Precious Stones. 223 



upon this gem. Tennyson speaks of the hilt of Arthur's 

 famous sword, cc Excalibur," as twinkling 



" With diamond studs, 

 Myriads of topaz lights, and jacgnth work 

 Of subtlest jewellery." 



And perhaps some jacynths might be worthy of such a place. 



Grarnets are silicates of alumina, iron, lime, magnesia, etc. 

 In India, at Delhi, and in Bohemia they are marvellously 

 cheap, but after paying half-a-dozen profits, they are not 

 inexpensive articles to purchase at retail shops. The car- 

 buncle is a garnet cut with the rounded il cabouchon" form, 

 and when fine, gives much beauty for a moderate price. 



To silica, one of the commonest minerals of the globe, we 

 owe, in addition to the opal already spoken of, a host of gems 

 of more or less beauty and value, such as the amethyst, the 

 cairngorm, the chrysoprase, the onyx, the sardonyx, the carne- 

 lian, agate, cat's-eye, jasper, bloodstone, etc. Quartz gems are 

 usually of little value, though, as Mr. Emanuel states, "a 

 solitary specimen of fine quality may bring a large price." 



The turquoise is a phosphate of alumina, with a little iron, 

 copper, etc. The best come from Persia, but the fossil bone 

 turquoise, or odontolite, comes from Languedoc, and may 

 deceive the unwary, though it is softer, .of a different texture, 

 and of much lower price. 



The felspar minerals are essentially silicates of alumina and 

 potash, and they give us one gem which, when fine, is of re- 

 markable beauty, and strangely neglected by jewellers, and by 

 the public — we mean the moonstone, the best of which comes 

 from Ceylon. It should be clear as glass, hard enough to 

 scratch glass easily, and also to scratch quartz ; in certain 

 directions its curious internal structure should give brilliant 

 flashes of light of an exquisite mooney tint. A lady of our 

 acquaintance recently became possessed of four fine specimens 

 of this stone, which she had simply mounted in a star-shaped 

 brooch, with four carbuncles and a small opal in the centre. 

 The effect was remarkably good, and we recommend those 

 curious in such matters to look out for choice moonstones 

 while fashion is blind enough to let them go cheap. 



Mr. Emanuel deserves a good word from us before we 

 conclude. His work on gems is a very elegant production, 

 supplying just the sort of information that purchasers and 

 possessors of jewellery will like to have. It gives an account 

 of all the most interesting of the precious stones ; describes 

 their quality and composition ; the modes of cutting them, 

 etc., etc. It is illustrated with many plates and diagrams, and 

 is a handsome book for the drawing-room or the boudoir. 



