Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-07-02
Many and Various are the Legends
That Surround all Precious
Jewels.
There is d Structure of Fact Concern
ing Gems That is 0b,eured
by Fancy.

the links Of bis letters, and IN the beyel
of il he fixed a portion of the rock AC-
COrding 10 PInny, that was the first ring
and the first stone. Hebrew tradition
says that the tablets OF Moses were OF
sapphire. In Hebrew the word sappir
means the most beautiful. Il symb0lizss
10! atty, justice, beauty and mobility. The
emerald Is mentioned by St. John in his
Apocalypse. Au emerald OF inestimable
value Ornamented the bowel Of the ring
Of P0lycra'es, king Of Slu0s That
monarch, having been all his Ifs favored
by fortune, determined to put his luck to
a severe test. He threw the ring into the
sea. The next Gay ne went fishing. The
record OF that days sport still remains
unbrO6en. His majesty caught fine fish
and In the inside or the fish he found Lis
ring. That happened in the year go OF
foundation Of Rome, and the ring, cJnsld-
cred as talsmBn, was placed among the
royal treasures of the Temple Of Concord
Emeraids from India, Persia, and Peru
are the most valuable According to their
tints and their luster they are classed as
Proslnes Ner0nlaneg, and DJmltianes.
According to Suetouius, Nero used toiook
at be hgatlug gladIatOrs in his emerald
The stone is tue emblem of charity, hope.
JOY and abundance. II had the reputa-
u0n of cuuug epilepsy ON application and
/ OK being an all-round pain killer.
The diamond has always been regar led
as the most precious stone, according to
the Paris Figaro. IL resists the hardest
bodies The PJntiH Aaron became OBJ
scure, almost black, when the Hebrews
were IN a state Of mortal sin. II the
ID L. a H..4A 4.
in the presence of innocence ID came back
to its original purity and brilliancy, Rues
/ assures us that diamonds breed and that
certain princess Of the house Of Luxenburg
/ had two which had family in the course
of d reasonable time. The same interest.
ing assertion Is also made by Boetbius.
The diamond was reputed as a preserver
! against epidemics and p)isons. ID Gains
anger and fOments c0DJugal love. The
ancients called it the stone of recon
! Citation. It ermbOLizes constaucy,
! strength and innocence.
The name Of the precious stone inserted
/ in the ring Of Gyges has not been handed
/ down to us, but tits probable that II was
! the topaz whose wonders PhllOstrates re
| counts in the life of Apollouius An at
/ tribute Of the sun and of FIRE, the ancients
called it the gold magnet, as it was
credited with the power Of attracting that
metal, indicating its veins, and discover
! ing treasures. Hello D0rous, in his story
/ of iheagenes and Caucies, says that the
I topaz saves from fire all those who wear
/ it, and t1at Caarces was preserved by
topaz from the h,-y yangenCe Of Arsaoes,
Queen of + .hopia This stone was one
of TIE irst tahsmans that Ihaagenes
possessed n Egypt. the topaz at present
symhoi2es Christian virtues. faith, justice,
temperance, geutleness, clemency.
One of the rares5 and most precious
stones Is the cirbuncie, which Is some
times conf0undrd with the ruby, from
which It differs by the intensity of Its
6res PRODUCED by an internal luster of
gold, while under the purple of the ruby
there only appear dotungs of azure or
lacquer. Ethiopia produced the most
precious ancient carbuncles Ine Cha-
deans regarded this stone as q powerful
talisman. Legend makes the eyes of
dragons out OF earbunCIes Garcias ab
Horto, physician OF one ot the Ficer0ys
IF ladia, speaks OF Carbuuces which he
saw in the palace of that prince which
were 40 extraordinary ia heiI brilianCy
that has seemed like red hot Goals IL
the midst Of darkness Louis Vertomau
reports that the king of Pagu wore an
enormous one, which at night appeared to
be lighted M with the suGbeams. The vir-
tues of the carbunce are resistance to tire,
preservation of the eyes, promotion Of
happy illusions. and an antidote against
impure air.
The ruby is golssd highest when 1t con
tlius the least azure, The largest ruby
that history speaks of belonged TO E.iza-
beth Of Austria. the wife of Charles *
Ii vas aIm0s, as big as q hen 81. Ihe
virtues attributed to rubles are Is blnisL
sadness, TO rPpress luxury, nt to drive
away annoying thoughts a. rhe same
time it symU0izes cruelty, anger auj car
naeg. "a well as bodne.s ans bravery. a
chaaEa In IFS color announces a calamity.
but when the trouble Is over regain. its
primitive uater. TIE amethyst. SO called
from the Greek Anne husto> meaning
mot drunk. was q fay0ritp stone among
the Roman ladies'. its principal virtue
was t. draw away the yapors OF inebrIetv
FROM the brain. lt also drove away evil
thoughts and attracted t0 It's p1ssessJr the
favor, Of princes.
TIE opal. fallen from IL. ancient pIeu-
/ 5or, is to-day called IN un.ul5r stone,
even hy those who laugh at oId supar.u-|
tl1ns. but II once held nlga rank among
gaajous stones The belief that il at-
fraetsd misfortune was founded 0E q
. Russian legend which found us wav lato
I Franc. puc Empress EIEeuie h48
horror Of an opa. A. She slslt Of ona iu
Y Tho ruiNefias SIZE maai.s. ga terror. Pine
bad ihe effect ct lowering Tie pree Of tae
Stone.