gems, corundum, India.12, Sri Lanka.12

De Latour gives an account of a voyage to the East Indies, describing observations made on the natural history, products, and practices of the regions visited. Of particular gemological interest are his observations on precious stones and the indigenous methods employed in their working, including the lapidary wheel used for cutting gemstones in India. The paper provides an early nineteenth-century European eyewitness account of Indian lapidary technology and the treatment of gemstones.