gems, diamond, Borneo, Kalimantan, Indonesia

The interpretation of ancient texts is always a hazardous undertaking. It is easy to fall into two types of traps: scoffing at apparently ridiculous statements at one extreme; accepting apparently reasonable statements at face value without careful analysis at the other extreme. An example of the first type of trap, on which I was able to shed some light, is the “softening of diamond” with warm goat’s blood as mentioned in the Natural History of Pliny (Gaius Plinius Secundus, Roman historian, 23 AD to 79 AD). A trap of the second type into which I myself fell previously, is involved with Pliny’s description of emerald oiling, the apparent antiquity of which is sometimes cited as justification for current practice. RWH: This is a superb article and nice piece of historical research.