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white and a dark Colour; and the [1]Sapphire, which is of a dark Dye, and not
- ↑ The Sapphire has been ſpoken of at large already; I ſhall only add here, that the Word μέλαινα in this Place evidently ſignifies not black, but deep blue, as I have underſtood it in the former Line. And that this Paſſage is a ſtrong Confirmation, that the Sapphire and Cyanus are not the ſame Stone, ſince he here compares one of them to the other. And, as I have often had Occaſion before to obſerve, we
mon blue Turquoiſe. This Colour it is ſometimes found beautifully and equally tinged with all through; and ſometimes only in Spots and Lines of a very deep Blue, but which the Aſſiſtance of Heat will diffuſe through the whole Maſs, and make it as beautifully palely, and uniformly blue, as that found naturally ſo.
The Word μέλανι in this Place has been always tranſlated black; and Pliny copies it in that Senſe from this Author; for he ſays, Theophraſtus auctor eſt & ebur foſſile candido & nigro colore inveniri. If we may be allowed to underſtand it as I have done, only in the very Senſe in which he uſes it in the next Line; and judge that he means by it no more than a deep Blue; as 'tis certain he there does, where he applies it to the Sapphire; for Nobody can imagine he intended to call that black; if we receive the Word, in this Senſe, and determine that the Author means to ſay, that foſſile Ivory was white variegated with blue; and remember what is juſt before obſerved of the Turquoiſes only ſpotted and veined with a very deep Blue, as thoſe of France all are; and many of many other Places, till brought to the Fire; we ſhall underſtand this Paſſage, the Meaning of which has never yet been gueſs'd at, in a very clear and very particular Light: and find, that the Subſtance here deſcribed is the genuine rough Turquoiſe, which our Author has very properly called no other than foſſile Ivory, as perhaps all he had ſeen was of Elephants Teeth; and ſeems very well acquainted with it in its rough State. Whether the manner of diffuſing its Colour by Fire was known at that Time, is more than can now be poſitively determined: Moſt probably it was not, and they looked upon the native blue Turquoiſe, which they called Callais, as a different Subſtance.
That the Syſtem of the Turquoiſes owing their Colour to Copper diſſolved in a proper Alcali, is juſt, I have this to prove; that by a ſimilar Operation I have myſelf made Turquoiſes, many of which I have now by me, and which have been acknowledged true ones by our beſt Lapidaries.
