The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-24
LEGENDS OF ANCIENT GEMS
Middle Ages Superstitions Regard
ina Rare Stones.
Manchester Guardian)

In ancient days the gems which we ac-
count precious were almost unknown. Inc
Assyrian and Egyptian gems We're OF
chalcedony, sardonyx. lapis lazuli and so
on. The more valuable varieties contained
ieWel-matrix and there was no attempt
to cut them in such fashion as best to eX-
hibit their intrinsic beauties. They were
however. very deliberately cut, usually IN
symbolic form since their chief useful
ness was as seals. The stones were prop
ably found in the beds of the streams ana
treasured for their transparency, color or
hardness: and il was only as the ahclehts
followed the rivers and brooks 10 their
upland sources that they found the gems
of greater beauty hidden in the noun
tains.
The Assyrian cylinder seals have come
to the American public through the col
lection in the Museum of Art They form
one of the most interesting and beauti-
full classes of gems in the world. Wheh
an Assyrian desired to set down certain
things in writing he summoned the scribe;
who formed a square OF clay, mscrlDeu
il with the requisite intelligence in Gu
neiform characters. and while the clay
was still wet rolled the seal over the
blank parts OF the square. Then 1t was
legal The development of the cylinder
seal into the seal ring is rather curious
and interesting. The hollow cylinder. hol-
low in the middle. grew more and more
definitely into the form of ring which
could be carried on a chain. In otner
words. the hole grew bigger and bigger:
until the thing was a complete ring or
metal. with the seal attached to one side
of it.
These early seal jewels, exquisitely cut,
are among the rarest of gems today one
of the most beautiful and most ancient is
the property Of Daniel Zado Noor1an, the
excavator of Babylon, through whose
hands passed most of the metropolitan
collection 1t represents the prowess or
Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter before the
Lord and was cut not later than 4VoV
years before Christ. COMPOSER OF ldpi !,
lazul and of an unusually deep blue, II
presents a picture amazing enough 10
contemplate for it is cut with a delicacy
and strength which modern artists despair
of emulating. The ancient gems all STOOD
for something vital and significant
The Egyptian gems were also carved
usually into scarabs, swastikas, royal
cartouches. and so on. Indeed, the aban-
doning of cutting designs upon jewels did
not gain favor for long tine. The in
taplio was also favorite throughout Eu-
rope and il was from the Orient porper
that the great uncut gems came to fulflll
their gorgeous and sinister destinieS. Jew
els were used as ransoms and money in
the middle ages-and above all as tails
mans. with extraordinary curative or pre-
ventiye powers. They were closely affll-
lated with the craft of alchemy, ana
were seriously prescribed as remedies for
and nearly all other ills. Agate was be-
lieved to have the power of counteracting
nelson's. amber was supposed to cure
sore throat and ague, bloodstone stopped
the bleeding from wounds and a diamond
was an infallible restorer of strength and
courage.
Garnet Good for Fever
The garnet lowered the highest and
most dangerous fever. the moonstone
cured epilepsy, the ruby was disinfect-
ant. the sapphire healed insanity, the to-
paZ stopped the pain of burns, the tour
maIine stopped the toothache, the. tur-
uuoise prevented bruses-and the latter
gem would also tell the hour by strokes
If held against wineglass. Amethyst
when placed in a cup of wine rendered
the LIQUID non-intoxicant and pearls. be-
ing the tears of heaven" have always
been accepted as conducive to emotional
ism. AS for emeralds. they had a legion
of superstitions attached to them-when
worn by a celibate they were supposed to
render their owner invisible. They were
universally believed to register the fidel-
ity of lovers by their waxing or waning
color These are but a few OF the thou
sand and one beliefs which chung to gems
during the middle ages. To this day
many of the superstitions are half-be-
lieved. 1t is doubtful whether anything
has affixed the fairy tales and fictions OF
the world as have Jewels