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

230 GEMS.this stone ishighly prized when found without spots,being very subject to defects, so that it is oftendiminished in value by having a violet tint, cloudedwith a black shadow, or deadened by a wax tintwhich whitens it too much."The best colour for this stone is clear, neither toomuch dulledby a dark tint, nor too light by excessivetransparence, but inclining to a medium colour betweenblue and purple. This is the gem which is sensitiveto the air and sympathises with the heavens, andwhich does not shine equally whether the firmamentBesides this, when put in the mouth,is dark or light.it is colder to the taste than other gems.As to beingengraved, it is not very suitable, because not easilycut (attritum respuat):nevertheless, it is not altogetherinvincible, as itmay be cut and engraved indifferent forms (scribitur et figuratur) by the diamond."From all these descriptions, it appears certain to methat the ancients applied the term sapphirus to someblue stone, like that which we now call zappherine.under the name ofBesides, they denoted speciallysapphirus that particular stone called by us lapis-lazuli.And that, finally, they gave the name of hyacinthus,without any doubt, to that precious substance nowcalled by us corundum, because in its various formsit is like the different colours of the flower intowhich Hyacinth, the young friend of Apollo, waschanged. And therefore they called the ruby corundumhyacinthus purpureus, and the blue corundum hyacinthussapphireus.