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l82
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The Sapphire.
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engraven
on it, by Cneius. A very remarkable and famous Sapphire, belonging to
the Marchese Rinuccini, weighing fifty-three carats, has a
representation of a hunting scene engraven upon it, with the
inscription "Constantius Aug." Among a number of old family jewels
there was found by the author a few years' ago, a Sapphire beautifully
engraved with the crest and arms of Cardinal Wolsey.
The
value of Sapphires is very much determined by special circumstances ;
colour, purity, and size must be taken into consideration when fixing
the sum to be paid.
Those
imperfections which appear at times in the Sapphire; and which lessen
its value, are clouds, milky half-opaque spots, white glassy stripes,
rents, knots, a congregating of colours at one spot, and silky-looking
flakes on the table of the stone. Whenever a Sapphire obtains a purple
tint it is an unfailing indication of the presence of the silky defect
somewhere in the stone. If a greenish tint be observable, then a "
milky flaw " will probably be detected on careful examination.
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SIAM SAPPHIRES. Some
of the finest Sapphires are obtained at the present day from certain
mines in Siam. They occur principally in the Province of Battambong,
where they have been systematically worked only within the last few
years ; and they are also found, associated with Rubies, in Chantaboon
and Krat. Many of the stones yielded by these mines present an
unrivalled velvety blue colour, and it fortunately happens that the
Sapphires of over one carat in weight are better in colour and in
general quality than smaller stones. Although the mines have only been
regularly worked for about thirty years, the occurrence of Sapphires
there was probably known to the natives long previously.
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