corundum, Burma.12, Sri Lanka.12, gems, quality.10, gems

Handsome promotional booklet by a New York gem merchant who achieved considerable fame for his travels into remote places to look for gem rough. Describes his adventures seeking opal in Australia, sapphire in Indo-China and Burma, rubies in Burma, star sapphires and other gemstones in Ceylon, and emerald in Colombia. Remaining material is standard gemological fare. A so-called “second” edition, so identified on the final page of text, was “produced by Gem Creations Pub. Co. 36 West 47th Street New York” and is an identical reprint but bound in dark blue morocco-like cloth and bright yellow panels in the text. It is by far the more commonly encountered version.

gems, early lapidaries, early gemology, early mineralogy

Wellmann reexamines the origins of the Pseudo-Aristotelian De lapidibus, building upon V. Rose’s 1875 study and Julius Ruska’s 1912 publication of the Arabic text of Parisinus 2772. He accepts Ruska’s demonstration that the work originated not in Byzantium but in Syria before the middle of the ninth century, but argues more specifically that the stone book was originally not an independent work but part of a larger natural-scientific compilation concerned with the occult properties of stones, metals, animals, and plants and ultimately rooted in the Alexandrian tradition of sympathy, antipathy, magic, and talismanic lore associated particularly with Bolos Demokritos and later Neopythagorean literature. [79] Wellmann identifies a surviving companion to the stone book in the Syriac Buch der Naturgegenstände (Book of Natural Objects), published in German translation by K. Ahrens in 1892. This work, also attributed pseudonymously to Aristotle, treats animals and was subsequently used by Arabic writers including Bar-Bahlul, al-Damīrī, and Qazwīnī. Wellmann argues from similarities of title, organization, and content that it and De lapidibus originally constituted portions of the same work. [80] Further evidence comes from a pharmacological work associated with Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq, which draws independently upon both the Aristotelian stone book—including passages concerning the eagle-stone, diamond, and Indian stone—and the Buch der Naturgegenstände. [81] Wellmann regards the parallel accounts of pearl formation in the two traditions as decisive evidence for their common origin; the greater elaboration of the surviving De lapidibus is attributed to later additions and interpolations. Since Ḥunayn (d. 873) used an Arabic translation that must postdate the foundation of Baghdad in 763, while the latest source incorporated into the Syriac compilation dates to about 550, Wellmann concludes that the Syriac original from which the Pseudo-Aristotelian stone book ultimately derives was probably composed around 600 AD. [82]

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary, turquoise

Sinkankas: The most thorough study made on this aspect of lapidary art among the pre-Columbian Indians is by E. Carmichael (1970), although see also the smaller work by the same author. There are several excellent colour plates and high-quality black-and-white photographic plates that show a number of inlaid objects in good detail. The historical data were extracted from early Spanish accounts. The text discusses possible sources of turquoise and describes important objects still preserved in museums around the world. An excellent description of Mexican lapidary work appears on pages 29–39. Very scarce.

gems, corundum, Montana.12, USA.12, pearls, gem dictionary, glossary

An annual review of the United States gem and precious-stone industry for 1917, followed by an extensive glossary of gemological nomenclature. Domestic production was valued at $131,012, a sharp decline from 1916 and, except for 1914, the lowest annual value since 1897. Corundum, quartz, turquoise, and tourmaline together accounted for 83% of production, with Montana leading chiefly through sapphire, followed by Nevada and California. Imports of precious stones excluding pearls were valued at $34.85 million. Most of the paper is devoted to a two-part dictionary of gem names: first identifying the mineral species represented by hundreds of commercial, historical, and local names, and then listing the corresponding names under their correct mineral species. Schaller strongly criticizes misleading trade names such as “Alaska diamond” for quartz and “Arizona ruby” for garnet, emphasizing that such terminology obscures the true mineralogical identity of gemstones. The glossary is particularly valuable as a contemporary record of early twentieth-century gem nomenclature, including numerous obsolete, regional, and deceptive commercial names.

gems, history of gemology, gem prices

Juvenal and Persius, with an English translation by G. G. Ramsay (1918; reprinted 1924), in 499 bookmarked and searchable pdf pages. Loeb Classical Library volume L91N. Wikipedia has entries on both Roman satirists: Juvenal (60-140 A.D.) and Persius (34-62 A.D.). Juvenal's satires, in particular, have his observations of Roman life, sexual mores, women, homosexuality, literary patrons, aristocrats, along with many occasional remarks of historical importance about Rome's endless wars and scandals.

gems, Ceylon, Sri Lanka, Roman Empire, trade, navigation

Schoff examines maritime communication between the Mediterranean, India, Ceylon, Southeast Asia and China during the Roman Empire, arguing that trade expanded greatly between the first and third centuries CE through exploitation of the seasonal monsoon winds. He reconstructs the sea routes from Egypt through the Red Sea to southern India and Ceylon and onward across the Bay of Bengal, comparing Graeco-Roman accounts with Indian literature, coinage and Chinese records. Ceylon appears as an important link in this maritime network, connecting western commerce with routes extending farther east. Of gemological interest, Schoff notes that gold, silver and precious stones came from Yunnan and describes Indian literary evidence for an active jewelry trade in which craftsmen examined pearls, topazes, sapphires, beryls, rubies, lapis lazuli and coral, set rubies in gold, strung pearls and cut lapis lazuli. He concludes that Roman ships regularly reached the Tamil kingdoms and Ceylon, but voyages by Roman vessels into the Bay of Bengal and China Sea were exceptionally rare; much Roman geographical knowledge of the Far East therefore depended on hearsay transmitted through Indian and other Asian mariners.

corundum, Burma.12, gems

Reviews reported production and trade in Burmese fei cui, ruby, sapphire and spinel during 1915, comparing quantities and values with those recorded for 1914. Hayden states that the decline previously observed in the fei cui industry continued and notes discrepancies between production and export returns. He considers export figures more likely to indicate the industry’s true condition. The production table records 3,692.75 hundredweight of fei cui from Myitkyina, valued at £12,678, compared with 3,764.75 hundredweight valued at £13,643 in 1914. Recorded sea exports from Burma nevertheless increased from 2,959 hundredweight valued at £40,092 in 1914 to 5,001 hundredweight valued at £52,070 in 1915. Thus, the tabulated export quantity and value rose despite the author’s assessment of continuing industrial decline, while reported production decreased slightly in quantity and more substantially in value. The distinction between extraction returns and export statistics is therefore important when interpreting the account. For ruby, sapphire and spinel, the report documents a combined reduction of approximately 50,000 carats in the output of the Burma Ruby Mines. The detailed Mogok figures show total production falling from 304,872 carats valued at £43,133 in 1914 to 251,449 carats valued at £36,298 in 1915. Ruby output declined from 193,333 to 167,904 carats, with its reported value falling from £40,781 to £34,881. Sapphire production decreased from 56,709 to 39,718 carats, and its value from £2,052 to £1,276. Spinel output fell from 54,830 to 43,827 carats, while its value decreased from £300 to £141. All three gemstone categories consequently registered lower quantities and lower total values. Ruby remained overwhelmingly dominant in the combined valuation, whereas sapphire and spinel represented substantial quantities but comparatively small monetary contributions. These sections provide a concise statistical account of the gemstone industries within the broader annual review of mineral production, emphasizing year-to-year commercial changes and the limitations of the available returns rather than describing mining methods, geological occurrences or gemological properties.

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary

The study of Maya art, here presented, is based upon a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy submitted May 1, 1909, at Harvard University. While the matter has expanded greatly under further study, the thesis as presented contained an exposition of the chronological sequence of the monuments, which the writer considers the most noteworthy contribution, as well as chapters on the analysis of the designs and the principles of the architecture. It was thought wise to present the portion relating to the historical development of art at Copán before the Congress of Americanists at Mexico City in September 1910; otherwise the subject matter has not been given to the public. The attempt has been made to be precise and exoteric in the discussion of this most involved subject. It is with gratitude that the writer acknowledges his indebtedness to the many persons who have aided and encouraged him in this work. The inception of this research took place in Anthropology 9, a course on Mexican and Central American archaeology offered at Harvard University by Dr. A. M. Tozzer. Its continuance has been largely due to the support and cooperation of the small band of students of Maya culture headed by Mr. C. P. Bowditch. Thanks are also due to Mrs. Zelia Nuttall of Mexico City, to Mr. E. H. Thompson of Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, and to Mrs. W. M. James of Mérida, Yucatán, as well as to many other persons in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. In the revision of the manuscript the writer received valued assistance from Dr. Tozzer. For the revision of the proof he is indebted to Professor Putnam and to Miss Mead, and to the latter also for the preparation of the index. Mr. C. C. Willoughby has given his kind attention to the preparation of the plates and to the making of the blocks for the illustrations in the text. The map of the region covered by the Maya civilization was drawn by Mr. L. M. Hendrick, Jr., according to data compiled from several sources. Since his connection with the American Museum of Natural History, the writer has been greatly indebted to his superiors in the Museum, who have done everything in their power to further his labours in this field.

gems, corundum, Burma.12

A richly illustrated contemporary account of rubies and the Mogok mining district of Upper Burma. Darte begins with the ruby’s historical reputation, folklore, gemological properties, color varieties, dichroism, and distinction from spinel and garnet, identifying the deep, slightly bluish carmine-red Burmese “pigeon-blood” as the most prized color. He notes a revival in the American ruby market beginning in 1912, attributed partly to the prominence of “ruby-red” during the coronation of George V and to fashions employing calibre-cut colored stones with diamonds. The principal focus is Mogok, regarded as the source of the finest rubies. Darte describes the district, its history and traditional royal monopoly, and three types of workings: “Twin-lone” pits exploiting alluvial byon or ruby-bearing earth; hillside “Hmyaw-Dwin” workings; and limestone cave or “Loo-Dwin” deposits, where fewer but larger and better-quality stones were reportedly recovered. Traditional washing methods are contrasted with the mechanized operations of the Burma Ruby Mines company, employing pumps, trucks, rotary pans, and a pulsator. Considerable attention is given to celebrated large rubies, their weights, values, and historical owners, although some accounts are explicitly acknowledged as unverified. The article concludes with the secrecy historically surrounding Mogok, the marketing of its production through London and Paris, and the cutting and recutting of Burmese rubies in Europe. Particularly valuable are contemporary photographs showing a native ruby market, a Mogok cutting shop, a ruby merchant and his family, the transport of byon in mine cars, and the mechanized ruby-washing plant.

gems, Arabic mineralogy, al-Kazwini, early lapidaries

Ruska studies the textual history and scientific content of Zakariyyā al-Qazwīnī’s (1203–1283) celebrated cosmography, ʿAjāʾib al-makhlūqāt wa-gharāʾib al-mawjūdāt (The Wonders of Creation and the Rarities of Existing Things), comparing manuscripts and related Arabic scientific works in an attempt to distinguish Qazwīnī’s original text from later revisions and interpolations. He identifies at least four distinct recensions of the Arabic cosmography and demonstrates that Wüstenfeld’s nineteenth-century edition was based largely on a late recension and incorporated material from different manuscripts, making it an unreliable representation of Qazwīnī’s original work. Of particular gemological interest is Ruska’s discussion of precious stones, where he compares parallel passages in Qazwīnī with al-Bīrūnī, al-Khāzinī, and al-Tīfāshī, providing evidence for the transmission and borrowing of mineralogical and gemological knowledge among medieval Islamic authors. The study is therefore important not only for establishing the textual history of Qazwīnī’s cosmography, but also for tracing the sources and transmission of medieval Arabic knowledge concerning minerals and precious stones.