Wichita eagle., 1889-05-23
UNFAMILIAR GEMS.

Green Garnets, Beryl, eun-Stones Chrys.
olttes and Other Precious Stones.
The list of precious stones with which we
are familiar is after all q very small one,
says writer inthe.S San Francisco Chronicle,
embracing simply the diamond, emerald,
sapphire, ruby, opal, topaz, carbuncle,
amethyst and pearl. This, however, Is
very small part of the actual list. Readers
Of the Bible will, of course, remember that
two lists Of precious stones are given in
that book. The first is given in the descrip-
ton of the Jewish high priests breastplate,
and is as follows:
"And thou shalt set it (the breastplate)
in setting Of stones, four rows of stones; a
row Of sardius, topaz and carbuncle shall
be the first row; and the second row an
emerald, a sapphire and diamond; and
the third row jacinth, an agate and an
amethyst; and the fourth row beryl and
an onyx and a jasper"
The second list is given in the description
of the New Jerusalem:
''The foundations of the walls Of the city
were adorned with all manner of precious
stones. The first foundation was jasper,
the second sapphire, the third chalcedony,
the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the
sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the
eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth
chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the
twelfth amethyst, and the twelve gates
were twelve pearls
In these two lists there are six stones, the
sardius, chalcedony, chrysolite, beryl,
ehrysoprase and iacinth, that may be called
unknown; and two, the jasper and sar.
donyx, which we are not accustomed to put
in lists Of gems.
Before going any further it viii be inter.
esting to find out something about the IN
used half dozen, and this, it will be found,
can be comparatively done by first consid
ering the chalcedony, which Is the mother
stone of large family. Chalcedony
is q semt-transparent kind Of quartz, ap-
parently produced by the infltration Of
water holding silicious matters in solution.
The name is that of the locality, Chalcedon,
In Asia Minor, where ii is said to have been
originally found. Chalcedony, In some of
its many varieties, is found in Tuscany,
Iceland, the Farce Islands, Saxony, Hun
gary, India, Arabia, Surinam, Siberia,
Cornwall, Scotland, the Giants Causeway
and in California, near Vallejo. Beautiful
chalcedonic pebbles may be picked up On
some Of the southern English beaches, at
Pescadero, in California, and at Lake Tahoe.
Chalcedony is usually milk white, but it as
sumes a number of colors and markings.
When it is of light red or yellow color 1t
is called carnelian, because of its flesh
color. Carneliau vas formerly much used
for beads and seal-stones, but now it is sell
dom seen as an ornament except In the
shape Of cheap rings sold ct country fairs
When 1t is Of O deep brown it Is called
sardius, or sard; when It shows alternat-
ing parallel bands Of different colors with
out any pronounced contrast it Is called
onyx; and when these layers are Of very
dark sard and nearly opaque white chalce-
dony il Is called sardcnyx. stone that was
and is still held in great esteem for engray-
ing into canoes.
Lastly, flint, hora-stone and plasrla are
all baser forms OF this same chalcedony.
Though so closely alike il name the beryl
and ehryscberyi have little else in common.
The beryl IS variety Of the emerald, and is
found IN six-si6ed prisms Of variable cimen-
siors. The co.ors are generally blue or
yellow. but some are colorless. When of
clear tints or sea-green or skv-hlue they
are called By the jewelers. aqua-narines.
Beryl CRYSTALS are found in New Hampshire
and Mas sschusetts. Caina, Brazil, Siberia,
Cornwall, Ireland and Scotland, TIE Irish
specimens being Of h1e blue color and
sometimes quite transparent.
Tie chrysoberylis found IN snallrounded
masses about the size Of e. pea, which on
being cut show yarioas tinss OF greeuish
yellow, with clear, translucent end very
hard body. Sometimes they show blush
opalescence internally. The finer chryso-
beryis are equasIa appearances 10 the yellow
diamond Theyare feaud in Ireland Brazil
snd Ceylon.
The chrysolise. LIE The chslcseony, Is
silicate II is rsre.y found In crystals, ozt
generally IN singular pieces Of greenish or
go.asn-ye.Iow color, embedded In basalt or
lava Tie principal localities are VesaEias
and the Isle Of Bourbon, in lava: Real Gel
Monte IN Nexica- Uuuer E-xxns- C-aassAnH-