Chapter XIV: Value of the Diamond (5)

By means of these engraved gems, miniature but accurate copies of some of the celebrated masterpieces and noblest works of ancient sculptors have been preserved to us, while the originals have been destroyed, and even the record of them lost. An instance may be observed in the engraved gem in the Orleans cabinet, which is the only representation we now have of the famous statue of the Repose of Hercules, by Lysippus. As a learned critic has said, in these gems we have the emanations, ever fresh and unfaded, of the feelings and the taste of those ages when the love of the beautiful was the all-prevailing and almost sole religion, and flourished unfettered by tradition, prejudice, and conventional rules; whilst from the universal demand during those same ages for engraved gems, whether for signets or for personal ornaments, artists of the highest ability did not disdain the narrow field of the precious stone as the arena for the exercise of their power. The unparalleled vigor and perfection of many of these performances are a sufficient proof that they proceeded directly from the master’s hand, and were not mere slavish copies, by a mechanic, after designs created by the genius of another. The lovers of the fine arts may derive much benefit from the study of the antique in this particular branch of workmanship. What is there more pleasant than the contemplation of the work of the artists of antiquity; and to behold, shut up, as it were, within the narrow compass of a small gem, all the majesty of a vast design and a most elaborate performance? During the flourishing periods of the Greeks countless statues were carved by numerous artists; and it has been stated that Lysippus alone executed fifteen hundred, all perfect, and some of them colossal. Throughout Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy every town had its temple, gymnasium, or forum peopled with statues of those among her sons who had in any way distinguished themselves in arms, letters, or public games. These became the spoil of the later Romans, and an incredible number were transported to Rome from time to time. Nero is said to have selected from Delphos alone five hundred bronze statues for transportation to Rome. The Etruscan bronzes were quite as plentiful; and Flaccus is said to have carried away in triumph two thousand statues from the sack of Volsinii.

From these statements in ancient history concerning the number of large works in statuary, we can form some idea of the inexhaustible treasury of portraiture in another and oftentimes less costly material. It is estimated that for a period of three hundred years, the engraved gems were manufactured in countless numbers all over the Roman world. It is a little curious that licentious scenes and figures are never or rarely found on antique gems.

Among the gems preserved in the museum of the Vatican may be seen two engraved intaglios of early date, upon sapphires of an amethystine hue. Among the most beautiful of the engraved sapphires that have been preserved to us from ancient times is that of Cneus, now placed in the cabinet of the Strozzi, in Italy, which represents the figure of young Hercules. In the collection of gems at Turin there is a white sapphire, on which a fine head of Tiberius has been engraved. There may be seen among the crown jewels of Russia a beautiful sapphire of two shades, engraved with a representation of a female figure enveloped in drapery. The figure is engraved in the darker shade of the stone, while the drapery is carved from the lighter part. The French cabinet boasts of a very fine blue sapphire with an engraving representing the Emperor Pertinax.

King, the excellent and tireless antiquary, mentions, in his chapter on the hyacinthus, several beautiful and unique engraved sapphires. He states that engraved gems of this class, dating to times previous to the Imperial epoch, are extremely rare; still, there are extant some undoubted specimens, among which are a small Etruscan scarabeus and a magnificent head of Jupiter, executed in the purest Greek style. The accidental discovery of the last indicates how many more of the fine gems of antiquity may yet appear in course of time to gladden the lovers of the glyptic art. This gem was an inch in diameter, and of fine color; but to utilize it to the wants of the Turkish possessor, who wished to set it in the handle of his dagger, the engraved side was set downward and thus preserved from injury, while the back of the stone was rudely faceted by some Eastern lapidary. A Medusa’s head of the same style of execution, upon a stone of remarkable beauty, is one of the chief glories of the celebrated Marlborough collection. In the same museum there is another larger and deeper-hued sapphire bearing the head of Caracalla, the short, curly hair of the irascible tyrant being represented by a series of minute holes closely drilled together. One of the most famous of all engraved gems of this material is the signet ring of Constantius. The stone is one of great beauty and perfection, and weighs fifty-three karats. Its engraving represents the Emperor as spearing a monstrous wild boar before a reclining female figure, personifying Cæsarea of Cappadocia, the scene of exploit. It bears an inscription in proof of its royal use,--the letters “Constantivs Avg.” King mentions another fine specimen of the time of Hadrian, representing “Hebe feeding the eagle.” It was heart-shaped in form, of fine color, and quite an inch and a half in diameter.

The museums of Europe contain many examples of mediæval and modern engraved sapphires, one of the finest of which is the famous portrait of Pope Paul III. among the Pulsky gems, and attributed to Il Greco. It is a very beautiful stone, and three quarters of an inch square. In the Marlborough cabinet there is an extraordinary specimen of a thumb ring of high antiquity, cut from a single stone, but of rather a pale tint. Rings containing both plain and engraved sapphires have been the appointed symbol of church authority from a very early day. They have often been bestowed as the badge of pontifical rank, and the custom has descended to the present day. King devotes an interesting chapter to the history and description of this class of ornaments and symbols; and to his pages we must refer the interested reader.

Engraved red sapphires of ancient date are extremely rare, so rare that the experienced antiquaries, Lessing and Clarac, deny the existence of any antique intaglios of this variety. Investigation has proved that many of the supposed engraved rubies are really red spinel, garnet, or zircon. Nevertheless, there are a few examples to prove that the ancients did make use of the gem in the glyptic art, although the act was regarded as one of extreme extravagance, from the rarity, costliness, and beauty of the material. The Devonshire parure exhibits a convex red sapphire of about three karats weight, of pure pigeons’-blood tint, and engraved with a Venus Victrix in the latest Roman manner. Another shows a full-length figure of Osiris, in half-relief, of the time of Hadrian. In the museum of the Jardin des Plantes there are said to be two engraved red sapphires.

There are but few gems with which the blue sapphire can be confounded. The blue diamond can be easily detected by its superior brilliancy and hardness. It is very rare that the tourmaline appears of a deep blue, and still more rare for the topaz to assume the appearance except of the very light varieties, and the same may be said of the beryl. The iolite, which, however, is a very rare mineral, may resemble the blue sapphire, but its inevitable dichroism betrays its character. Turn the gem before the eye, and the deception vanishes; the blue disappears as if by magic, and the stone is gray. Kyanite sometimes appears of the most beautiful blue tints, but its softness indicates its nature, and prevents its use as a gem. The glass-workers, however, produce the most beautiful and attractive imitations of sapphire, and of all colors, lacking but one desideratum, and that is the thus far unattainable degree of hardness. The red, green, yellow, and white varieties may all of them be closely approached in color by other gems, and the best methods of detection are the tests of specific gravity, degree of hardness, and the optical phenomena.

The blue variety of sapphire being less sought after in ornamentation than the diamond, has not had a fixed scale in valuation. Still, prior, or for a few years prior, to 1850, the ordinary sapphire was placed by jewellers upon the same valuation as the emerald, or at about $15 the karat. Since this period its value has quadrupled, but has not kept pace with that of the emerald. The pale-blue stones have only a nominal value, and the same may be said of the very dark blue. But those sapphires which exhibit the perfect tint of the prismatic blue can command very high prices.

The ancient Romans excelled in their imitations of the ruby, both in hardness, color, and lustre; and a number of examples are yet preserved in some of the European cabinets. The bold robber, Charles, the Duke of Burgundy, was the possessor of several famous gems which he carried with him on his campaigns, and used as personal decorations on particular occasions. One of the choicest of them was a monster ruby more than an inch in diameter, which the famous Margaret of Anjou had given him. On that fatal day at Grandson it was placed with the historic diamond in a golden box, and left in the tent of the Duke, where it was captured by the mountaineers. The gems were carried to Berne by the victorious Swiss, and afterwards offered for sale to the rich Nuremberger, Jacob Fugger. Then it was discovered by the expert that the ruby was indeed a lump of red glass of ancient make, and probably of the date of the Roman Empire.

As the red sapphire is one of the rarest as well as the most beautiful of all gems, its value is in keeping with its attributes. As it overpowers all other gems with its gorgeous red, which is a pure prismatic hue, so it transcends all others in price. There are but very few gems with which it can be confounded in color. But no matter what the material may be, provided it displays the royal tint. It is extremely rare that the red tourmaline or spinel exhibit the perfect tint which is the characteristic of the red sapphire. The zircon sometimes displays a fine red color, and may imitate the sapphire. It is also within the range of possibilities that the diamond and garnet may closely resemble the true ruby. We have seen small garnets that exhibited the pigeons’-blood tint. The scarcity of the ruby is so great that fine gems are only to be acquired by the very wealthy. In the times of Cellini, three centuries ago, the price of the red sapphire was eight times that of the diamond. And to-day we may safely adopt Cellini’s estimate, for the gem is so rare that we cannot readily compute its value in comparison with the diamond, which is so abundant.

King, in commenting upon the valuation of precious stones during the past three hundred years, mentions two fine rubies which were sold in London recently for enormous sums of money. One of three karats brought $1,500; while another of finer tint, of less than four karats (11 grains), was sold for $5,500, or for $500 a grain, which price is quite equal to Cellini’s estimate made in the year 1560.

INDEX.

A.

Abbas Murza, 214.

Abbé Haüy, views of, 75, 91, 253, 371.

Abbey of St. Dennis, gems of, 236, 320.

Acber, banquet of, 209.

Achille de Sancy, 172.

Adamas, 15, 89.

Adamantine flash, 91.
spar, 393.

Adolphus, marriage of, 123.

Advice of Rabelais, title page.

Agrah diamond, 213.

Ahmed’s ring, 116.

Alaric and his Goths, 121, 122.

Alexander, Emperor, 177.
fêtes of, 115,
helmet, 229.
marriage of, 287,
ring, 289.
Palace, collections of, 146.

Alfred de Vigny, poem on the diamond, 12.

Alla-ud-deen, 209.

Amsterdam diamond cutters, 242.

Ancient gem localities, 48.
gems and regalia, 106.
glass, 323, 325, 351, 352.
monster emeralds, 325.

Anna Ivanovna, Empress, 136.

Anne Boleyn, jewel of, 192.

Antitheses of carbon, 16.

Aqua marines, 318-320.

Arabian romance writers’ fancies on gems, 363.

Asiatic gems, 201.

Assyrians and gems, 369.

Asteria sapphires, 414, 415.
quartz, 416.

Augustus the Strong, gems of, 225.

Aurelian, triumph of, 119.

Austrian gems, etc., 226, 227.

B.

Baba, trial of, 161.

Babinet, views of, 99, 185, 223, 263.

Bahia, mines of, 39, 44, 45.

Baillou’s views on gems, 371.

Baker, Sir Samuel, views, 381, 382.

Barbarossa, Emperor, 226.

Barberini vase, 326.

Barbot, views of, 108, 181, 256, 257, 269, 306.

Bariatinsky, jewels of, 155.

Baron d’ Eschwège, 39.

Batavian display of diamonds, 281.

Begagem mines, 223.

Beke, Dr., account of large diamonds, 214.

Belisarius, triumph of, 125.

Bernier’s estimate of Persian gems, 213.

Berquen, lapidary, 167, 238, 241, 272.

Beryl, 145, 311, 320, 332.
name derived from, 317.
of English Crown, 318.

Beudant, Prof., views of, 99, 398.

Bheen, temple of, 209.

Biot, views of, 72.

Blue beryls of Ireland, 316.
diamond of France, 163.
of Mr. Hope, 189.
of Munich, 226.

Boetius de Boot, views of, 105.

Bohmer, French jeweller, 179.

Bordeaux, architect of Peacock Throne, etc., 219.

Borghis, Hortensio, lapidary, 202, 203.

Brewster, Sir David, views of, 65, 184, 259, 263.

Bronze horses of Venice, 127.

Brunswick, Duke, gems of, 232.

Buchanan, views of, 32, 34, 74.

Buffon’s views, 59, 380.

Burial of Cardinal Borromeo, 290.
Lord Palmerston, 290.

Burning-of-Troy opal, 353.

Byzantium, 129, 130, 139.

C.

Cæsar, ring of, 289.

Cagliostro, 175.

Canopies of the Persians, 26.

Cape de Verde, conglomerate, 61.

Capture of Ctesiphon, 24.

Caravans of the ancients, 26.

Carbon, combinations of, 18.

Carbonado, 45, 89, 104.

Cardinal Borromeo, 233.

Cardinal Mazarin, 242.

Carpet taken at Ctesiphon, 24.

Cascalho, 60.

Cassia oil, refractive power of, 257.

Castellani, collection of, 288, 289, 352.

Catherine, Empress, 153, 155.

Cedrenus, the historian, 128.

Cellini’s value of emerald, 331.
ruby, 427.

Ceraunia, 363.

Cerulean throne of the Nizam, 211.

Ceylon mines, 26, 56, 64, 372.

Chalice of Abbé Suger, 161.

Charlemagne, jewels of, 226, 239.

Charles I., gems of, 194.

Charles VIII. of France, 177.

Charles the Bold, 167, 242.
bogus ruby, 426.

Chladni, 71.

Chosroes, palace of, 126.

Chrysoberyl, 95.

Chrysostom, the historian, 129, 241.

Church regalia, 232-234.

Churches of England, ornaments of, 208.

Cingalese gem miners, 374-378.

Clay as an original deposit, 384.

Claudian’s description of treasures of Theodosius, 114.

Claussen’s views on the diamond, 42, 43.

Cleaveland’s views, 315.

Colesberg Kopje mines, 52.

Coliseum decorated with gems, 119.

Collection of armor, 142.

Collections of the Arabs, 116.
Mamelukes, 117.

Color of fossils, etc., 82.
gems, 82, 99-104.

Comnenus, Emperor, 137.

Conglomerate strata, 60.

Connecticut beryls, 314.

Constantine, 128.

Constantinople, conquest of, 113, 126, 127, 130.

Constituents of perfumes, 19, 205.

Coocha diamond, 205.

Cortez, emeralds of, 294.

Cortez’s presents to Charles V., 296.

Corundum, 368, 378, 388.

Cossacks, 132.

Coster, the lapidary, 184, 223.

Count de Douhet, 45.

Crawford’s estimate of Borneo diamond, 218.

Crown of Anna Ivanovna, frontispiece.
Austria, 227.
Chosroes, 22.
Goths of Spain, 321.
Kazan, 139.
Khan of Tartary, 22.
Lombardy, 321.
Muscovites, 136.
Portugal, 222.
Russia, 143.
Saxony, 226.
St. Stephen, 232, 300.
Victoria, 179.
Vladimir, 137.

Cumberland diamond, 232.

Cuneiform crystals, 369, 370, 378.

Cup of Chosroes, 23.
Theolinda, 326.

Cutting of the diamond, 238.
Kohinoor, 247.
Mogul, 247.
Regent, 247.
Star of the South, 247.

Cystine calculi, change in color, 308, 309.

D.

Daubenton’s ideas of the gems, 371.

Davy, Dr., 394.

De Drèe’s Cabinet, 101.

De Laet, 240.

Delattre, report on the French gems, 158.

Delisle, 172.

Demidoff, Prince, 173.

Despret’s experiments, 265.

Development of insect life, 84.
vegetation, 84.

Devonshire gems, 288.

Diamond, antiquity of, as a gem, 21, 114.
appearance of, in nature, 86.
asteriated, 103.
black, 45, 87, 89, 104.
blue, 103, 163, 164, 222.
bort, 87.
Cascalho, or conglomerate, 60.
celebrated Agrah, 213.
blue, of France, 163.
Daria-i-noor, 205, 213.
De Drèe, 102.
Holland, 232.
Hope, 103, 164.
Kohinoor, 151, 180, 206-208, 214, 263.
Mogul, 181, 202, 205.
Mountain of Splendor, 214.
Munich, 103.
Napoleon, 163.
Nassac, 187.
Orloff, 149, 187, 206.
Paul Pindar, 195.
Pigott, 187.
Polar Star, 154.
Prince Riccia, 102.
red, of Russia, 107.
Regent, 161, 164, 165, 187, 206, 223, 263.
Sancy, 166.
Sea of Glory, 214.
Shah, 150, 205.
Stewart, 55.
Sultan of Mattan, 36.
Sultan’s, 112.
Taj-Mah, 213.
yellow, of Austria, 227.
Chancourtois, views, 69.
cleavage of, 91, 245.
color of, 97, 99, 100-104, 228.
rough diamonds, 257, 258.
comparative brilliancy of, 93, 95.
density of, 94.
Cumberland, Duke of, 191.
cut diamond, 241.
deposition of, 20, 65.
diminutive size of, 26, 27.
dispersive power of, 96.
Du Toits Pan placer, 53.
electric properties of, 88;
hardness, 88, 90, 25.
formation of, 59.
forms of brilliant style, 244, 251.
brilliolette style, 252.
rose style, 244, 251.
table style, 250.
globular forms, 87, 95, 245.
green, 102, 135.
imitations of, 265, 267.
worn by Duchesse de Berri, 268.
influence of, 83.
injured by fire, 256.
in time of Emperor Severus, 22.
Pliny, 15, 22, 26.
localities of Africa, 53.
Algiers, 52.
America, 49, 50.
Arabia, 51.
Australia, 56.
Borneo, 35.
Brazil, 37.
Golconda, 31.
India, 30.
Ireland, 47.
Java, 56.
Russia, 47, 48.
necklace of Rohan, 174.
old English style, 243.
origin of, Arago’s views, 69.
Buffon’s views, 59.
Davy’s views, 69.
Goppert’s views, 65.
Hartt’s views, 44.
Humboldt’s views, 43.
Lavoisier’s views, 68.
Newton’s views, 67.
pans, 62.
phosphorescence of, 88.
physical properties, 85.
pink, 159, 228.
placers, 58.
prismatic display, 91, 96, 244.
purity of, 262.
quantity of, in use, 279, 280.
red, 107, 222.
refraction of, 92, 97.
rough, value of, 274.
specific gravity of, 87.
spiritual properties, 104.
swindle of Arizona, 51.
testing of, 253, 258-264.
value of, 269-282.
yellow, 159, 227.

Diminutive size of precious stones, 392.

Dogni collection, 104.

Dolomieu, views, 70.

Don Antonio, 171.

Duke of Anjou, diamonds of, 240.
Brunswick, diamonds of, 232.
Buckingham, jewels of, 194, 198.
Burgundy, fête of, 241.

Duten’s views of the emerald, 151, 285.

E.

Earl of Effingham, 151.

Eastwick’s account of Persian Treasury, 214.

Eleanor of Provence, jewels of, 191.

Electric properties of diamond, 88.

Elf-bolts, 362.

Elphinstone, British Envoy, 212.

Emerald Isle, 301.

Emeralds, 145-283.
abundance of, in Peru, 291.
ancient, 285-291.
at Dresden, 301.
at Florence, 300.
Kandy, 302.
Leiden, 301.
Madrid, 302.
Munich, 301.
Rome, 301.
Vienna, 301.
carved by the Mexicans, 294.
color and composition of, 304, 305, 307, 308, 315.
derivation of name, 290.
engraved by Carlo Costanzi, 302.
found by Maj. Pearse, 304.
given to Hortense, 299.
Napoleon, 299.
imitations of, 321-327.
in times of Queen Elizabeth, 297.
localities of Africa, 331.
Finland, 327.
France, 327.
in ancient times, 330, 331.
Norway, 327.
United States, 309.
Siberia, 328.
South America, 306, 327.
Tyrol, 329.
mentioned by Heliodorus, 285.
Pliny, 285, 287.
of Dhuleep Singh, 301.
Duke of Devonshire, 301.
Charlemagne, 299.
Cortez, 294.
Emperor Jehangir, 302.
French crown, 300.
Mustapha of Tunis, 297.
Pedro II., 11, 145.
Prince of Virianagram, 302.
Princess of Bariatinsky, 304.
Queen of Navarre, 297.
Rudolph II. at Dresden, 298.
Runjeet Singh, 304.
Russia, 298.
Shrine of Loretto, 301.
Sultan of Turkey, 300.
pillage in Mexico and Peru, 296.
of Marshal Junot in Spain, 303.
of Marshal Lannes in Spain, 303.
price of, at various times, 331, 332.
rarity of, 291.
sent by Elizabeth to Henri IV., 299.
supply of, 329.
the Great Mother, 297.

Empress of Austria, gift to the Archduke, 229.

Enamels of the ancients, 215.

Englehardt, 47.

English clergy, magnificence of, 200.

Engraved gems, 14, 288, 289, 320, 351, 418, 424.
abundance of, 421.

Esterhazy, jewels of, 229-232.

F.

Fairs of Armenia, 26.
gems, etc., in Ceylon, 385.
Russia, 386.

Ferishta, historian, 202, 211.

Fêtes of Alexander, 25.

Fitchburg beryls, 313.

Florentine diamond, 227.

Francis I., emerald of, 296.

Franka, Dr. Nello, 65.

Freaks of nature, 79.

French Regalia, 158.
display of, in 1855, 166.
inventory of, in 1791, 159.
in 1810, 162.
in 1849, 162.
stolen, 160.

G.

Garcias, 33.

Gem engraving, 239, 240.
Fair’s of Ceylon, 385.
Fairs of Russia, 386.
mining in Ceylon, 374-378.

Gems as abodes of spirits, 364.
meaning of, 392,
of Palace of Tezcuco, 293.

Genseric, pillage by, 124.

Gifts to Charles V., 295.

Girasole sapphires, 414.

Glass gems, 267.
ancient, 267.

Globular forms of minerals, 385.
petrifactions, 73.

Glorious Masque, pageant of, 193.

Glyptic art, 417.

Godoy, 173.

Gold nuggets, deposition of, 75.
placers, 76.
of Danube, 78.
of Tesino, 78.

Gomara, chronicles of, 295, 296.

Goppert’s views of gems, 65.

Gothic and Grecian forms, 81.
treasury at Toledo, 123.

Gouttes d’eau, topaz, 95.

Grandson, battle of, 169.

Graphite, production of, 266.

Great Harry, jewel, 193.

Great Mogul diamond, 181, 186, 202-206.

Green diamond of Dresden, 225.
garnets, 327.
prase, 326.
sapphires, 413.
stones sought for by primitive man, 286.

Greenockite, 93.

H.

Halpen gems, 100, 223.

Hamlin, Dr. Cyrus, 106.

Hardening of rocks on exposure, 307.

Harlai de Sancy, 170.

Hartt, Prof., 44.

Haüy, Abbé, 75, 91, 253, 371.

Helmreicher collection of diamonds, 104, 228.

Henrietta Maria, 172.

Henry VIII., 170, 192.

Heraclius, capture of Persian treasures, 126.

Hermitage, gems of, 144.

Hervey, Lord, 196.

Herz collection of gems, 190, 191.

Hidden, Win. E., naturalist, 309.

Hiddenite, 309-311.

High refractive power of fluids, 257.

Hindoo’s love of gems, 201, 386.

Hitee, the royal, of Ava, 403.

Holy synod of Moscow, ornaments, 147.

Honorius, rings of, 288.

Hope beryl, 319.
blue diamond, 103, 190.
collection, 101, 102, 190.

Horse gear of the Turks, 146.

Hughen’s views, 99.

Humboldt’s emerald, 328.
views, 43.

Hungarian opal mines, 349, 350, 354.

Hyacinthus, 368.

I.

Ictinus, constructor of the Parthenon, 369.

Imitation gems, 265, 267, 321, 326, 351.

Indian arms, decoration of, 215.

Iolite, 425.

Iridescence of minerals, 341.
quartz, 347.

Iris, Marbodeus’s description of, 348.
ornaments of Empress Josephine, 348.

Itacolumite, 61.

J.

James II., 172.
jewels of, 196.

Jansetsee Jejeebhoy, 173.

Jarlet, lapidary, 154.

Jewish Temple, spoils of, 125.

John VI., golden cane, 223.

Joseph I., diamonds of, 222.

Justinian, 125, 129.

K.

Kaaba, sacred stone, 410.

Kaianian Belt, 215.
Crown, 214.

Karat, weight of, 264.

Kazan, Cathedral of, 147.
Crown of, 139.

King, views of, 167.

King of Ava, gems of, 217.
Kabul, 212.

Kohinoor diamond, 181, 206-208, 212, 214.

Korund, 368, 371.

Kremlin, 132, 135, 141.

Kyanite, 423.

L.

Lahore, Treasury of, 208.

Lamartine, historian, 113.

Lapis lazuli, 368.

Lavoisier, views of, 67.

Le Conte’s description of Honduras Opal mines, 343, 346.
opals, 355.

Lecourbe, General, 157.

Lewy’s views on the emerald, 304-306.

L’Isle, Romè de, his views, 371.

Linnæus’s views, 370.

Lithoscope, 259.

Lollia Paulina, 22.

Louis VII., 199.

Low’s work on Borneo, 217.

Lucretius, poet, 73, 90.

M.

Maine beryls, 313.

Maiolica pottery, colors of, 352.

Mandanga diamond mines, 38.

Mansur Ben, views of, 90.

Marbodeus’s poem on emeralds, 284.
sapphire, 366.

Marc Antony’s opal, 353.

Marco Polo, celebrated traveller, 380.

Maria Theresa, cross of, 228.

Mariana, account of emeralds, 295.

Martyr, account of emeralds, 295, 296.

Mary Queen of Scots, jewels of, 193.

Matura diamonds, 225.

Mawe’s visit to Lisbon, 221.

Mellan, or gem conglomerate, 374, 379.

Minas Geraes diamond mines, 41.

Mirror of Naples, diamond, 193.

Missorium, or emerald table, 123.

Mithridates, 130.

Montezuma’s mantle, 294.

Morse, H. D., diamond establishment, 247, 272.

Mosaics of precious stones, 398.

Murat, General, uniform of, 229.

Murchison’s views, 43.

Muzo, emerald mines of, 327.

N.

Nadir Shah, 151, 152, 186, 187, 204, 206, 211.

Narbonne, pillage of, 123.

Nassac diamond, 187.

Navajos, turquoises of, 293.

Nero’s Lens, 288.

New Hampshire beryls, 314.

Newera Ellia sapphire mines, 373.

Newton’s views, 67, 81, 92, 99.

Nizam diamond, 217.

North Carolina sapphire mines, 388-390.

O.

Oldham, visit to the Burmah ruby mines, 402.

Oliva, actress, 175.

Opal, 335.
ancient mines of, 341, 349.
Babinet’s views of, 339.
beauty of, 338.
black variety of, 349.
cause of its colored reflections, 339, 340.
commerce of, 367.
Count Waliski, 354.
Damour’s experiments with, 337.
dandritic, 338.
Delius’ account of Hungarian opals, 350.
Descloizeaux, views of, 347.
described by Jackson, 355.
division of, by Jameson, 338.
Werner, 338.
Dr. Le Conte’s, 355.
engraved, 351.
formation of, 346, 347.
Harlequin variety, 349.
Hydrophane variety, 337.
imitations of, 351.
mines of, 341.
Central America, 343.
Gracias a Dios, 343.
Honduras, 342.
Hungary, 341-349.
Queensland, 346.
Zimapan, 348.
Mohr’s views of, 339.
Newton’s views of, 339.
of Austria, 354.

Opal of D’Auguy, 354.
Empress Josephine, 353.
Fleury, 354.
France, 354.
Humboldt, 354.
Nonius, 352, 353.
U. S. Centennial Exhibition, 355.
on image of Mexican deity, 355.
physical properties of, 336, 337.
purchase of, 357, 360.
splendors of, 356.
superstitious fancies regarding, 361-364.
treatment of, when mined, 350.
value of, in rough state, 360.
Nonius’s gem, 361.
varieties of, 338.

Orb of Russia, 140.

Order of the Golden Fleece, 225, 226.

Origin of diamonds, 57.
gems, 335.

Orloff diamond, 149-152.

Ottoman display of gems, 117.

P.

Passion for gems, etc., 280, 281.

Paulina, gems of, 288.

Peacock Throne, 210.

Peligot’s views on ancient glass, 352.

Persian emblems of authority, 287.
treasures, 214-216.

Peruzzi, inventor of the brilliant, 251.

Peysonnel, 72.

Phidias, 369.

Philip of Spain, 170, 196.
wedding of, 197.

Pictet, 71.

Piggot diamond, 187.

Pitt, Wm., and Regent diamond, 164, 165.

Placidia, marriage of, 123.

Plato’s views on gems, 73.

Pliny’s views on gems, 15, 285, 287, 288, 328, 330, 331, 368, 369,
414.

Plumbago, or graphite, 16, 18.

Plunder of Delhi, 204.

Polariscope, 261.

Poles, customs of, 134.

Polycrates, ring of, 116, 288.

Pompadour’s jewels, 174.

Pompey, 130.
ring of, 290.

Pope Julius II., beryl of, 319.

Potemkin, gems of, 154.

Potemkin’s plume, 145.

Priest’s treasury in the Kremlin, 141.

Prince Esterhazy jewels, 212, 229.

Prismatic display of the diamond, 92, 93, 96-98.

Q.

Queen Caroline, jewels of, 196.
Elizabeth, jewels of, 197.
Mary, jewels of, 196.

R.

Raleigh, Walter, dress of, 198.

Ralph Potter, lapidary, 243.

Rambusson’s remarks on ruby mines, 403.

Ramusso, Venetian historian, 130.

Ranee Ruthen’s diamond, 218.

Ratnapoora, sapphire mines of, 372, 374.

Ravenna, capture of, 125.

Refractive power of gems, 259-262.

Regale of France, gem, 199.

Regalia of Charlemagne, 226.
England, 179.
France, 158.
Russia, 132.

Regent diamond, 161, 165.

Richelieu’s wreath, 160.

Ring of Ahmed, 116.
Polycrates, 116.

Rohan, Cardinal de, 174.

Rome, triumphs of, 119.

Romè de L’Isle, description of diamond, 222.

Rose-colored diamonds, 228.

Rose diamonds, Antwerp form, 244, 251.
Holland form, 244, 251.

Round brilliant, 222.

Royalston, locality of beryls, 311-313, 315.

Ruby, lustre of the potters of Umbria, 325.
of Crown of Persia, 407.
Crown of Russia, 407.
East India Company, 407.
King of Burmah, 406.
Prince of Wales, 180, 406.
price of, 427.
seen by Garcia, 407.

Runjeet Singh gems, 206-208.

S.

Sacred standard of Persia, 23.
vestments, 127.

Sacro catino--emerald dish, 323.

Saffragan sapphire mines, 374.

Sancy diamonds, 166-171.

Sapphire, 365.
black variety, 417.
carved by the Hindoos, 397.
colors of, 394, 398, 411-420.
composition and characters of, 387, 400.
deposition of, 377-384, 389.
engraved, 405, 412, 417-424.
formation of, in Ceylon, 384, 385.
imitations of, natural and artificial, 424, 425.

Sapphire, mines of, 372, 378, 379, 388-390.
Ava, 401.
Bengal, 393.
Bohemia, 393.
Burmah, 400-403.
Ceylon, 400-403.
China, 408.
Colorado, 392.
Montana, 390, 391.
North Carolina, 388, 411.
Siam, 403.
red, known as Oriental ruby, 398-400, 403-408, 424, 426.
refraction of, 98.
roof of the Parthian Palace, 397.
varieties, early known, 367.

Sapphires of the French Crown, 395, 397, 399, 411, 412.
Hungarian Crown, 396.
King of Ava, 402.
Miss Coutts, 396, 398.
the Russian casket, 397.
price of, 425-427.

Sapphirus, 368.

Sarmatia, ancient, 133.

Sassanian kings, 23, 25.

Saxon white brilliant, 223.

Saxony, Elector of, gems, 224.

Sceptre of Vladimir, 138.

School of Mines, St. Petersburg, 145.

Scythian incursions, 133.

Selwyn’s views of gold deposits, 77.

Serena, 121.

Shah Jehan, 202, 209, 210, 218.
Nasiru’d-din of Persia, 216.
Soujah, 207.

Shrine of Thomas à Becket, 199.

Siberian beryls, 313-315.

Silicified trees, 347.

Sinan Pasha, jewels of, 117.

Sir Stamford Raffles, 36, 218.

Smith, J. Laurence, discovers Hiddenite, 310.

Sokolli, gems of, 117.

Sorel, Agnes, necklace of, 177.

Soujah and the Kohinoor, 207.

Spanish Conquest of Mexico and Peru, 292.

Specific gravity of diamonds, 87.
emerald, 308.
opal, 336.
sapphire, 387.

Spiritual properties of gems, 104.

St. Chapelle of Paris, 127, 128.

St. Laurent, views of, 239.

St. Mark’s Palace, 127, 130.

St. Melania, 121.

St. Sophia, mosque of, 129.

Stamboul, 130.

Star of the South, 41, 223.

Stewart diamond, 55.

Sultan of Mattan diamond, 36.

Sumnat, idol and temple of, 209, 220.

Superstitious fancies about gems, 362.

Suvaroff gems, 98, 144, 156.

Sword of Solyman, 107.

Symes’s visit to Ava, 217.

Symes’s, Col., visit to Burmah, 401.

T.

Table of Solomon, 326.

Taj Mahal, palace tomb, 218, 219, 408.

Talasca, standard of, 293.

Tavernier, the traveller, 27, 30, 34, 66, 67, 150, 154, 163, 182, 202,
203, 205, 213, 227, 238, 246, 251, 272, 387, 404, 406.

Telesie, a name proposed by Abbé Haüy, 371.

Tennant, Prof., 40, 179.

Theophrastus, 25, 368.

Thiers, Madame, necklace of, 178.

Throne of Nadir Shah, 107.
Russia, 140.

Throne of Takdis, 23.
Turkey, 107.

Timour, Fêtes of, 114.
spoils of, 114, 186.

Tiridates and the Parthian nobles, 120.
march to Rome, 121.

Titus and the spoils of Jerusalem, 124.

Tomb of Mahomet, 409.

Topaz, 95, 98, 145, 425.

Tourmaline, 97, 99, 145, 310, 326, 408, 425, 427.
tongs, 260.

Tournament of the cloth of gold, 192.

Townley collection of gems, 288.

Treasury of the Seraglio, 107, 118.

Troitza, treasury of, 147.

Tschudi, Prof., 86.

Turkish casket of jewels, 106.

Turquoise of Mexico, 292.
Persia, 216.

U.

Ural Mountains, 47.

V.

Vaal region diamond fields, 62.

Value of gems in 15th century, 270.

Vaux, mineral collection of, 317.

Veil of Kunderas, 409.

Venice, a gem mart, 270.

Verneuil’s views of diamond, 43.

Volo, plain of, in Poland, 134.

Voysey’s views of diamond, 37, 74.

W.

Wallerius, views of, 290, 370, 371.

Walpole, Horace, 195.

Weight of large diamonds, 247.

Werner collection of gems, 102.

Wilson, Dr., descriptions of the Kohinoor, 207.

Winter Palace, collection in, 142.

Wollaston, Prof., 245.

Wooden-spoon seller’s sapphire, 395.

Wright’s discovery of opal mines, 345, 346.

Y.

Yellow diamond of Austria, 227.
sapphires, 410, 411.

Yriarte, history of Venice, etc., 128.

Z.

Zenobia, captivity of, 120.

Zircon, 91, 93, 96, 255, 427.

Transcriber’s Notes

Errors in punctuation and accentuation have been fixed.

Page 140: “Boras Godunoff” changed to “Boris Godunoff”

Page 255: “gobular forms of crystallization” changed to “globular forms of crystallization”

Page 281: “as it their price” changed to “as if their price”

Page 298: “Kasan was subjugated” changed to “Kazan was subjugated”

Page 343: “State of Gautemala” changed to “State of Guatemala”

Page 410: “a single speciimen” changed to “a single specimen”

In the Index, “Runjeet Sing” changed to “Runjeet Singh” and the page numbers for the turquoise references have been corrected.