The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1891-08-14
UNF AMlLlAR GEMS.
Green Garncts, BcryI, sun-stoncs, Chr,
olilca and Oiher HrecInna sfnnna

AuV hsJ OF precious stones with which we
arc familiar is after all very small one,
says awriicr Ia the San Francisco Chronicle,
embracing simply tho diamond, emerald,
sapphire, ruby opal, topaz, carbunclo,
amethyst and pearl This, however, IL a
very small part OF tho actual list. Readers
OF the Bible will, of course, remember tina,
two lists OF precious stones arc given in
that book. The first Is given in the descrip-
tion Of the jewish high priests breastplate,
aud is IA follows:
And thou shalt set IL (thc brcastplate)
~ settling Of stones, four rows OF stones; q
row ~ sardius, topaz and carbuncle shall
io the FIRST row; and tho second row an
emerald, sapphire and a diamond and
the Third row n jacinth, an agate and an
amethyst; and tho fourth row beryl and
ana onyx and u jasper"
Tho second list is given In tho description
of tho Now Jerusalem;
'lhc foundations of the walls OF tho city
wctc adorned with all manner OF precious
stones. Tho first foundation was Jasper,
the SECOND sapphire, the third chalcedony,
tho fourth emerald, the ifth sardonyx, the
sixth Batdius, the seventh chrysolite, the
eighth berry,, tho ninth topaz, tho tenth
chtyBoprasc, the eleventh iacinth, the
twelfth amethyst, aud tho twelve gates
were twelve pearls"
la those two lists there are six atones, tho
sardius, chaccdony, chrysolitc, bcryl,
chryauprasc and iacinth, that may be calico
unbhowui aud two, the jasper and sar
donyN, which we arc not accustomed 10 put
IN lists Of gems.
Before going any further IL will be inter,
csiing 10 find out something about the un.
used half dozen, aud this, 10 will be found,
can Doe comparatively done by first consld
cring the chalccdony, which is tho mother
stone OF large family. Chalcedony
IS semi-transparcnt kind Of quartz, np-
paronty produced by the innltratiou of
water holding silicious matters In solution.
The name Is that Of the locality, Chalcedon,
in Asia Minor, where il Ia said to have been
originally found Chalccdony, in some of
It's many varieties, Is found In Tuscany.
Iceland, the Farce Islands, Saxony, Hun.
gary India, Arabia, Surinam, Siberia,
Cornwall, Scotland, the Giants Causew way
and In California, near Vallejo. Beautiful
chalCedOnc pebbles may be picked up on
some OF the southern English beaches, at
Pcscndcro, in California, and at Lake Tahoe
Chalccdony Is usually milk white, but IL as.
sumcs number of colors and markings
When H. is Of Il light rcd or yellow color II
Is called carnelian, because of its flesh
color Carnclian was formerly much used
Tor beads aud scal-stoncs, but now IL Is sell
dom seen as an ornament except In the
shape OF cheap rings sold ut country fairs
When IT Ia Of deep brown II is called
sardius,ior sard, when II shows alternat.
ing parallel bands of different culors with.
out any pronounced contrast II il called
onyx; and when those layers are of very
dark sard and nearly Opaque white chnlce.
dony II is called sardonyx, a stone that was
and ~ still held In great esteem for engrav.
ing into canoes.
Lastly, flint, horn-stOne and plasma are
all baser forms of this same chalcedony.
Though 80 closely alike In name the beryl
and chrysoberyl have little else in common.
The beryl is variety of the emerald, and is
found in siN.sidcd prisms of variable dimen
sions Tho colors are generally blue or
yellow, but some are colorless. When of
clear tints or sca-green or sky-blue they
arc called by tho jewelers. aqua-marines
Beryl crystals are found in New Hampshire
and Massachusetts, China, Brazil, Siberia
Cornwall, Ireland and Scotland, tho Irish
specimens being OF a fine blue color and
sometimes quite transparent.
The chrysobcrylis found In small rounded
masses about the size of u pea, which on
being cut show various tints OF greenish
yellow, with clear, translucent and very
hard body. Sometimes they show a blush
opalescence internally. The finer chryso.
beryls arc equal m appearance TO the yellow
diamond. They are found in Ireland Brazil
and Ceylon.
Tho chrysolite, like the chacedony, is a
shicate. II IS rarely found In crystals, but
generally IN angular pieces OF greenlsh or
a. Ion NI.aHH ID.
lava. The principal localities are Vesuyius
ana the Isle OF Bourbon, in lava; Real del
Monte In Mexico, Upper Egypt, CONSTANT
noplc, aud in palo groom transparent crys.
lais among the sand OF stream In
AuycrGuo. Inferior varieties of the cbryso.
lite arc called oliyines, aud are found in the
basalt Of the Giants Causeway, the lavas
Of Onkcl on the Rhine, aud those of the
Sandwich Islands. II ia sometimes found.
too in mctooric stones.
Jacinth ia only another name for byacinth.
and the hyacnth IL variety of another
sllicato called aircon, found in Ceylon, Nor
way, some of the islands of Scotland nnd
certain Irish streams. Zircon occurs In
crystals, generally square, four.sided
prlsms terminated by four-sided pyramIds.
ana also Ia grains, sometimes white, but
moro frequently rcd, yellow, green or
gray The colorless or slightly smoky kinds
arc called largoon; the bright rcd hyacinth
aud the grayish or brownish zirconite.
Another precious silicate 10 the more per
feet form of schorl called tourmaline. The
red tourmaline or rubellte, which IL
brought from Brazil, Ccylon, Ayar and
siberia, possesses considerable beauty. The
transparent colored varieties are sometimes
sun cut INTO ring stones, etc, and when
reduced To thln slices arc much valued for
making experiments In tho polarization of
light
Tho Inst OF precious silcates IL not vet ex
haustcd' There Is, for instance, that known
as Jasper. lis found In various colors-
spotted, banded or variegated. IL takes
hne polish, and the variety and richness of
its culors render IL still useful in the orna
mental arts. Allied to this is tho blood
stone, Iaspcry variety Of quartz. OF a dark
green COLOR yariogatcd with red spots. and
was once quite q fashionable material for
seals and iiug stones. when the spots mr.,
yellow, instead OF rod, this stone IA called
she hcliotropo Stll another silicate thai
takes rank among the precious stones is
the lapls laauli or lazulite. IL isof a bcauti
Tat color oiten spccklcd with yellow grains.
and Is still mado use of In mosaic and inlaid
work as well as for making vases and Other
costly ornaments.
Quartz, except where it contains rich
gold deposits, Us not generally considered
precious cue, but there ~ a variety called
Che rose quartz which certainly comes un
der that head. ltisof a. beautiful rose REQ
or pink color, and nearly transparent. Its
found In Ccylon and Bavaria, aud Is often
sold Tor much more precious stones Adu
lara, on lclspar, likewise is not Of mucl
value, but that respleudcnt variety founc
and Norway Of palo ycllowisi
color and called the suustono Is certainly
jewel among 6toucs. Tho play Of color ON
gold sunstone is simply beautiful.
There arc scores Of other precious stone,
that arc not found in tho everyday list, but
tins article must be brought to IA close witt
the statement that the rcd garneta 40 go,