gems, ancient mining, Europe, archaeology, archaeogemology, technology, Egypt, Roman Empire

The control over marble and metal resources was of major importance to the Roman Empire. The emperor's freedmen and slaves, officers and soldiers of the Roman army, equestrian officials, as well as convicts and free labour were seconded to mines and quarries throughout Rome's vast realm. Alfred Hirt's comprehensive study defines the organizational outlines and the internal structures of the mining and quarrying ventures under imperial control. The themes addressed include: challenges faced by those in charge of these extractive operations; the key figures, their subaltern personnel and their respective responsibilities; the role of the Roman army; the use of civilian partners in quarrying or mining ventures; and the position of the quarrying or mining organizations within the framework of the imperial administration.

gems, Arabic lore, history, emerald

When Westerners think of a genie, the first image that comes to mind may be Barbara Eden in her pink harem pants or the illuminated blue buffoon from the animated Disney film Aladdin. But to the people of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the picture is dramatically different. Legends of the Fire Spirits looks beyond Westernized caricatures to immerse the reader in the vibrant lore of the jinn—the wondrous, often troublesome, and sometimes terrifying spirit beings of ancient Arab and Islamic tradition. Robert Lebling delves into long-lost accounts, medieval histories, colonial records, anthropologist’s reports, and traveler’s tales to explore the origin and evolution of legends that continue to thrive in the Middle East and beyond. He cuts through centuries of Orientalists’ cultural presumption to craft a study that stands apart from the overwhelming body of literature concerned with religion in the Middle East. A captivating synthesis of history and folklore, this is the most diverse collection of jinn lore ever assembled in one volume. From ancient scriptures to The Arabian Nights and beyond, and with a foreword by acclaimed filmmaker Tahir Shah, Lebling has constructed a comprehensive account that not only transcends geographical borders but also spans some four millennia.

gems, beryl, emerald, Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, inclusions

The fluid composition, δD of channel H₂O, and δ¹⁸O of lattice oxygen have been determined in beryl and emerald from a variety of geological environments to constrain the origin of the parental fluids from which beryl has formed. Step-heating analyses using quadrupole mass spectrometry were employed to quantify the fluid phases in beryl from granitic pegmatites and greisens, and emerald from Brazil, Colombia, and Afghanistan. A key finding is that beryl and emerald share similar fluid compositions, with H₂O making up over 90 % of total water content in the mineral, regardless of formation age (2.0 Ga to 32 Ma) or tectonic setting. However, emeralds from the Santa Terezinha shear-zone deposit in Brazil contain significant CO₂, up to 13 wt% of the fluid. Another major result is that some Brazilian emeralds show channel H₂O contents higher than the established literature range, especially in shear-zone-related deposits (2.99 < H₂O < 3.16 wt%) and pegmatite-related deposits like Pombos, Pela Ema, and Pirenópolis (2.78 < H₂O < 3.01 wt%). In contrast, Colombian emeralds contain very low H₂O (1.30 < H₂O < 1.96 wt%), among the lowest globally. Brazilian, Colombian, and Afghan emeralds display distinct and constrained δ¹⁸O ranges. Brazilian emeralds from pegmatites show systematic inter-deposit variability (+6.3 < δ¹⁸O < +12.4‰), interpreted as fluid-buffering by host ultrabasic rocks during fluid–rock interaction. Shear-zone emeralds in Brazil have a narrow δ¹⁸O range (+12.0 < δ¹⁸O < +12.4‰), reflecting the original hydrothermal fluid signature. Colombian and Afghan emeralds exhibit strong enrichment in ¹⁸O (+13.4 < δ¹⁸O < +23.6‰), indicating extensive interaction with ¹⁸O-rich sedimentary or metasedimentary rocks. δD values in Brazilian emeralds vary by deposit type: pegmatite-related emeralds like Socotó and Carnaíba suggest a magmatic origin (mean δD = −37.8 ± 8‰), while Santa Terezinha emeralds suggest a metamorphic origin (mean δD = −32.4 ± 3‰). Colombian emeralds are also of metamorphic origin, while Afghan emeralds (mean δD = −46.3 ± 1.3‰) are compatible with both magmatic and metamorphic sources.

gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio

Del Bufalo presents a preliminary illustrated inventory of the glyptic holdings of the Santarelli collection, assembled principally during the preceding decade through purchases of entire collections, smaller groups, and individual objects. Comprising more than six hundred intaglios, cameos, seals, rings, and amulets, the collection is introduced as a substantial body of largely unpublished material that had received little previous study. The catalogue organizes its illustrations according to the acquired collection groups rather than chronology, artistic style, or geographical attribution. Its documentation combines photographs with concise descriptions recording material, inventory number, dimensions in millimetres, represented subject, and, where applicable, signatures and mounting details. More extensive stylistic assessment and dating are reserved for a subsequent publication. Carnelian, agate, chalcedony, and jasper feature prominently, alongside amethyst, rock crystal, garnet, hematite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, steatite, emerald material, glass paste, and metal objects. The range extends beyond engraved gems to scarabs, miniature carvings in the round, small vessels, knobs, pendants, and fragments. Subjects include imperial and private portraits, gods and mythological beings, heroes, religious imagery, animals, insects, plants, and composite creatures. Examples include Hercules and the Nemean lion, Leda and the swan, Bacchic imagery, eagles, horses, pastoral scenes, and the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus. The catalogue also records signed works associated with engravers including Giovanni Pichler, Cerbara, Girometti, Rega, Brown, Berini, and Santarelli, together with gems incorporated into rings, brooches, and pendants. An inventory index identifies acquisition sources, including auction houses and private collections, providing a record of collecting provenance. Introductory essays situate the assemblage within the Santarelli family’s collecting activities and the foundation’s programme of publication, research, and exhibition. Del Bufalo emphasizes the historical appeal of engraved gems as portable works of virtuoso craftsmanship, vehicles of classical imagery, and objects through which collectors expressed prestige and associations with antiquity. The volume establishes a visual and descriptive foundation for further investigation of the collection, documenting both complete objects and fragmentary pieces without presenting a systematic chronological reconstruction or a comprehensive analysis of their attribution.

gems, beryl, emerald, Egypt

Emerald is a dark-green chromium-vanadium rich variety of beryl, Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈. It is the third most valuable gemstone (after diamond and ruby). Beryl is also valued as the major source of the metal beryllium (Be) that has important uses in the nuclear industry. Emerald deposits are known to occur in several countries of the world. Africa produced 1,662 kg emerald in 2005, which represented 31 % of the world production (5,363 kg). Colombia accounted for 46.57 % of the world’s emerald production by volume; Zambia, 20.78 %; Brazil, 20 %; Russia, 7.16 %; Zimbabwe 2.2 %, Mozambique 1.55 %, Madagascar 0.44 %, Tanzania 0.13 %, Somalia 0.02 % and other countries 1.15 %. Other countries with emerald occurrences include Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. The Egyptian emerald mines are located in the South Eastern Desert about 30 km south of the Red Sea harbor of Marsa Alam. They have an immense historical value, where emerald well known and mined for the first time in the Graeco-Roman period between 30 BC and 312 AD. There are two legendary mines in this region namely: the Cleopatra mines and the Mons Smaragdus. The Egyptian emerald deposits occur mainly in a NW-trending band (45 km long) parallel to the Nugrus Shear Zone. In this study, a total of 10 emerald mineral samples from old mine dumps were chemically analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and XRF for the concentrations of major oxides and 24 trace elements (Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, V, Zn, Ga, Zr, Y, Sr, Rb, Nb, Ba, Pb, U, Th, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Yb and Lu). They have been compared with the other African emerald deposits to determine the geochemical characteristics and construct a genetic model for the emerald mineralization in Egypt. In Africa, emeralds can be distinguished into two main types of geological occurrences and chemical compositions: 1. magmatic or pegmatite non-schist-related emerald mineralization (Egypt, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Nigeria), 2. hydrothermal-schist-related emerald mineralization (Egypt, Zambia, Madagascar, South Africa and Tanzania). The second type is the most common in Africa. The genetic model for the Egyptian emerald involves the intrusion of granitic pegmatites within Cr-V-bearing serpentines and schists during Pan-African Orogeny (550 Ma). In these deposits, emerald formed through metasomatic processes that involved the addition of elements characteristic of an acid granitic assemblage (Be, alkalis) to a typical ultrabasic assemblage that becomes depleted in Mg, Ti, Cr, Ni and Cu.

gems, beryl, emerald, China, Davdar

gems, beryl, emerald, Egypt, Sikait

The genesis of gem-quality deep green emeralds of Zabara, Sikait and Umm Kabo (South Eastern Desert, Egypt) is to date a controversial topic. The emerald-bearing biotite schists and quartz lenses are interpreted alternatively as a product of (i) thrust-fault-shear zone – controlled large scale alkali-metasomatism driven by post-magmatic fluid flow or of (ii) a large scale interaction between syntectonic pegmatitic magma or hydrothermal fluids with pre-existing basic to ultrabasic rocks, or of (iii) a syn- to post-tectonic regional metamorphism and small scale blackwall metasomatism. Detailed microstructural and chemical analyses of the Egyptian emeralds and their host rocks show that three generations of beryl can be distinguished: a colourless pegmatitic beryl; a pale green Cr-poor beryl crystallized from pegmatite-related hydrothermal fluids; and a deep green Cr- and Mg-rich emerald. The crystallization of the Cr- and Mg-rich emerald was controlled by the very local availability of Cr, Mg and Be-rich metamorphic fluids during the Pan-African tectono-thermal event. Emerald-rich quartz lenses demonstrate that those fluids locally did mobilize quartz, too. The pale green emeralds found within the pegmatites in association with colourless beryl are the product of a mobilization of colourless pegmatitic beryl and/or phenakite by late pegmatitic fluids slightly enriched in Cr by an interaction with the Cr-rich country rocks. The late pegmatitic fluids are typically Na-rich as is demonstrated by the pervasive albitization of the pegmatites. The complex interplay of magmatic and regional metamorphic events during the genesis of the Egyptian emeralds/beryls makes it impossible through stable oxygen isotope data to relate their genesis to the one or the other event.

gems, beryl, emerald, Egypt, locality, species, Sikait

Excavations at Berenike, a Greco-Roman harbor on the Egyptian Red Sea coast, have provided extensive evidence for trade with India, South-Arabia and sub-Saharan Africa. The results of the 1999 and 2000 excavations by the joint mission of the University of Delaware, Leiden University, and UCLA, have been published in a comprehensive report, with specialists' analyses of different object groups and an overview of evidence for the trade route from the Indian perspective. The book is lavishly illustrated with photographs, drawings, plans, and a large foldout map of Berenike and Sikait.

gems, ancient gemology, early gemology, ancient mineralogy, glyptic, beads, beryl, emerald

The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of Jewish sacred writings) is of great importance in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The first translation of the books of the Hebrew Bible (plus additions) into the common language of the ancient Mediterranean world made the Jewish scriptures accessible to many outside Judaism. Not only did the Septuagint become Holy Writ to Greek speaking Jews but it was also the Bible of the early Christian communities: the scripture they cited and the textual foundation of the early Christian movement. Translated from Hebrew (and Aramaic) originals in the two centuries before Jesus, the Septuagint provides important information about the history of the text of the Bible. For centuries, scholars have looked to the Septuagint for information about the nature of the text and of how passages and specific words were understood. For students of the Bible, the New Testament in particular, the study of the Septuagint's influence is a vital part of the history of interpretation. But until now, the Septuagint has not been available to English readers in a modern and accurate translation. The New English Translation of the Septuagint fills this gap.

beryl, emerald, Colombia, gems

Morgan discusses the origin of the emerald, its peculiar structure, and its strange allure. The story weaves across several continents and thousands of years. It is a tale of conquistadors, treachery, shipwrecks, and alchemy. Along the way, we meet scientists and kings and bear witness as the great emeralds are born, mined, smuggled, cut, and sold. The book also discusses the modern art of making synthetic emeralds. From the fastnesses of Afghanistan to the steamy jungles of Colombia and Zimbabwe, from the sands of Egypt to the bitter Urals, this is the story of a stone whose strange journey reflects the yearnings, greed, passions, and longing for beauty of the human race.