DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5009#0341
STONES FOB ENGRAVING KNOWN TO THE ANCIENTS. 315
a stone of a somewhat paler colour, but approaching a golden tint.
Urotn his associating this stone with the beryl, it is evidently only
a yellowish beryl. It is supposed by some to be the modern chryso-
beryl (called by jewellers the Oriental chrysolite), a much harder
and more brilliant gem of a greenish yellow.
Carbunculus— Garnet.
•Ihe term Carbunculus being indiscriminately applied by the
ancients to all red and fiery-coloured stones, comprises the several
varieties of the garnet as well as of the Buby. The Greek
synonymous word is anthrax. There are several kinds of Garnet,
differing from each other in their colour and transparency ,_and even
111 their constituents, yet having the same crystalline forms and
nearly the same hardness. The precious garnet is a silicate of
aluminium, magnesium, and iron. This gem varies greatly in colour.
It is sometimes of a deep blood red, and frequently " of the colour
°f Burgundy wine, more or less diluted according to its goodness."
J-he name garnet is supposed to be derived from granaticus, a pome-
granate (from the red colour of the seeds and juice).
1 he Pyrope, or Bohemian garnet, is of a deep blood red. The
mandine of a crimson red inclining to violet. It is found in India,
Qeyton, Brazil. The Siriam is of a carmine tint with an admixture of
iuo. It jg so caneci because it comes from Siriam, the old capital
oi 1 egu. The garnet in which yellow predominates, or as Mr.
■Iving distinguishes it " of a vinous yellow," combining the orange of
tne jacinth and the wine colour of the garnet, is styled by the
Italians guarnaccino. The hyacinthine garnet and essonite (cinna-
mon stone) are characterised by different tones of orange and
yellow, mingled with the reds of the other varieties. The finest of
these is that with a hyacinthine hue, often called by the jewellers
"hyacinthe la belle." The carbuncle is a name given to the garnet
m jewellery, when cut "en cabochon," or into a very convex form
on (he upper surface.
Pliny thus describes the several varieties of the carbunculus or
garnet known in his day : " There are various kinds of carbunculus,
flio Indian and the Garamantic, which last has been also called the
Carchedonian. To these are added the ^Ethiopian and the Ala-
tandic stones, the latter of which are found at Orthosia in Caria,
out are cut and polished at Alabanda. The most highly esteemed,
however, is the amethyst-coloured stone, the fire at the extremity of
wMch closely approaches the violet tint of amethystos." This is
undoubtedly the Almandine garnet.
a stone of a somewhat paler colour, but approaching a golden tint.
Urotn his associating this stone with the beryl, it is evidently only
a yellowish beryl. It is supposed by some to be the modern chryso-
beryl (called by jewellers the Oriental chrysolite), a much harder
and more brilliant gem of a greenish yellow.
Carbunculus— Garnet.
•Ihe term Carbunculus being indiscriminately applied by the
ancients to all red and fiery-coloured stones, comprises the several
varieties of the garnet as well as of the Buby. The Greek
synonymous word is anthrax. There are several kinds of Garnet,
differing from each other in their colour and transparency ,_and even
111 their constituents, yet having the same crystalline forms and
nearly the same hardness. The precious garnet is a silicate of
aluminium, magnesium, and iron. This gem varies greatly in colour.
It is sometimes of a deep blood red, and frequently " of the colour
°f Burgundy wine, more or less diluted according to its goodness."
J-he name garnet is supposed to be derived from granaticus, a pome-
granate (from the red colour of the seeds and juice).
1 he Pyrope, or Bohemian garnet, is of a deep blood red. The
mandine of a crimson red inclining to violet. It is found in India,
Qeyton, Brazil. The Siriam is of a carmine tint with an admixture of
iuo. It jg so caneci because it comes from Siriam, the old capital
oi 1 egu. The garnet in which yellow predominates, or as Mr.
■Iving distinguishes it " of a vinous yellow," combining the orange of
tne jacinth and the wine colour of the garnet, is styled by the
Italians guarnaccino. The hyacinthine garnet and essonite (cinna-
mon stone) are characterised by different tones of orange and
yellow, mingled with the reds of the other varieties. The finest of
these is that with a hyacinthine hue, often called by the jewellers
"hyacinthe la belle." The carbuncle is a name given to the garnet
m jewellery, when cut "en cabochon," or into a very convex form
on (he upper surface.
Pliny thus describes the several varieties of the carbunculus or
garnet known in his day : " There are various kinds of carbunculus,
flio Indian and the Garamantic, which last has been also called the
Carchedonian. To these are added the ^Ethiopian and the Ala-
tandic stones, the latter of which are found at Orthosia in Caria,
out are cut and polished at Alabanda. The most highly esteemed,
however, is the amethyst-coloured stone, the fire at the extremity of
wMch closely approaches the violet tint of amethystos." This is
undoubtedly the Almandine garnet.