Gems Notes and Extracts Augusto Castellani, Mrs. John Brogden 1871

122 GEMS.very many qualities of garnet, which, on account ofslight modifications of colour, of transparency, and ofgrowth, take, scientifically, a different name.In general, the garnet is seldom found in veins, butmore frequently in round or crystallized grains: in thefirst case, its surface is rough and unequal when crystallized,it is always smooth its ;; primitive form is therhombohedral dodecahedron. Either in a rough orpolished state, it is not very bright, but it reflectsnatural light admirably.Of a specific weight between 3-10 to 4'30, and of adegree of hardness between 6 '5 and 7*5, it marks quartzand sometimes even the topaz. It yields a greenish-redpowder ; its fracture is more or less concave, and itsrefraction is single. Under the action of the blowpipe,it melts into a kind of black enamel.The garnet may be divided into three principal qualities,which are called :1st. Garnet of Syriam.2nd. Garnet of Bohemia.3rd. Common black garnet.The most beautiful, which comes from Pegu, theancient Syriarn, are called amethystine garnets, or, accordingto Caylus, garnets of Syriam.They are of a beautiful violet-rose colour ; transparent;and exactly correspond to the description givenby the ancients of the carbunculus amethystizontus, whichPliny considered the firstamongst the garnets, as it isthe hardest.