The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-03-28
RAREST OF GEMS.
1T IS THE ORIENTAL, OR Pig.
EON'S BLOOD RUBY.
How Rubies Are Found In Buzz
ma and Other Parts OF
Asia-King Theebau's
Jars OF Gems.

e even Iue ulhuOuu, Says tuo
Popular Science News. But to give if
this great value its color must be of
that peculiar shade of red called
'pigeon's blood" which is pure,
deep, rich red, without tinge Of
blue or yellow. And when of this
deep, rich red the ruby is magnif-
cent and resplendent gem, which the
ancients gave heaven-born origin by
myth representing that it drops in
blood-red crystals from the clouds
amid the flashes of lightning.
In the language of gems the ruby is
the emblem of elegance and beauty.
By the ancients it was also considered
to possess the power to correct evils
resulting from mistaken friendship,
and to reveal poison; and in the
middle ages it was regarded as an
amulet, protecting against the plague.
sadness, evil thoughts. wicked spirits.
i'll health, danger and death.
The oriental ruby, the oriental
sapphire, the oriental amethyst, the
oriental emerald and the oriental
squamsrine are all corundum or pure
alumina, having the same form of
capitalization, like composition, and
the same hardness. They are all,
therefore, the same mineral, and diff
ference in color is the only reason for
changing it's name, in calling the blue
ruby sapphire, the green ruby an
emerald, and the purple ruby an
amethyst. e.. 49, ?
Rubies are usually found in as
sociation with sspphires, topazes,
zircons, rutile, magnetic iron and
gold. The crystals of the gem are
sometimes found perfect, tapering at
each end, but more often sbraded or
rounded; while frequently various
colors in bands extend across the
prism of the crystal, as when both
ends of the crystal are white and the
center red, or the reverse, or when
any one of the colors is replaced by
yellow or even black. These gems are
usually obtained from layers Of earth
or river beds and streams, near crys-
tslline rocks, such as gneiss,. mica.
slate and granite. Rubies are found
in Farther India, in the kingdom of
Ava, in Siam, and in the Capelan
Mountains, in Pegu. They also occur
in Ceylon, at Hohenstein, on the Elbe,
in the Rhine and Danube, in Australia
and in the rivers Auvergne and Iser,
inBohemia. , q.
The ruby mines of Burma, from
whence for ages the finest rubies have
been obtained, are situated about
seventy miles from Mandalsy, and ex-
tend over an area of hundred square
miles For centuries this district has
been regarded by the natives with Q
reverence almost approaching venera-
tion, and no stranger has ever been
permitted to approach the mines
where the precious stones are OBJ.
tanned. All that is known of them is
that they are worked by sinking pits
in the earth until the ruby-bearing
stratum is reached, which varies in
depth from two to twenty feet. These
mines produce annually vast quanti-
ties of rubies and sapphires, besides
oriental amethysts and topszes, to-
gether with chrysoberyls and spinal
rubies. For centuries these mines
were regarded as the special appanage
of the crown, and one Of the highest
priced titles of the King of Burma was
FsLord of the Rubies." Though the
Government did not work these mines,
but leased them at q monthly rental,
yet it reserved for the royal treasury
all stones that were worth more than
fifty dollars, thereby giving the King
almost monopoly Of the ruby fields.
for it is only very small rubies that
are worth less than this sum.
Though the superintendent closely
watched the miners, many large stones
we're carried away by stealth, and
again, when ruby or sapphire worth
more than $50 was discovered, the
finder, in order to be able to retain
the gem, broke it in twain, and thus
many fine stones were ruined. When
an unusually large and fine ruby was
found, procession of grandees with
soldiers and elephants was sent to
bring it to the royal treasury. When
the late King Theebau wished to i'm
press a visitcr with his immense
wealth, he conducted him into his
treasury and permitted him to thrust
his arm into the great jars of rubies
and sapphires which stood in rows
around the apartment. In this collec-
tion, the rarest and finest in the
world, were many gems of almost
priceless value. When Theebau abdi-
Gated the throne he took with him
many rare and beautiful gems, but
most of the jars of rubies and sspphires
were looted during the interregnum
that followed the sovereign's depar-
ture. The rubies from Ceylon, though
not found in as large quantities ss
those IN Burma, are very fine, and are
discovered in river beds and large
streams.
The oriental or true ruby is often
confounded with the spinel ruby,
which is an inferior and entirely diff
ferent gem, containing about twenty
eight per cent. of magnesia. These
stones are often sold through error, or
with the intention to defraud, but the
difference may be easily detected by
the inferior hardness and lower spe-
cifc gravity of the spinel ruby. This
is particularly the case with Ceylon
spinels. This is an old error, for in
ancient times all red stones were called
carbuncles and rubies, and even at the
present time this name is applied in