THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 



WEST CORRIDOR 



GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES 



"Rick and rare were the gems she wore, 

 And a bright gold ring on her wand she bore." 



Moore. 



This splendid series of gems and precious stones, to- 

 gether with the Bement collection of minerals in the adjoin- 

 ing hall, was presented to the Museum by J. Pierpont Mor- 

 gan, a founder and Trustee of the institution. It includes 

 many large and rare forms of cut and uncut gems, some of 

 which cannot be duplicated. 



In the wall cases are fine examples of quartz, gypsum, 

 rubellite, jade, calcite, opal, and of Iceland spar which 

 makes a double refraction of light rays, thereby causing 

 objects seen through it to appear double. 



The collection is especially remarkable for its many 

 unique specimens. Among these may be mentioned the 

 most perfect large sapphire known, a Babylonian axe-head 

 of banded agate, 4,000 years old, and a wonderful series 

 of sapphires, blue, pink, salmon and brown. There is also 

 a magnificent series of beryls, a large series of tourmalines, 

 and an immense section of jade from a boulder, but so thin 

 that it measures not more than an eighth of an inch through. 

 There is also in the collection a great hyacinth with the por- 

 trait of Christ engraved on it, the gift of a Vatican cardinal 

 to a friend. 



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