INGENUITY AND LUXURY 



in their nomenclature which existed all through 

 ancient and medieval times, and which is still very 

 far from being overcome. The diamond is sometimes 

 blue in color, and occasionally the sapphire is white; 

 and as there were no absolutely certain tests until 

 modern times, there was always the chance of wearing 

 the wrong gem inadvertently. 



To straighten out this confused nomenclature, which 

 is entirely lacking in anything approaching systematic 

 arrangement, is one of the first problems to be mastered 

 by the student of precious stones. 



"Gems seem to have acquired their names quite 

 irrespectively of any system of nomenclature," says 

 Claremont, "and with an utter disregard to their 

 relationship one with another, as a difference which 

 makes a distinction between one set of gems makes 

 no distinction at all between another set. 



"For instance, a diamond which is a crystallized 

 carbon is always called a diamond, without regard to 

 its color, and there are red, yellow, green, blue, and 

 black diamonds, besides the white stones so familiar 

 to everyone. 



"Yet the gems composed of crystallized alumina 

 receive a different name for every color; the red vari- 

 ety is called ruby; the blue, sapphire; the yellow, 

 oriental topaz; the green, oriental emerald ; the purple, 

 oriental amethyst; and a whole host of delicate shades 

 of every color are known as fancy sapphires. 



"The asteria or star-stone is still another variety 

 of this crystallized corundum which occurs in many 

 different shades of color, and displays a shimmering, 



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