Practical Remarks on Gems. 65 ie 
"nie centre of brown crystal encircled with aquamarines set oP 
transparent, or without a back, has a very pleasing effect... 
6. Garnet Precious, (Carbuncle, Almandine, Vermilion, : 
rope, §c.) This is of a rich blood red or crimson color, with ~ 
Sometimes a shade of brown or mixture of bluish yellow; this— 
kind is called by the lapidary, vinegar garnet. It is more trans- 
parent than the rest and a much better foil stone. All of them, 
however, are in constant demand for jewelry of all kinds, and jastly 
80, it being a rich and beautiful stone, and always looks well un- 
der every form. This stone is found abundantly i in the neighbor-_ 
- hood of West Chester, and is one of those upon which very oe o 
cellent engravings have been executed. a 2 % 
7. Chalcedony. There are more varieties es perhaps of this than -. 7 
any other stone known ; the ‘most common is white car- on ; 
nelian. In some parts "of New York and Pennsylvania iti” 
very abundant, and some specimens of it are “very choice The. “* 
pieces I have had polished are very beautiful, differing from any 
I have hitherto seen, being mottled or clouded with buff, brown, 
and black, on a semi-transparent ground: This stone is mention- 
ed in Seripeane, and was in higher esteem formerly than at the 
present time. It is put to a variety of uses, being sometimes cut _ 
up for burnishers, letter weights, bell salle, mortars, umbrella, 
cane, knife, dirk, and parasol handles ; also for snuff boxes, seals, 
pins, &c. It has also been hoguanly employed for engraving — 
or cutting bas reliefs. 
8. Jasper has some resemblance to chalcedony, having a simi- 
lar hardness and taking an equal polish, and is perhaps only a vari- 
ety of the above; at any rate they are frequently, if not generally, 
found together or passing into each other, rendering it difficult to 
know where the one ends and the other begins. There is how- 
ever one important distinction that must not be overlooked ; chal- 
cedony i is generally translucent and rarely quite opake, Selscrone 
jasper is never translucent, but always opake, for it contains a 
large proportion of iron which forms its coloring matter. x tis . 
cut up into very handsome pin and seal stones resembling to a de- 
Sree the Scotch and Egyptian pebbles. This stone also is spoken 
of in holy writ. I have some very good specimens of jasper 
Which I found at Hoboken, N. J.—they take a high polish. 
9. Corundum. This mineral being essentially the same as 
emery, is.used by cabinet makers and others as a substitute for 
Vol, Xxxvi, No. 1.—Oct.—Dec. 1839. g 
