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[1]Jaſper, and the [2]Sapphire; which laſt
- ↑ The Jaſper is another of the ſemipellucid Stones; it is much of the ſame Grain and Texture with the Agates, but not ſo hard, or capable of ſo elegant a Poliſh, nor does it approach ſo near Tranſparency; its general Colour is green, but it is ſpotted or clouded with ſeveral others, as yellow, blue, brown, red, and white. It is found both in the Eaſt and Weſt Indies, in Bohemia, in many Parts of Germany, and in England: I have a Specimen of it found. here, little inferior to the Oriental, and better than any I ever ſaw from Germany. Our Lapidaries diſtinguiſh it into the Oriental and Common; and ſubdivide thoſe Differences according to the Colour of the Spots or Veins. The Oriental is much harder, and capable of a much better Poliſh than any of the others; it is of a bluiſh green, and the Veins are generally red.
The European or common Jaſpers are of all Degrees of green, and variegated with ſeveral Colours; the Engliſh, in particular, are hard, commonly of a deep green, often not veined or ſpotted at all, and when they are, it is commonly with red or fleſh Colour, ſometimes with
- ↑
and is much in eſteem for Seals; we have it from the Eaſt Indies, as alſo from Bohemia, Sileſia, Sardinia, and many other Places; nor is our own Kingdom without it, though I have never yet found any here perfectly fine. The white is a very beautiful Stone, of a fine Grain, and equal Hardneſs, with many Kinds of the red: it is not perfectly white, but rather what we call a Pearl Colour, white with a ſlight Admixture of blue. The yellow is a very beautiful Stone, often of a fine Flame Colour, and more tranſparent than either of the former; this is found in the East Indies and Bohemia only. The laſt, or Beryll Carnelian, is properly the Male Oriental Kind; it is of a deeper Colour than any of the others, as alſo much harder, and more tranſparent: Some of our Jewellers, knowing of no other Beryll but this, name it ſimply the Beryll; but it ought never to be ſo called but with the Addition of its own proper Name Carnelian. The Beryll of the Antients was a Stone of quite another Kind, tranſparent, and of a bluiſh green; and evidently the very Gem which we now call the Aqua Marina. Beſides thoſe above named, we have three leſs perfect Carnelians, yet beautiful enough; the brown, which is the Carneolus Fuſcus of Cronſtedt; the dotted, the Carneolus Stigmitas of Wallerius; and the veiny Carneolus Lineatus of the ſame Author. This laſt I have lately ſeen very beautiful from Scotland, ſcarce inferior to the Eaſt Indian.
See Foſſils Arrang’d, p. 209.
