BUILDING AND ORNAMENTAL STONES OF CORNWALL. 219 



The capabilities of the ornamental stones of Cornwall have, 

 in the main, yet to be developed. Nothing wiU ever be made of 

 its to^Dazes, its garnets, and its opals. They are more mineral- 

 ogically interesting than pecuniarly valuable, or visually attractive. 

 The rock crystals, however, are still employed, as they were in 

 the days of Carew, for purposes of jewellery, and though they 

 are not likely, as he suggests, to deceive a skilful lapidary, are 

 yet capable of very artistic manipulation. 



The granites and porphyries of the county — as all who have 

 visited the magnificent Porphyry Hall, at Place, well know — are 

 exceedingly beautiful, and of almost endless variety of ground 

 and figui'e. But it is in the Lizard serpentine that Cornwall 

 possesses the handsomest ornamental stone in the whole kingdom. 

 Of the two chief varieties, the red appears to be the most 

 popular ; but some of the steatitic portions are very effective ; 

 and the green, especially where the rich-toned olive base is 

 traversed by red veins, relieved here and there by threads of 

 white, is incomparably the most beautiful. So far as I am 

 aware, this magnificent decorative stone was entirely neglected 

 throughotit the middle ages. Nor is it by any means so widely 

 known and appreciated now as its rare merits deserve. How- 

 ever there is much encouragement. It is gradually becoming 

 developed; and only last year works in Cornish serpentine 

 carried off the first and second prizes of the Turners' Company. 



