San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-08
sUPERsTIrioNs ABOUT GEMS,
The Qualities Supposed to be Pos
sessed by the Sparkling
Jewels.

tain qualities which are It's special
dowry. The origin of this practice
can generally be traced in the ety.
mology of the word, or in the myth or
legend attached to each gem in the
country where it was first found.
Many of them are doubtless of Per-
sian or Semetic origin, but the Greek
mythology contains them nearl y all.
Thus, Adamas, or diamond was
Cretan youth transformed by Zeus
into brilliant and placed among the
stars. Amethyst was another godly
favorite, whom Diana turned into
purple tinted stone, to which
Bacchus added the color of
wine. TO some such origin, and
chiefly from the color of the gems,
their various qualities owe their pres
tige in ancient and modern lore. The
kingly diamond, which has become
the appanage of aristocracy, is the
symbol of justice, innocence, cOnstan-
cy and impassivity of fate. Camille
Leonardus assures us that it battles
the deadliest poison and the most
subtle witchcraft. 1t moreover pro-
tects ladies against those horrible
nocturnal visitors, incubes. The koh-
I-noor was for centuries the talisman
of India, and when, years ago, the
governor of Borneo offered 100000,
two equipped war briggs and numbers
of cannon for the famous stone of Ma
tan, the rajah refused, on the plea
that the fortunes of his family were
connected with it, and that the water
in which it was dipped cured all dis
eases.
No less power full was the sapphire,
Il fp hn or
the holy stone, as it was called, being
the emblem of chastity, and securing
the granting of all prayers. The pa
gans dedicated it to Apollo. 1t be-
came the episcopal stone by decree of
but in modern days it has met with
sad reversion of fate, and is no longer
a lucky stone. The ruby, the live
coal of the Greek, is not less emblem
atical and potent, and the Brahmin
traditions speak wonders of the abode
of gods, lighted by enormous rubies
and emeralds. 1t was believed to dis
pei evil thoughts, and warned its
wearer of danger by becoming black
or obscure. The East Indian mer-
chants still prize it SO highly that
they will not willingly show fine
specimen without Oribe; and the
Chinese present it, to the present day,
as a most sacred token of friendship.
The now humble garnet and the OBJ
long carbuncle share the favors of
their parent, the ruby, the latter of
the two being famous for it's light-giv-
ing properties in the dark.
Topaz, the gold-stone of the an
clients, was much valued by them for
medical purposes, for dispelling en-
chantment and for calming frenzy.
If superstition had still so firm hold
as once it had upon the minds of edu-
Gated people, what favorite the am
ethyst would be, since such stone,
when set in q cup, rendered the pos
SCISSOR of it incapable Of intoxication.
According to modern etiquette, the
amethyst is the only stone which may
be worn during mourning The peer
less, starry opal, the child of love, as
it has been called, far from being an
unlucky stone, as it is now supposed
to be, was once believed by Albertus
Magnus, Marbodeus and others to re-
joice the heart of its owner by render
ing him lovable and bestowing upon
him the gift of invisibility, which
made it the patron stone of robbers
To be on the right side of this gems
influence some say that one ought
never to accept it as present. 1t
has, however, been asserted that the
opal was not unlucky in England UNI
til Sir Walter Scott published his
"Anne Of Geierstein."
The veneration of the Peruvians for
the green emerald, dictated to Mer-
curry by the ancients, is well known,
and the wOrshipers of Mantu still be-
lieve that the mines whence are eX-
tracted all the daughters of the
mother-gem are guarded by terrible
genii, dragons and other one-eyed
people. The beryl was once supposed
to increase conjugal love and to cure
distemper and leprosy; an agate to
quench thirst and turn away storm
and lightning, even as coral, of which
Neapolitans still wear amulets, to
avert the evil eye. Turquoise, ac-
cording to Boethius, especially pro-
tects again falls, and heals differences
between man and wife. Amber
wards off erysipelas and all soreness
of the throat. Sard, comedian and the
stone Dezoar, mentioned by Lord Eyt-
ton, especially stanch all tluX blood
and cure serpents' bites, while hello
trOpe confers the gift OfprOphecy and
| long life. Many more precious stones
might be quoted, and these CuTsOry
remarks should not be closed without
q word about the lily among the
gems, the moonlight queen where the