Ceylon.] 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



Water Sapphire, a stone which very much resembles white crystal, 

 but when viewed against the light, is both clearer and whiter ; it is especially 

 distinguishable by its hardness, in which it surpasses the crystal, and is much 

 dearer. The largest are of the size of a walnut. 



Red Tourmalin, when laid upon a table* appears dark and opaque, but 

 being held against the light, is of a pale red hue. They are sometimes as 

 large as a pea, but most of them about the size of a grain of rice, and fre- 

 quently damaged and imperfect; the colour is in general equally distributed. 



Green Tourmalin is of a dark hue, sometimes bordering upon yellow, 

 sometimes upon blue, most frequently upon black ; it is in not a few instances 

 transparent, and in others covered with an opaque surface ; it is in thick 

 and thin pieces of irregular forms, sometimes as large as a walnut, sometimes 

 as small as groats. The green, or chrysoprase, is beautiful, of a grass-green 

 colour, clear and transparent, and is used for cutting. This is properly 

 called the green tourmalin. 



Yellow Tourmalin is called likewise tourmalin topaz, because it 

 sometimes bears a great resemblance to colour to the topaz ; in appearance 

 it is very much like amber ; some are more saturated or ripe, almost of an 

 orange colour ; some are of a paler, and sonie of a whitish yellow. They 

 are cut for the purpose of setting in rings, artd are frequently handsome. 



White Tourmalin*. — It is more or less white, almost always the 

 colour of milk, so that its transparency is not perfectly clear. It is often 

 found in pieces, which have spots or streaks in them. It is cut for setting in 

 rings, and among the most common stones in Ceylon. 



Taripo is the name given iu Ceylon to a white stone, which in all pro- 

 bability is nothing more than white crystal ; its colour is pure white, or 

 somewhat of a watery cast, but not so clear and transparent as the crystal. 

 It is always in shapeless lumps, and is cut for setting. 



Topaz.— This is in general a beautiful transparent stone, of a shining 

 gold colour, met with in various parts of the world, in the Brazils, Ceylon, 

 and Madras; they should be chosen large, of a bright deep colour, free from 

 cracks, flaws, or clouds ; those that have a reddish tinge should be rejected. 



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