1832.] Precious Minerals. 355 



probably alluding to the rounding of its edges by slow combustion. 

 Zakarya also says, that if mixed (fused ?) with pure sal ammoniac, 

 the diamond will dissolve, but not with lead, sarb ; probably the 

 oxide of lead is intended. 



" The great mart for diamonds formerly seems to have been at Kal- 

 bargah, to the west of Hyderabad, where a clear rough diamond of two 

 carats would sell for 7 Jilori, (a gold coin ; the etymology of the word 

 is not evident, perhaps it may be a corruption of florin.) When dressed, 

 the same stone would fetch 15 Jilori. The European lapidaries are 

 stated to be the only workmen who can by cutting and polishing fully 

 develope the brilliancy of the diamond." 



Rhombohedral Corundum or Sapphire, 

 a. yaqut ; g. aKavcra? s. manikya ; h. manilc. 



Under the name of yaqut are comprised all those stones of the sap- 

 phire and ruby species, which are distinguished (or rather connected,as be- 

 ing chemically one) by the epithet oriental, in English books of minera- 

 logy, and are now classed together under the general head of corundum, 

 because they are composed of the same earth, alumina, as the corun- 

 dum or kurun of the Indians. The natives, like our own mineralogists, 

 distinguish four principal species of yaqut ; red, blue, yellow, and white, 

 or colorless. 



The first, or oriental ruby, a. yaqut-ahmar, h. manik ? 

 exhibits seven varieties of colour, viz. mihrm&ti, striped ; arghwdni, 

 hyacinth ; rumdni, bright-red, or pomegranate ; rut, brass-colored ; 

 khamriy red-wine-colored, the Amethyst, h. nagina : lahmi } flesh- 

 colored ; and khyli, or asafoetida-colored. 



" Not to be deceived in rubies, is a work of difficulty, because 

 there are spurious ones of polished crystal, which much resemble the 

 true gem ; these are called dyn-ul-rajdn : but a skilful lapidary 

 will easily recognize them. When placed in the fire, a true ruby be- 

 comes invisible, but when immersed in water, it appears to glow with 

 heat : it also shines like a coal in the dark." 



The second is the oriental sapphire, a. yakut-arzaq or qabud, 

 safir ; g. o-anQeipos* • h. nilam. 



Of this, there are enumerated five varieties, viz. : taiisi, peacock-tail 



* It is doubted whether the (raircpeipos of the ancients was not rather lapis la- 

 zuli than the gem now called sapphire : — it was called xP V(T0 ' Ka P 0S from the yel- 

 low spangles in it. {Theophrastus .) Pliny includes it among the cyani, a general 

 name for all blue stones : he says, " Causam nominis afferunt quod usque ad 

 vint colorem accedens piiusquain eum degustet, in violam desinat." If the word 

 is derived from the name of a colour, it may be from asfar ; but that would 

 signify yellow rather than purple wine. 



