The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-06-02
Gem LONG PRICED
Emerald Figures Largely in His.
tory and Legend.
Princess Mary's Love stone Has In.
spired Both Saints ard Poets-Re-
ferred To in Scriptures.

Emeralds Will be set in the most
fashionable engagement rings OF tbs
:uture. for Princess Mary had an emer-
aid engagement ring.
Tie emerald Of average quality is
lluch more valuable than the diamond
If equal quality, observes the London
rit-BitS
The finest emeraldS are worth $500
q carat. while 9 good-Sized gem might
weigh anything from four to SIX
caratS; $500 to $500 a carat is Q mini
mum price. The output OF emeralds is
very small.
The emerald is given place OF
honor in history and literature. The
beautiful gem was most praised among
the ancients, not only for its beauty,
but also on account Of its rarity. 1t
VAS a fayorite stone with the Roman
emperorS and, later, with high dlSni-
taries of the church. 1t is named
twice in the book Of Exodus as one OF
the l. jewels in the high priests
lreastplate of judgment, ranking IN
the second row with the sapphire ana
the diamond.
The heSt-known scriptural references
are in Revelation, where the rainbow
around the throne is compared in it's vi
vid greenness to an emerald; While
the same jewel forms one Of the II
foundations of. the new Jerusalem.
George Eliot, in "Middlemarch, re-
fers to the singular beauty of these
passages. "It is strange" she says.
how deeply colors seem to penetrate
one, like scent. l suppose that is the
reason why gems are used as spiritual
emblems in the Revelation of st. John.
They look like fragments Of heaven"
In TennySon's poem, Columbus
the discoverer used the passage III
Revelation to describe the San Saliva
dor as he first deserted it.
In contrast we may mention the
emerald monocle' through which
Nero, whom the latest commentators
regard as the Beast" Of the Rerela-
tion. gazed at the agonies Of his vic
tins in the arena.
A more pleasant legend may be
quoted from Montalembert, the famous
French author. He describes how in
the early agesg6f monasticism ceF-
tain monastery was transformed By
it's founder into hospital for lepers
and cripples. Behold" said he, il
showing the ladies of Alexandria the
upper floor. which was reserved for
women, behold my jacinths"; then .
in conducting tasm to the floor below,
whore the men were placed, See my
emeralds."
The most celebrated medieval gem
was the so-called emerald of Genoa,
known as the Sacro Catinc. 1t was
presented earlySin the Twelfth CEN
tury to the cathedral by the crusader
having been brought by him
from the siege Of Caesarea.
The relic, huge single stone, was
said to be the dish from which our
Lord ate the Last Supper. 1t was
believed by some to have been gives
by Solomon to the queen Of Sheba.
The Sacro Catino was removed to
Paris during Napoleon's wars, and was
discovered to be oH!" an ancient piece
of Venetian glass. 1t is still ShoWn
much mended. in the cathedral Gf
Genoa, to which place it was restored
by the French.
In the Fifteenth and Sixteenth cen
turics the emerald is mentioned fre
uuently among inventories OF croWu
Jewels. Mary Queen Of Scots pos
sessed at one time many specimens OF
this regal gem.