THE EMERALD

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1779, 6 July 1926, Page 2

THE EMERALD

' A GEM OF ANTIQUITY.

(By iF. A. Newman.)

“ It is a gem which hath the power to

show If plighted lovers keep their troth or

no. If faithful it* is like the leaves in

spring; If faithless like those leaves when withering.”

These lines, attributed to Miss Landon, embody the idea which has been associated with many precious stones by the ancients —the belief in their talisnmnic virtue. It is difficult to say how far back the history of the emerald can be traced,, because, owing to the rather limited knowledge of precious stones possessed by ancient writers, it is probable that many of the large emeralds described were not true emeralds. But we do know that true emeralds were being mined as early as 1650 B.'C. in Upper Egypt. Theke mines, afterwards known as Cleopatra’s mines, were mentioned by Pliny, and many virtues were claimed for the emerald! in his time, such as, for instance, that it was a cure for epilepsy, that it dispelled evil spirits, that it preserved women in childbirth, and, that it protected the chastity of the wearer. The emerald was one of the 12 precious stones of (the breastplate of the Jewish high priest. It was also frequently mentioned by the early writers of Egypt, Persia, and India, and it figured largely among the regalia and treasures of eastern potentates. In those days, however, it was cut in “catochon ” form, and consequently lost half the beauty which the modern facetted cutting gives to it.

The. history of 'the emerald is not without a certain romance, for, strange as it may seem, even the locality of the famous Egyptian mines seemed to fade into oblivion with the passing of the Egyptian civilisation. So completely was the memory of these mines lost that, centuries later, it was claimed that they never existed, but that the emeralds described by the ancient writers must have been brought from India and, the East. What was believed to be the re-dis-covery of the ancient Cleopatra mines did not take place until 181’ by the French, who opened many old workings, but with only moderate success. In the intervening centuries the richer emerald hords of the Columbia mines had, been discovered. The Spanish conquerors of the -Yew World found that the emerald was as highly prized there as in Europe, and among the enormous treasures seized, in the Aztec territory by Cortez we are told that there was a beautiful emerald “ nearly as broad as the palm of a man’s hand” named by its former owners “The Treasure of the World.”

From Peru the Spanish conquerors seized emeralds from the Aztec kings, said to be so large and beautiful as to cause keen speculation as to their place of origin. The discovery of the 'Columbian mines in ,1558 by another Spaniard, Quesada, reads like a romance. Although, -after defeating the Indians, his emissaries practically stumbled across the famous Muzo mines, it is said that the Indians hid, as many as possible of their sacred stones lin caches in the forest, and that in spite of torture and death not •an Indian would reveal the secret of the hidden treasures. It is confidently believed that hundreds of thousands of pounds’ \vorth of -emeralds lie hidden in the dense forests of 'Columbia, and .that the whereabouts of many richemerald workings have been kept a close secret by the Indians and forgotten by their descendants, so that there are ancient mines never yet seen by white men, -awaiting re-dis-covery As the emerald wrns regarded as a sacred stone among the Mexican Indians and the races of Central and South America, it was natural that they should make every effort to secrete their treasures from the Spaniards.

The emerald is of the beryl family. The 'finest are of a pu t re and intense green colour. It is colour and, freedom from fla'w.s which constitute the test of value. 'Compared with other stones, the rarity of perfect specimens of emerald is remarkable. Most specimens contain minute fissures or spots which mar the transparency and beauty of the stone. Flawless specimens are very rare, as valuable as the finest rubies, and more so than a diamond of equal size. But there is a charm -about the transparent green of an emerald of even moderate quality. The cutting is usually carried out in a square or oblong form, as this style of facetting seems to give the best transparency and brilliancy. The emerald is classed number Ti in the scale of hardness of gems, as compared with 8 for topaz, 9 for sapphire, and 10 for diamond.

Although the mines of/Columbia are the chief source of supply, some are found in the Ural Mountains and the 'Salzburg Alps; and some have been found, in Australia, near Emmaville (N.S.W.), but unfortunately not in tine qualities, although it is possible that further search may yield finer specimens. Recently some small stones of finer colour have been found in West Australia, so there is a prospect that Australia may yet add the emerald to its mineral gems of value. The emerald is found in the form of hexagonal prisms, either completely embedded in the matrix, or attached to it at one end. These natural crystals are, as a rule, too much interspersed with flaws to be cut into single stones. They are, therefore, carefully sub-dividfed by the lapidaries into pieces suitable for gem stones of uniform colour. As the birth stone for May the emerald is said ! to possess the power of conferring happiness on the wearer.