Ruby & Sapphire Bibliography
Explore books, articles and historical sources on ruby, sapphire and corundum in Four Treasures, the Lotus Gemology reference database. This bibliography brings together matching records from the collection, with publication details, abstracts and cover images where available.
Ruby & Sapphire References
The list below matches the terms ruby, rubies, sapphire or corundum in the database's searchable fields. Some references discuss these gems as part of a broader subject. Linked titles take you to external links where you may find the full reference.
![[French correspondence on Burma ruby mines]](/components/com_lotusgemologypublications/assets/noimage.jpg "[French correspondence on Burma ruby mines]")
[French correspondence on Burma ruby mines]
French correspondence on Burma ruby mines
Journal Article
France Ministère des Affaires étrangères (1879–1886) [French correspondence on Burma ruby mines]. Correspondance politique des consuls, Angleterre, Calcutta, Vol. 60, pp. 97–98.
Record No. 255 | not seen
A small group of French diplomatic documents preserved in the Correspondance politique Angleterre relating to the ruby mines of Burma during the period of increasing French commercial interest in the kingdom. The correspondence belongs to the broader context of French attempts in the early 1880s to obtain concessions from King Thibaw’s government, including proposals involving the celebrated ruby mines, developments that were watched closely by British officials in India. The documents may therefore be valuable primary evidence for the political and commercial history of the Mogok ruby mines immediately before the British annexation of Upper Burma in 1885. Contemporary evidence independently confirms French negotiations concerning Burmese ruby-mine concessions during this period.
Report of the geological survey of North Carolina. Vol. I. Physical geography, resumé, economical geology
Book
North Carolina State Geologist (1875) Report of the geological survey of North Carolina. Vol. I. Physical geography, resumé, economical geology. Raleigh, NC, J. Turner, xviii, 325, 120 p.
Record No. 7380 | not seen
The report presents a comprehensive survey of the physical geography and economically important geological resources of North Carolina, describing the state’s principal geological regions, rocks, soils, minerals, ores, and mining districts. It reviews resources of commercial importance, including gold, iron, copper, coal, building stones, and other mineral products, and summarizes contemporary knowledge of their occurrence and potential exploitation. Of particular gemological interest are the state’s corundum deposits and associated occurrences of ruby and sapphire, as well as other minerals suitable for ornamental or industrial use. The volume provides an important nineteenth-century account of North Carolina’s mineral resources during the period when its corundum deposits were attracting considerable scientific and commercial attention.
Dictionnaire de la Langue Française
Dictionary of the French Language.
Book
Littré, É. (1872–1877) Dictionnaire de la Langue Française. [Dictionary of the French Language.] Paris, Hachette, 4 Vols.
Record No. 2820 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in French | seen
Littré’s monumental Dictionnaire de la langue française provides definitions, etymologies, historical usages, pronunciation, grammatical information, and numerous literary citations illustrating the development of French vocabulary. Compiled from an extensive range of texts from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century, it traces changes in meaning and usage and records technical as well as ordinary language. Of particular value to gemological and mineralogical research are entries for precious stones, minerals, jewelry, lapidary terminology, colors, and related technical terms, often accompanied by etymological information and quotations demonstrating their historical use. The work remains an important source for interpreting French mineralogical, gemological, and lapidary terminology in historical texts.
Report upon the Government Central Museum and the Local Museums in the Provinces, for 1855–56; with Appendices
Journal Article
Balfour, E. (1857) Report upon the Government Central Museum and the Local Museums in the Provinces, for 1855–56; with Appendices. Selections from the Records of the Madras Government, No. 39, p. 94.
Record No. 29491 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | not seen
Discusses the occurrence of corundum in Travancore.
Notes on the productive capacities of the Shan countries, North and East of Ava, their arts and manufactures; with a short account of the town of Bamo, as seen in January, 1836, and its trade with China and the lower Irrawaddy
Book Section
Hannay, S.F., Capt. (1857) Notes on the productive capacities of the Shan countries, North and East of Ava, their arts and manufactures; with a short account of the town of Bamo, as seen in January, 1836, and its trade with China and the lower Irrawaddy. In: Selections from the Records of the Bengal Government, Calcutta, 1853–1900, Calcutta: Calcutta Gazette Office, pp. 9–19, jade see p. 11.
Record No. 29475 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | not seen
An account of the economic resources, arts, manufactures, and commerce of the Shan territories north and east of Ava in Burma (Myanmar), based on Captain S. F. Hannay’s travels and observations, including his visit to Bhamo in January 1836. Hannay describes local products, industries, trade routes, and the important commerce between Bhamo, China, and the lower Irrawaddy. Of particular gemological interest is the reference on p. 11 to precious stones and mineral products among the commodities and resources of the region. The paper provides valuable firsthand evidence for nineteenth-century trade networks linking the mineral- and gem-producing regions of northern Burma with China and the wider Burmese economy.
Khawas al-Jawahir
The properties of gemstones
Manuscript
Sharifi, H.M. (1845) Khawas al-Jawahir. [The properties of gemstones] Persia, 12 folio Persian manuscript
Record No. 17055 | Language: in Persian | not seen
A treatise on the properties of popular gemstones, including diamonds, rubies, emeralds, aqeeq (a stone of particular importance to Islam), and several others, attributed to a famous Muslim physician in the Mughal court, Hakim Muhammad Sharifi (1722–1807). The author details the physical attributes of each gem, then goes on to describe their spiritual properties and how each affect health and mood, can work to cure disease, and how one might use gemstones in alchemy. Works on the properties of gemstones were quite popular across the Muslim world as an offshoot of both science and folk medicine; their use in alchemy, the precursor to modern chemistry, was popular. Here, gemstones can guard against miscarriage, prevent internal pain, bad luck, or a fearful disposition.
Description of the mineral and precious stones of Ceylon
Journal Article
Thunberg, C.P. (1784) Description of the mineral and precious stones of Ceylon. Academy of Sciences (Stockholm), 1st Quarter, pp. 70–81.
Record No. 1723 | not seen
Thunberg describes the minerals and precious stones of Ceylon, drawing upon observations and specimens associated with his travels on the island in the late eighteenth century. He discusses gemstones for which Ceylon was celebrated, including sapphires, rubies and related corundum, cat’s-eyes, garnets, zircons, and other minerals, with observations on their appearance, occurrence, and local importance. The paper represents an early European scientific account of Sri Lanka’s exceptionally diverse gem resources and contributes to the historical documentation of the island as one of the world’s major sources of colored gemstones.
Von den äusserlichen Kennzeichen der Fossilien
On the External Characters of Fossils, or of Minerals
Book
Werner, A.G. (1774) Von den äusserlichen Kennzeichen der Fossilien. [On the External Characters of Fossils, or of Minerals] Leipzig, Crusius, 302 pp.
Record No. 6804 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS | Language: in German | not seen
A foundational work in descriptive mineralogy by Abraham Gottlob Werner, establishing a systematic vocabulary for identifying minerals from their observable external characteristics. Werner describes such properties as color, lustre, transparency, crystal form, fracture, cleavage, hardness, specific gravity and tactile characteristics, and provides standardized terminology for recording them. Rather than being a catalogue of mineral species, the book sets out a practical method for their description and recognition, including precious stones and other minerals then commonly termed “fossils.” The work was highly influential in European mineralogy and helped establish careful macroscopic observation as a fundamental method of mineral identification before chemical analysis and crystallography became dominant.
Shi Dian Zaji (Miscellaneous Notes on a Mission to Yunnan)
使滇雜記
Book
Xu, J. (1687–1688) Shi Dian Zaji (Miscellaneous Notes on a Mission to Yunnan). [使滇雜記], 1 juan (scroll)
Record No. 16779 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Chinese | not seen
Xu Jiong’s Shi Dian Zaji [使滇雜記; Miscellaneous Notes on a Mission to Yunnan] is a short record compiled from observations made during his official journey to Yunnan in 1687–1688 during the early Qing dynasty. The single-juan work records places, routes, local customs, products, natural resources, and other matters encountered during the mission, providing a contemporary view of Yunnan and its connections with regions farther southwest. It is of particular interest to the history of gems because Yunnan, especially the routes through Tengyue toward Burma, subsequently became the principal Chinese gateway for Burmese jadeite and other precious materials. The work is therefore useful as an early Qing source for the geographical and commercial setting in which the Yunnan–Burma gem trade developed. Sun Licheng: Contains a brief comment on gems produced in Burma. Xu Jiong was sent by the Qing emperor to Yunnan in 1687–1688. The Shi Dian Zaji is a compilation of his travel notes.
Ratna Pariksha
Gem Testing
Book
Pheru, T. (1316) Ratna Pariksha. [Gem Testing] Jodhpur, Institute of Oriental Research
Record No. 3123 | Language: in Sanskrit | not seen
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.
Selections/Abridgment of the Book of Precious Stones
Muntakhab [or Mukhtaṣar]-i Jawāhir-nāmah [منتخب
Manuscript
al-Jauharī, A.i.ʿ.a.-ʿ. (date unknown) Selections/Abridgment of the Book of Precious Stones. [Muntakhab [or Mukhtaṣar]-i Jawāhir-nāmah [منتخب]
Record No. 29532 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Persian | not seen
Probably an abridgment of a work composed by Zain al-Dīn Muḥammad Jāmī for Shāh-Rukh Bahādur Khān. Its 12 chapters treat diamond, yāqūt, ruby, emerald, pearl, turquoise, bezoar, amber, lapis lazuli, coral, carnelian, and jasper, giving information on their mines, properties, supposed influences, and values in florins, with frequent references to European jewelers. A related Kapurthala manuscript dated 1747 adds musk and rock crystal.
A Short Treatise on the Identification of Precious Stones
Mukhtaṣar dar bayān-i shinākhtan-i jawāhir [مختصر در بیان شناختن جواهر
Manuscript
Jāmī, Z.a.-D.M. (15th century) A Short Treatise on the Identification of Precious Stones. [Mukhtaṣar dar bayān-i shinākhtan-i jawāhir [مختصر در بیان شناختن جواهر]
Record No. 29527 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Persian | not seen
Composed for Shāh-Rukh Bahādur Khān, the work is divided into 12 chapters. Storey associates it with an abridged Jawāhir-nāmah dealing with diamond, yāqūt, ruby, emerald, pearl, turquoise, bezoar, amber, lapis lazuli, coral, carnelian, and jasper, describing their mines, properties, supposed influences, and values and frequently referring to European jewelers.
A Short Account of Yunnan
典销记
Book
Ni, T. (after 1719) A Short Account of Yunnan. [典销记]
Record No. 16780 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Chinese | not seen
Sun Laichen: Contains relatively detailed descriptions of the precious stones from Mengmi, amber from Mengyang, and the travel routes from Yunnan to Burma. Written after 1719.
Rubies in the Himalayas of Nepal
Report
Bassett, A.M. (n.d.) Rubies in the Himalayas of Nepal. Unpublished report submitted to the Nepal Department of Mines and Geology, 19 pp.
Record No. 3031 | not seen
Ploy
Gems
Book
Anonymous (n.d., ca. 1990) Ploy. [Gems]
Record No. 2699 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Thai | seen
Anonymous Thai pamphlet attacking a Thai gemological institute, and including information on heat treatments (with letters to and from the head of a major world gemological institute). This pamphlet was created in response to the Thai lab correctly identifying titanium diffusion in sapphire.
Lanka: Ceylon, Insel des Löwenvolkes
Island of the Lion Folk
Film or Broadcast
Gübelin, E.J. (n.d.) Lanka: Ceylon, Insel des Löwenvolkes. [Island of the Lion Folk]
Record No. 2202 | Language: in German | not seen
Ceylon: Märcheninsel der Edelsteine
Fairyland of Gemstones
Film or Broadcast
Gübelin, E.J. (n.d.) Ceylon: Märcheninsel der Edelsteine. [Fairyland of Gemstones]
Record No. 2201 | Language: in German | not seen
The Missouri River holds one of America’s most interesting precious gemstones
Magazine Article
Voynick, S.M. (n.d.) The Missouri River holds one of America’s most interesting precious gemstones. French Bar, pp. 1–4.
Record No. 1792 | not seen
Discusses the sapphires occurring in placer gravels along the Missouri River near Helena, Montana, probably including the historic French Bar sapphire locality. The article appears to describe the discovery, occurrence, mining, and gem characteristics of Missouri River sapphires and their significance among American gemstones.
Prospectus of the Montana Gem Stone and Gold Mining and Milling Co.
Book
Underwood, W.D. (n.d., ca. 1900) Prospectus of the Montana Gem Stone and Gold Mining and Milling Co., 30 pp.
Record No. 1748 | Sinkankas/Born No.: 6747 | not seen
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.
Tansukhnamah-i Ilkhani
The Book of the Ilkhanids
Book
Tusi, al- ([1201–1274]) Tansukhnamah-i Ilkhani. [The Book of the Ilkhanids] Iran, 53, 358 pp.
Record No. 1742 | Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS/NIB | Language: in Persian | not seen
Tansūkh-nāmah-i Īlkhānī [تنسوخنامه ایلخانی] is a Persian treatise on mineralogy, gemstones, metals, and aromatic substances by Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī, apparently composed during the reign of Hülegü Khan (1256–1265). The work is divided into four principal sections: the formation and causes of minerals; precious and semiprecious stones and their properties; the seven metals; and perfumes and aromatic substances. The gemstone section discusses the characteristics, varieties, properties, defects, and uses of numerous stones and is particularly important as a source for medieval Persian gemological terminology and knowledge. The modern edition was critically edited by Sayyid Muḥammad Taqī Mudarris Raḍawī from five manuscripts and includes extensive notes, glossaries, and indexes of gemstones, minerals, colors, plants, places, and technical terms.
Exploring the Literature of Corundum
Ruby and sapphire research spans mineralogy, gem deposits, identification, treatments, synthesis and the history of the gem trade. Older publications can also be useful for tracing terminology, early observations and accounts of mining localities. Publication dates and the original source should be considered when using historical descriptions.
For an introduction to collecting books on this subject, read Ruby & Sapphire Books: Collecting the Literature of Corundum.
About Four Treasures
Four Treasures is Lotus Gemology's freely accessible gemological reference database. Use the full database to search by author, title or keyword and explore literature on gemology, mineralogy, jewelry and related fields. Where available, hyperlinks on titles may lead directly to the full publication.