wire to form long
chains or necklaces. Several pebbles presumably from
• See N. F. Moore, " Antient Mineralogy," 2d ed., New York, 1859, p. 190.
