Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-12-14
INFLUENCE OF GEMS.
OMENS THAT SUPERSTITION AT.
TACHES TO THEM.

oPaIs and Pearls Supposed to Bring III Luck,
While Diamonds Enlist the Favors of
rortune-tmeralds were Always Popular and
Are till Held in Favor-PIiny and the En-.
erald.
| Baltimore American
Precious stones in all times have
had considerably more than an intrinsic
value, for about each of the many
Kinds have been woven strange and
interesting superstitions, many of
them dating from times of which his
tory is silent. Since the love of Jewels
was born in the east and since this
wonderful world is as we'll the birth.
place OF most Of the worlds supersti-
tions, it is from such fruitful source
that many of the oldest and strangest
OF these come. Many of them have
suffered changes since their introduc-
tion to the western world, but there
still exists traces OF Indian handiwork
in the legends, and where the ancient
story has disappeared altogether some
narrative OF it has been found, to
come all the stranger to modern-day
readers.
OF the many precious stones that
are worn to-day most all of them
have lost any odium that may have
belonged to them, and the wearers in
many cases have chosen the sparkler
merely upon its merits as an orna-
ment. Time was. however, when he
who went about the task of choosing a
gem, particularly if it was to be worn
about the person continually, made
his way through the maze of clinging
superstitions as carefully as q scout
through an enemy-infested woods.
His decision meant veal or woe, and
as the greater number of the stones
had omens OF i'll fortune the chances
in favor OF woe were far too numerous
for comfort.
At this day, belief in the potency of
these stones to cast gloom or sorrow
or to bring fortune and happiness, as
the case might have been, have we'll
nigh passed away, and now the old
stories are only valuable to amuse.
There is, to be sure, lingering dislike
for the opal and in some minds q
prejudice against the pearl, since su-
perstitions cling about them, but the
class entertaining these is small one,
and as a mark of the progress of the
age is growing smaller.
The disfavor into which the opal
has fallen is OF modern birth, strange
to say, and is said to have been due to
the use which Sir Walter Scott made
of the stone in one of his novels. The
Hindoo, who reduced the reading of
gem omens to science, had only kind
words for the opal. 1t was supposed
and, for that matter, is to-day among
the Hindoos-to influence for good
upon the travellers, protecting them
from danger while away and bringing
them safely home again. As the opal
combines in itself the colors of all
other gems, so the ancients credited it
not only with this distinctive virtue,
but with all Of the virtues credited to
other stones. Opals were, therefore,
priced most highly and those not able
to own great variety chose this TO
have full value of its wide range of
powers.
That the pearl is in some disfavor is
as we'll a product of modern times and
can only be traced to its resemblance
to a tear, a fact that has credited it
with bringing sorrow. The ancients
in ascribing tho generation of gems to
lapidific spirits accounted for the
pearl in the most poetic way-that it
was formed of the morning dew,
drunk in by shellfish, and naught but
good fortune came to the wearer, a
necklace OF pearls being above all
thing good-omened gift for BRIDE
groom to give his bride.
The diamond has enjoyed the unre-
served favor Of the ages and to-day is
the peer of all. According to Boetius,
the diamond was regarded as symbol
cal OF justice, and the judges in hades
were described as having hearts and
bosoms of adamant, while the clouds
of destiny were shrouded in the same
substance. Among the various stones
the sapphire stands forth with per-
haps the greatest amount of supersti-
tious interest centered in it. Among
the Hebrews it seems to have been re-
garded with the highest veneration, a
tradition asserting that the vision
which appeared to Moses on the
mount was in a sapphire, and that the
tablets of the law given there were en-
graved ON this substance. The Hin
doc ascribes many powers to this gem,
among them that it purifies the
blood, strengthens the system,
quenches thirst, dispels melancholy,
averts dangers and assures honors and
prosperity.
A strange belief in regard to this
stone was that it reproduced its spe-
cies, and hence the titles of "male"
and " female" sapphires used to-day in
the east, rs the stones are of a deep or
light color.
The emerald is another about which
many curious beliefs have been