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

206 GEMS.A great number of emeralds areseen in the preciousornaments of every age, as often in their natural crystallineforms, simply pierced, as cut in different shapes.But under the name of smaragdus, all green stonesaregenerally understood ;and so, the emerald, jade, jasper,malachite, plasma and prasina were confused together,and about twelve varieties of smaragdus were thusdescribed.Theophrastus, in describing the emerald, distinguishesit, nevertheless, from jasper and from otherstones of minor value." The emerald " (he says) " possessessome particular virtues it ; imparts its colour towater when dipped in it.It also rests the eyes."After him, Pliny wrote " : The third place is givento emeralds, for many reasons. There is no colour whichgives more pleasure to the sight than this ;for we viewleaves and grass with delight, but emeralds with somuch more, as nothing, however green, can be comparedwith them in intensity of colour. Besides this,they are the only gems that fill the eye, withoutfatiguing it ; and, moreover, when the sight is wearied,the emerald restores and relieves it; and for gemengraversno other means of refreshing the eyeagreeable as its beautiful greenScythiais socolour. Those ofare the best none are harder or with lessdefect (nullis major austeritas aut minus vitii).And inthe same proportion that emeralds differ from othergems, the Scythian differ from other emeralds. . . .After the Scythian, come those from Bactriana. TheEgyptian stones hold the third rank, and are found at