1820.] " The Book of Precious Stones." 18$ 



ness of the spinellus, which is not broken on the anvil, while 

 the coloured crystal, when held to the sun, appears white. The 

 Jaal had its name from Bedachschan, not so much because it i» 

 found there, as because it is sold in that province. 



Sect. 2. Of the Mines of the Spi/ielL— At the time of the Cali- 

 phate of the Abbassides, a mountain at Chatlan was rent open 

 by an earthquake, where there was found the laal of Bedach- 

 schan bedded in a white stone. It is very hard to polish, and it 

 was a long time before it could be smoothed,* till it was at length 

 accomplished by means of the gold marcasite called ebreiidsche. 

 Smaller stones are found in the bed round a large one, like the 

 seeds of a pomegranate. The miners call this bed of the spinell 

 maal. There were found in the mines first red, then yellovr 

 iaal, and it belongs to the kinds of the iakut. 



Chap. VIII. — Of the Turquoise. 



Sect. 1. Of the Properties of the Turquoise (Firuse). — It cornea 

 1. From Nischabur. 2. From Ghasiia. 3. From Irak. 4. Ker~ 

 man. 5. From Chowaresm. The first is the most valued, oa 

 account of its hardness, purity, and durable colour. This has 

 seven kinds : 1. Abu Ishctki. 2. Esheri. 3. Sul'eimaiii, a milky 

 and sweet stone. 4. Sermuni, with golden spots. 5. Chaki, 

 sky-blue. 6. Abdol-medschidi, beautifully coloured, bu.t soft^ 

 7. Andelibi, a little milky. The turquoise is bright or dull, 

 according to the weather ; t and is larger in rainy days than in 

 ftiir. One kind of it becomes of a more beautiful colour in oil, J^ 

 but then loses it again. Jewellers call it mescha ; that of two 

 colours is called ebresch. The turquoise is also similar to a kind 

 of green and blue enamel. According to the time in which it 

 was dug up, it is divided into the old and new mines, of which 

 the new change the colour.^ 



Sect. 2. Of the Mines of the Turquoise. — It is found in those 

 plafces after which it is called ; the most beautiful and richest 

 mines are at Nischabur, where that called after Abu Ishak is the 

 most beautiful, and the andelibi the faintest. 



Chap. IX. — Of the Bezoar (Pasehir) and other Animal Stones, 



Sect. 1. Of the Properties of the Bezoar. — It is of two kinds r 

 1. The animal. 2. That found in mines. The latter is divided 



• The spinell is extremely difficult to pnlii^h, t* liich can only be effected by oil 

 of vitrii)l on a copper-plate. And it is very remarkable that tlie author mentions, 

 instead of the oil of viiriol used by our lapidaries, the marcosiVe (iron pyrites), from 

 whirlilheoil of vitriol may be produced. 



+ The»e are probably limestone coloured by vitriol of copper. 



X The blue of ihe turquoise is in reality of so delicate a colour that the influence 

 of the light on a bright or gloomy day seems to cause a striking change in it. 



^ Some turquoise: frequently change the shade of their colour, which probably is 

 cnused by their inferior hardness and porosity, and from the rfl'ecls of acids, or 

 imbibing of oily panicles: thus in a ring with four blue turquoisfg one turned 

 green after au illness of 'm wearer. 



