Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-02-13
BY DIR. HIRAM A. CUTTING,


TIE BERYL, EMERALD AND AQUAMARlNE
These three gems are all ofthc same min
eral species, and only distinguished from
each other by their blue and yellow shades
of green, or by the delicacy of their crys
tails. Beryl is also sometimes white. The
emerald is more transparent and of finer
color than the beryl, and has that pecnlial
shade of green known the world over as
emerald green. That rich green color il
owing to oxide Of chrome, while the green
color of the common bery is from oxide
of iron. Aquamarine is u beautiful sea
green variety, known to the ancients, and
described by Pliny as the color of sea
water, from which it derived its name
These gems are made up of n double sill
cate of alumina and glucina, which crys.
tallizos in regular six sided prisms, ant
are often creased with channels running
their entire length. Its hardness is less
than that of the ruby, but greater than
quartz, being a little below eight on the
scale of ten. These crystals are also found
in granite rocks and metamorphic lime
stones.
There are many localities where these
crystals are found. The finest known
came from the vicinity of Begota the cap
ital of New Grenada, in South America,
where they are found in dark limestone.
1t is from this locality that the celebrated
crystal in the cabinet of the duke of Dev-
onshire, supposed to be the finest in the
world, was found.
The Peruvian emeralds were rendered
famous by the conquest Of that country
bv Pizarro, ard have ever remained so.
To this day river and village in Ecuador,
where they obtained very many emeralds,
is known as Esmeralds, from that former
abundance.
Mexico, at the same early period pro-
duced crystals of rare beauty and perfec-
ton, and five Of those magnificent jewels,
carried by Cortes to Europe, and iniudi-
ciously bestowed upon his bride instead of
the queen of Charles ", caused feeling
of jealousy and estrangement which told
with fatal effect upon the future prospects
of Cortes.
For one of these precious stones, we are
informed that Cortos refused forty thou
sand ducats, They had been cut by the
wonderful workmanship of the Aztecs-
one in the form of IL rose, another like
horn, third like fish having eyes of
gold, the fourth like little bell with a
rare pearl for its tongue. The fifth, which
WAS most valuable, was Il small cup with
foot of gold, and four little chains of the
same metal attached to y large pearl.
From these sources doubtless came the
magnificent emeralds now in the royal
collection Of Spain, and only eXcellcd by
the wonderful crystal before spoken of in
the hands of the duke of Devonshire.
From ancient times the emerald has been
gem highly esteemed and Pliny in his
works says that those of considerable size
sold for enormous prices.
When set they are usually cut in the
form of square table, with bevoled
edges, the lower surface being cut into
facets parallel to their sides, They, unlike
the diamond, appear to best advantage in
day light.
There are also many places where beryls
ave found. Egypt used to produce many
fine specimens, but the largest beryls
known have been found ut Acworth and
Grafton, n. II, One from Grafton meas
ures four feet three inches in length, and
weighs two thousand nine hundred pounds.
Another is in view forty-fyc inches
through, and estimated to weigh two and
II half tons A crystal in the museum at
Stockholm, in Europe, and supposed to be
the largest ever found there, weighs eighty
pounds; but those crystals are of coarse
texture, possessing no beauty, and Of feeble
luSrc. Their worth is not in any way
proportonate to their size, unless they
have that limpid purity so much desired
and so rare to find.
1t is not unusual to have crystal of
rare beauty found here and there the
world over, but unless new localities are
discovered in the future beyond the cXpec-
taiions Of the most sanguine, this gem
will not hereafter be rs abundant as in
times past.
The French initiate them by the use of
oxide of chron ne to give glass the same
rich color, and some Of their limitations
are very fine. AS the stone itself is little
harder than the quartz from which the
glass is made, such limitations are more
successful than the limitations of harder
gem.