gems, jewelry, corundum, quality.10, Morgan Collection, glyptic

Sinkankas: This very large, beautiful, and superbly produced book was manufactured from the finest materials as befitted the tastes and the pocketbook of J. Pierpont Morgan, and provides one of the finest collection catalogs of all time. Even more lavish is the de luxe version described below. The depicted and described objects fall into the following classes: jewels, portraits in wax, carved woodwork, rock crystal and glass, gold and silver plate, and others made from various precious materials, and the precious objects of Prince’s Gate. The gemologist will find the section containing rock crystal carvings and containers the most interesting for its discourses on the nature and occurrences of rock crystal, and the artisans responsible for the execution of a considerable number of the larger vessels and other objects made from quartz. The section on miscellaneous objects made from precious materials also contains interesting matter on gemstone objects made from cryptocrystalline quartzes, and also a sole example of carved jade. Elsewhere objects are made in part from pearl, nacre, amber, diamond, emerald, corundum, peridot, topaz, turquoise, etc. John Pierpont Morgan: b. Hartford, Conn., 1837; educated in Switzerland & Germany; entered the financial field 1856; formed own company 1895; formed United States Steel Corporation 1901. Eminent art collector, rare book collector, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; benefactor of this and the American Museum of Natural History (Morgan Collection of Gems); d. NYC 1913. See Pierpont Morgan as Collector and Patron 1837–1913, New York: Pierpont Morgan Library, 1970, wrappers, 39 p., ill.

gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio, jade, chrysoprase, plasma of emerald

Sinkankas: The objects exhibited are numbered 1497 to 1893, and include numerous cut gemstones with others that are made from base or precious metals, and a series of engraved “gems” cut upon ostrich shell, also seals, abraxoid gems, a suite of classical engraved gems. Some are briefly described but no dimensions are given.

corundum, history.1, India.12, gems, Indian lapidary

Ratna Pariksha [रत्नपरीक्षा; Gem Testing], composed in 1316 by the Jain scholar and administrator Thakkura Pheru, is a medieval Indian treatise devoted to the identification, classification, evaluation, and valuation of precious stones. Written in Apabhraṃśa, it discusses important gems encountered in the Indian trade, including diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and other precious materials, describing their varieties, desirable and undesirable qualities, defects, weights, and commercial values. The work is particularly important to the history of gemology because Pheru drew upon practical experience with gems, weights, measures, and monetary calculations rather than treating precious stones solely within the religious and astrological traditions characteristic of many earlier Indian lapidaries. It consequently provides valuable evidence for the terminology, testing practices, grading criteria, and economics of the gem trade in early 14th-century India.

gems, Arabic lore, history, Arabic mineralogy,

An anonymous work without a preface or author’s name, beginning with a table of contents and arranged in 15 chapters. Diamond is treated first and emerald last. Each entry describes the mines, properties, color, and value of the stone.

corundum, sapphire, Montana.12, USA.12, gems

Sinkankas: Descriptive Statement of the Great Emerald Bar Placer Mining Claims, situated about sixteen miles east of Helena, on the Missouri River at Canon Ferry, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, details a mining property that attracted notable attention. The property was examined by Edward W. Streeter, a gem merchant of London, and George F. Kunz, the renowned gemologist, whose assessments are included alongside testimonials from J. H. Pratt, A. H. Church, and others who were called upon to identify the stones. These endorsements lend significant weight to the document, which serves both as a geological description and a promotional piece for potential investors or interested parties.