gems, beryl, emerald, Egypt, Russia

Sinkankas: The discovery of the Alexandrian hoard of gemstones and other materials, including glasses, enamels, partly-worked, and finished gemstones during 1867–9, inspired the present study of Egyptian emeralds in a monograph of great historical and archaeological value, not to mention the numerous gleanings of pertinent information from ancient writers who mentioned Egyptian emerald. As a result of the discovery of the hoard, a controversy arose concerning the origin of the emeralds—were they from Egypt or were they from the Urals? Andreas Arzruni, the eminent European mineralogist, was called in to examine the specimens and compare them to emeralds from Gebel Sabara in Egypt and from the Urals. From his examinations, especially of inclusions, he concluded that the Alexandrian stones were from Gebel Sabara. In the course of his study, Schneider examined works by K.R. Lepsius (1810–1884), a German Egyptologist, Leo Africanus, Diodorus Siculus, Ptolemy Philadelphus, Solinus Polyhistor, Aelian, Lucian, Strabo, Olympiodorus, and other ancient writers, and took much from a treatise on gemstones by Masudi (Abu-al-Hasan Ali al-Masudi, d. 956 AD) and Achmed Teifaschi (13th c. Cairo gem dealer), not to mention much later accounts of travelers, explorers, and visitors to the Gebel Sabara emerald mines. Among the latter may be mentioned Frederic Cailliaud (1787–1869), whose account is referenced elsewhere in the present bibliography, and who rediscovered the emerald mines in 1816. [919] The present account by Schneider is of great importance but is rarely mentioned in the ordinary gemological bibliographies; it deserves translation into English and other languages. USGS Kunz Coll, GS 34-1005.

corundum, Sri Lanka.12, pearls, gems

Walters’s Palms & Pearls is an illustrated account of a prolonged stay in Ceylon, written from opportunities the author believed gave him greater familiarity with the island than that of an ordinary traveler. He describes its scenery, towns, vegetation and wildlife, together with the everyday life, customs, religions, occupations, and social conditions of its inhabitants. The narrative combines personal travel experiences with observations on Colombo, Kandy and the hill country, Buddhist temples and ceremonies, agriculture and plantation life, indigenous animals, and other features of late nineteenth-century Ceylon. Of particular gemological interest are his descriptions of pearls and the celebrated pearl fisheries, including the methods and conditions under which pearl oysters were obtained and the people associated with the industry. The work provides a contemporary British traveler’s view of Ceylon shortly before the end of the nineteenth century.

gems, synthetic gems, synthetic spinel

Meunier surveys the experimental methods by which minerals could be reproduced artificially, presenting mineral synthesis as a means of investigating the conditions under which natural minerals and rocks formed. He describes techniques involving fusion, sublimation, reactions at high temperatures, the action of gases and vapors, hydrothermal processes, and crystallization from molten or dissolved substances, reviewing experiments by numerous nineteenth-century investigators. The work treats the artificial production of a wide range of mineral species and discusses the significance of successful syntheses for mineralogy and geology. Of particular gemological interest are experiments involving the synthesis of corundum and ruby, including the work of Gaudin, Ebelmen, Sainte-Claire Deville, Caron, Frémy, and Feil, in which alumina was crystallized under various high-temperature conditions and chromium compounds were used to produce ruby coloration. The volume provides a useful contemporary synthesis of experimental mineralogy immediately before Verneuil’s development of a commercially practical method for producing synthetic ruby.

gems, corundum, History.1, spinel, carbuncle

Ernault presents a biographical and literary study of Marbode (Marbodus), Bishop of Rennes (1035–1123), examining his life, ecclesiastical career, intellectual milieu, and surviving writings. Particular attention is devoted to Marbode’s Latin poetry and didactic works, including the celebrated Liber lapidum or De lapidibus, a verse lapidary describing stones and the medicinal, magical, and symbolic virtues traditionally attributed to them. Ernault considers the sources, manuscripts, editions, and literary character of Marbode’s writings and places them within the scholarly and religious culture of the eleventh and early twelfth centuries. For the history of gemology, the study is especially useful for establishing the authorship, textual history, and context of the Liber lapidum, one of the most influential medieval European lapidaries and an important conduit through which Classical and late-antique traditions concerning precious stones were transmitted into medieval literature.

corundum, quality.10, gems

This guide provides a room-by-room catalogue of the treasures displayed in the Royal Green Vaults (Grünes Gewölbe) in Dresden, describing the objects exhibited in the eight rooms of the western wing of the Royal Palace. The collection is particularly important for gemological and jewelry history, encompassing jewels, precious and ornamental stones, carved hardstones, rock crystal, gold- and silversmiths’ work, and other richly mounted objects from the Saxon royal collections. Individual entries briefly identify and describe the objects, making the volume a useful nineteenth-century record of the arrangement and contents of one of Europe’s most important historic treasuries. The 1889 English edition was published in Dresden by Wilhelm Baensch and contains 88 pages, with engraved plates and illustrations.

corundum, ruby, sapphire, Sri Lanka.12, gems

Busz describes corundum specimens from Ceylon, concentrating on their crystallographic form and physical characteristics. He records the crystal forms and combinations displayed by the specimens and discusses their habit and surface development, adding to the detailed mineralogical characterization of Ceylonese corundum. The short paper is principally crystallographic rather than an account of mining or gem production and is of gemological interest for its documentation of the morphology of corundum from one of the historically important sources of ruby and sapphire.

corundum, USA.12, North Carolina.12, Montana.12, gems

Kunz reviews the precious-stone industry and trade in 1887, beginning with American gem mining and estimated U.S. production, then describing recent discoveries and developments involving diamond, zircon, beryl, phenacite, garnet, tourmaline, hiddenite, rock crystal, chrysoprase, agate, pectolite, feldspars, rhodonite, turquoise, cyanite, labradorite, and ornamental stones. Kunz-1888-Precious stones.pdf A substantial section treats foreign sources, particularly the rapidly expanding South African diamond mines, their mining and sorting methods, production, values, consolidation, and effects on the international diamond trade; Kunz also discusses Brazilian, Indian, and Australian diamond production and the growth of diamond imports, cutting, and consumption in the United States. Of particular gemological interest are detailed accounts of the Kashmir sapphire deposit, discovered in 1882 in the Zanskar Range, and the Mogok ruby mines of Burma, including British attempts to lease the mines, contemporary mining practices, royalties, and trade. Kunz also surveys changing fashions in gems, including cat’s-eye, alexandrite, moonstone, opal, and amber, and notes the rapidly growing American interest in carved jade and other hardstone objects. He discusses Alaskan jade, Central American jadeite artifacts, Burmese jadeite, and Māori jade objects, while recording contemporary theories concerning the provenance of American jadeite. The report concludes with accounts of important gem collections and their dispersal or acquisition, including the Hope collection, the French Crown jewels, C.W. King’s engraved gems, the Sommerville collection, W. Hayes Ward’s ancient cylinders, and Isaac Lea’s collection of gems studied for microscopic inclusions.

corundum, India.12, Burma.12, gems

Oldham’s bibliography provides a systematic guide to the literature of Indian geology published up to the late nineteenth century, bringing together references to books, official reports, journal articles, and other publications concerning the geology and mineral resources of India. Compiled in connection with the Geological Survey of India, it covers geological formations, mineralogy, mining, economic deposits, and individual minerals and localities, with entries arranged to facilitate consultation of the rapidly expanding literature. For gemological research it is particularly valuable as a contemporary bibliographic guide to early accounts of India’s diamonds, corundum, precious stones, and other mineral resources, and for tracing reports scattered through Geological Survey publications and other nineteenth-century sources.

corundum, assembled stones.8, gems

Cellini’s treatises provide a practical account of Renaissance goldsmithing and sculpture, describing the materials, tools, and techniques employed by a master craftsman. Of particular gemological interest are his discussions of jewelry manufacture, the setting and mounting of precious stones, enameling, casting, soldering, gilding, and the working of gold and silver, together with observations on diamonds and other gems and their use in elaborate ornaments. Cellini explains workshop procedures from the craftsman’s perspective, often illustrating them from his own experience, making the work an important primary source for the techniques used in sixteenth-century European jewelry and decorative metalwork. Ashbee’s English translation made Cellini’s technical writings accessible to an English-speaking audience and preserves valuable evidence for the close relationship between the Renaissance goldsmith, jeweler, sculptor, and gem worker.

gems, turquoise, Iran, Persia, Nishapur

A popular account of turquoise covering its historical use, folklore, mineral characteristics, and importance in jewelry, with particular attention to the Persian mines near Nishapur. Drawing extensively on A. Houtum Schindler’s report, the article describes the deposits, underground workings and surface diggings, mining hazards, and damage to stones caused by blasting. It discusses grading, cutting and polishing, prices, and the influence of color, size, shape, and the quality termed zât on value. Particular attention is given to color instability and the reported practice of keeping inferior stones damp to preserve their appearance before sale. The article also distinguishes turquoise from odontolite and glass imitations, reviews beliefs concerning its protective powers, and concludes with the reproduction of turquoise blue in ceramics. It provides a contemporary overview of Persian turquoise production and trade alongside nineteenth-century gemological knowledge.