Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-01-03

highly priced. The High Priest of the
Hebrews bore on his breastpiate twelve
precious stones. The GreekI carried the
art of the lapidary to the highest perfec-
ton. Even to this day EtSuscan work
is worn in Itilly and throughout Europe.
To-day the collection of canoes and in
tarlios made by Cosmos and Lorenzo,
and preserved in Florence is the finest
in the world. The diamond is the hard
est and the greatest refractor of solar
light of all mineral substances. 1t is
pure carbon, snd efforts at all ages OF
the worlds history have been made
to produce diamonds artifcially, but
in vain. The celebrated Ko-hi-noor
belonging to the British crown weighs
Jog carats. 1t is the great India dia-
mond, and once belonged to the great
Arungzebe. The great Regent weighs
1856 carats. The wonderful diamond Of
Portugal, the Bragazza,' found in Bra
iii, weighs $50 carats. The Nathan +"
is a. pear-shaped gdiamond, found in
Borneo, weighs 36T carats The Rus
sian diamond, p 0rloff,' belonging to the
Car, was once the eye of an Indian idol,
and afterwards adorned the throne of
Nadir Shah. 1t was bought by Cathe-
rine of Russia for 100000 rubles. The
Cumberland diamond was valued at
100000. The "Sancy," after passing
through many strange events, was finally
lost during the French revolution. The
wonderful Blue diamond was lost at the
same time, and neyerrecovered. The Pitt
diamond weighed 40 carats, and the
Star of the South 254 carats. Diamonds
are generally colorless, but some have
been found opalescent and black. Even
green, pink and red diamonds have been
found, but the pure water transparency
is the most valuable. The ruby is next
in value and equal in antiquity. Its
value increases with its weight at a
greater ratio than the diamond. The
King of Burmah has the largest and
finest rubies in the world. The gem
is of red color, but Of many
shades, the vivid pigeons blood
being the finest. One of the latter class
weighing four carats would be worth
$1,000, or nearly twice the value of a
diamond Of the same size. The ruby is
supposed to be highly magnetic, and by
the aneients was believed to be an anti
dote for poison. A ruby in the posses
sion Of Aurungzebe was said to have been
as large as pigeons egg. The sapphire
is valuable stone, found in Ceylon and
Siam, and is of blue color The topaz
is found in Brazil, and, like the ruby, is
an aluminous silicate of the quartz fam
ly. The oriental topaz is mentioned in
the Scriptures; it is the chrysahte Of
the ancients. The oriental amethyst is
the purple sapphire, and belongs
to the ruby family. They are next to
the diamond in hardness, and are selected
as suitable for mourning. The amethyst
is found in Hungary, Bohemia and
Brazil. The garnet is distinguished
from ruby by shade. When cut in
certain form it is called the carbuncle
The yellow garnet or almandine is found
in the Tyrol. The glorious emerald is
of beautiful green color, and to it has
been attributed mysterious powers, but
its value does not increase with its
weight, in the same ratio as the ruby OF
diamond. Aqua marine and beryl are
of the same composition as the emerald
but the aqua marine lacks color
aud the beryl transparency. In th'
gaslight it is almost impossible to dis
tinguish the acqua marine from the dia
mond. The pearl has always been highl.
valued by the ancients-one sold to thu
Shah of Persia brought 100000. i
was nearly three inches long and wa
pear shaped. The Shah is said to hav'
a string of pearls, each one perfect anC
and as large as hazel nut Queen Vic
toria has fine collection Of pearls
One was found in Panama in 1879 al
large as a pigeons egg and was valued
at $4,000. The Prince of Muscat hal
one which weighs twelve carats and i
valued at $4,000. Leo X paid l4,OOC
scudi for pearl, and a lady in MadraI
is said to have one valued at 10000
ducats. Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen
dissolved pearl Of inestimable value IL
vinegar, and drank it as compliment
to Mark Antony. In modern times thu
same piece Of folly was perpetrated b.
Sir Thomas Gresham. There are man.
other valuable stones which are not re
garded as gems--sueh as the opal, cat
eye, turquoise, hyacinth, dioptase, agate
camelian, heliotrope, lapis-lazul, beside
many Others of no uncomfortable valuc
JET PALACE, for Christmas gifts. III
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