By Emrys Chew

Opal has been prized since ancient times for its iridescence, a magical play-of-colour seen as flashes of the colours of the rainbow. Its name stems from the Sanskrit word for precious stone (upala) and the Greek derivative of this (opallios) that has been translated as meaning ‘to see a change in colour’. In the classical world, where properties were linked with colour, the opal was regarded as possessing the powers and virtues of all gemstones since it exhibited every colour. Pliny the Elder described opal as having ‘the living fire of the garnet, the glorious purple of the amethyst, and the sea-green of the emerald glittering together in an incredible mixture of light’. For this reason, the Egyptians and Babylonians held that opal was a gift of the gods, believing that its colours were due to lightning striking the stones as they fell from the heavens. The Romans saw the opal as a sign of loyalty and hope, though they were willing to acquire the stones whatever the cost. According to Pliny, Mark Anthony is said to have gone to extraordinary lengths-and finally committed homicide-in order to obtain a magnificent opal from the Roman senator Nonius, which he then gave to his lover Cleopatra. At one point, Caesar Augustus contemplated selling up to a third of the Roman Empire for a single opal. In certain Judeo-Christian traditions, the many colours of opal represent the many faces of Eve, the first woman. As a symbol of purity and insight, opals have also been associated with divination and meditation, spirituality and prayer for many centuries.

Read more »

Posted: April 10th, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

Lapis lazuli is a gemstone of great antiquity, prized as it has been by human civilization for some 7,000 years. Its name derives from the Latin word for stone (lapis) and the Persian word for blue (lazhward), from which we also get the Arabic derivative ‘azul’ and the English ‘azure’. In view of its vivid coloration and rich texture, lapis lazuli became the ancient alchemist’s ‘heaven stone’. Pliny the Elder described the stone as ‘a fragment of the starry firmament’. The earliest cultures valued lapis more highly than gold. Jewish tradition maintains that the Ten Commandments given to Moses were engraved on tablets of lapis. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with a lapis scarab for protection; indeed, the famous gold burial mask of the boy-pharoah Tutankhamun (dating back to the fourteenth century BCE) is inlaid with lapis as well as blue enamel coloured by powdered lapis. And when the Greeks spoke of an ancient sapphire included with gold, they were undoubtedly referring to lapis.

Read more »

Posted: April 10th, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

Turquoise is one of the first gemstones to be mined and also inspired some of the earliest known imitations. It was probably first discovered by the ancient Egyptians over 7,000 years ago; four turquoise bracelets were found on the mummified arm of Queen Zar, the second ruler of Egypt’s First Dynasty (c.5500 BCE), while further evidence that demand outstripped supply very early may be seen in the blue and green glazed steatite imitations found in graves dating back to 4000 BCE. Yet its unique sky-blue coloration and widespread distribution meant that turquoise would be cherished by almost every culture throughout history. According to Hebrew tradition, the first person to wear turquoise was their patriarch Isaac, the son of Abraham. It was one of the twelve stones that adorned breastplate of the Jewish high priest. Turquoise was also known as fayruz (‘lucky stone’) in ancient Arabic. An Oriental proverb states that a turquoise given by a loving hand brings happiness and good fortune. Meanwhile, native Americans have long revered turquoise as their ‘sky stone,’ believing their souls become one with the universe whenever they wear this beautiful blue gem. They called it chal-chui-hui-tal-”the highest and most valued thing in the world”.

Read more »

Posted: April 10th, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

Long cherished as the ‘celestial gemstone,’ sapphire has been treasured by human civilisation since at least 800 BCE. The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire and its reflection coloured the sky. While ‘sapphire’ stems from sappheiros, the Greek word for blue, the stone is actually found in all the colours of the heavens: from midnight blue to the bright blue of noon sky in the Mediterranean, golden sunrise to fiery reddish-orange sunsets, and the delicate violet of twilight. The most famous and highly prized sapphires are a rich, intense royal blue. According to the Hebrew scriptures, sapphire was one of the twelve stones adorning the breastplate of the Jewish high priest, a precious standard against which wisdom itself was to be measured, and a gem associated with the very throne of God. Because sapphires represent divine favour, justice and truth, they were the gemstone of choice for kings and clergy, the symbol of pure and wise rulers.

Read more »

Posted: April 10th, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

Ruby has been the world’s most valuable gemstone for thousands of years. Legends and stories abound about the nature and properties of ruby, and there are references to this gemstone in sacred and secular texts from around the globe. In Sanskrit, ruby is hailed as ratnaraj (‘king of gems’) or ratnanayaka (‘leader of gems’). In the Hindu religion, it is considered the most powerful gem in the universe; according to Hindu writings, the ruby represented the sun, and ancient Hindus believed that offering a ruby to the god Krishna would secure rebirth as an emperor. According to Jewish tradition, ruby was said to be the most precious of the twelve stones God created when he created all things, and this ‘lord of gems’ adorned the breastplate of Yahweh’s high priest. Rubies are cited in the Bible as a standard of measuring what is truly precious in life. To Christians, rubies would later become symbolic of divine love, demonstrated in the passion and atoning blood of Christ. European rulers would adorn themselves with rubies in accordance with Christian tradition, for the stone symbolized the sacrifice of a sovereign who put himself at the service of his people.

Read more »

Posted: April 10th, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

Long cherished as symbols of purity and perfection, elegance and affluence, pearls have been prized by human civilisation since the dawn of history. Their name derives from the Latin sphaerula, meaning ‘sphere’. The Greeks believed they were drops of moisture flung from Aphrodite’s body as she emerged from the sea. Other ancients held that pearls were the tears of gods, falling as rain from heaven and forming the heart of oysters, thus bringing forth the birth of pearls. Early Arabs called them ‘teardrops of the moon,’ speculating that oysters were drawn to the surface of the water by moonlight and fertilized by dewdrops when they opened their shells. Archaeological evidence suggests that almost 6,000 years ago in the Persian Gulf region, people were buried with a pierced pearl in their hand. For over 3,000 years, the Chinese have collected them for jewellery, traditional medicine, and symbolic value; in Chinese mythology, the dragon chasing a flaming pearl signifies the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge. Pearls are highly esteemed in Judeo-Christian, Islamic and Hindu traditions, too, and native Americans were wearing pearl ornaments long before the first Europeans arrived in the New World. Pearls are the ‘queen of gems’ and queens wore them. Pliny the Elder said Cleopatra’s pearls were ‘the most singular and the most unique that nature or man could ever imagine’. Through the ages, societies around the world have fashioned beautiful jewellery and art objects out of natural pearls, collected from certain aquatic molluscs. Yet the discovery of how to induce pearl formation, and the introduction of cultured pearls to the global market in more recent times, have made pearls even more widely available and unsurpassed in splendour. Read more »

Posted: April 10th, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

Jade is one of the world’s oldest gems. In Neolithic times, it was fashioned into weapons and other implements because of its exceptional strength. References to jade in recorded history begin around 4000 BCE where, in view of its significance for the ancient Chinese, some scholars have suggested that a Jade Age existed between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. Indeed, among the various gems, no single stone has a closer relationship with a particular culture than jade with the Chinese. Prized for its translucency as well as its toughness, the Chinese called it yu (‘jewel of heaven’), believing that jade provided a bridge between this world and the next. Yu is, in fact, one of the oldest characters in the Chinese language; its pictograph is said to have originated in 2950 BCE, when the transition from knotted cords to written signs supposedly occurred. The pictograph represents three pieces of jade, pierced and threaded with a string; the dot was added to distinguish it from the pictograph for ‘ruler,’ giving some indication of the esteem in which the stone was held. Confucius (551-479 BCE) believed that jade possessed the five virtues of benevolence, justice, courtesy, wisdom and valour. To Taoists, a jade elixir could make a person immortal by conferring its imperishable characteristics when ingested. In Buddhism, the Pure Land is composed of gold, silver, agate, coral, amber and jade. Having said that, it should be noted that jade played an important cultural role in other parts. In pre-Columbian Central America, jade was more highly valued than gold. Ever since ancient times, jade has been used around the world to impart knowledge and ensure good health in the present life, as well as bring good fortune in the afterlife. Throughout the ages, it has been transformed into objects of art and adornment that historians and archaeologists alike consider priceless.
Read more »

Posted: January 23rd, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

Emerald takes its name from the Persian word for green, which evolved into the Greek and Latin smaragdus. Worshipped throughout the ages for its glorious colour, the inner radiance of emerald was likened by the ancients to the captured glow of a firefly. Writing in first-century Rome, Pliny the Elder commented that ‘no other stone has a colour that is more delightful to the eye’. Because of its verdant beauty, emerald has long symbolized the life force of the cosmos, the season of spring and the promise of rebirth. According to an alchemists’ legend, the philosopher’s emerald is of all stones the one that breathes life into nature. In Central America, it was a fertility token; the Aztecs called it quetzlitzli, associating emerald with the quetzl, a mythical green-feathered bird that ushered in spring’s renewal. The ancient Greeks dedicated the stone to Aphrodite, their goddess of love. The early Christians associated it with the apostle John, the ‘beloved disciple’ whose pastoral writings could soothe and refresh the soul. In some versions of the Arthurian legend, an emerald that fell from Satan’s helmet was transformed by the hands of God into the Holy Grail, the bowl supposedly used by Christ at the Last Supper. In due course, with the scarcity of green forests and fields in their countries, and the fact that green would become the holy colour of Islam, Muslim societies would also cherish the gem in a special way: the magnificent collections of emeralds so highly-prized by the great Islamic land empires of Asia have become legendary.

Read more »

Posted: January 23rd, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

Diamond is probably the best known of all gemstones, unsurpassed for its hardness, fire and brilliance. Known as the ‘king of gems,’ its history is long and extensive. Valued for an extraordinary ability to refract light, the ancients held that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth, the tears of the gods, or hardened dewdrops formed during a rare conjunction of the planets at dawn. But as the hardest mineral on earth, diamonds were used as tools long before they were cut as jewels. According to the Liezi, a Chinese text from the fourth century BCE, craftsmen in the ancient world would mount a diamond at the tip of an iron tool called a burin, using this instrument to engrave cameos and carve ornaments. An ancient Sanskrit manuscript records that diamonds, subject to customs duties and tax, were a major source of state revenue over 2,000 years ago. Some of the great individual pieces acquired legendary status beyond ordinary commercial values: when the gem known as the Koh-i-Noor (or ‘Mountain of Light’) was presented to the Mughal emperor Babur in 1526, its value was set at ‘one day of the whole world’s expenditure’. At the other end of the spectrum were humbler diamond tools in the hands of traditional artisans, to which the intricate marble designs of the Taj Mahal would eventually owe their existence.

Read more »

Posted: January 4th, 2008 under Gems.
Comments: none

By Emrys Chew

The rich purple gemstone known as amethyst has a history that extends into the reaches of antiquity. All the great civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean world valued it. In view of its wine-dark hues, it came to be associated with the prevention of intoxication. Amethysts were popular in Egypt for scarabs, and many specimens have been found in the tombs of the Pharaohs. Cleopatra’s favourite piece of jewellery was apparently an amethyst ring engraved with the figure of Mithras, the Persian sun god. In Greece and Rome, amethysts were often used for intaglio rings, many of which were carved with the head of the wine god Dionysus (or Bacchus). Indeed, the gem’s very name derives from the Greek word amethystos, meaning ‘not intoxicated’. The stone’s wine-like coloration and reputation for keeping its wearer sober no matter how much alcohol was consumed made it a particular favourite among clergy and kings. Amethyst is mentioned in the Bible as one of the twelve stones adorning the breastplate of the Jewish high priest, as well as one of the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem. In the Christian church, the crosses and rings of high-ranking ecclesiastics often have amethysts as their centre stones. Since the thirteenth century, the Popes have received an amethyst ring upon their investiture; at their demise the ring, engraved with the image of Saint Peter casting his fishing net, is smashed. Amethysts also have a time-honoured connection with royalty: the colour purple had been worn by Roman aristocrats and emperors, but when the English king, Edward the Confessor, wore a crown bearing an amethyst at his coronation in 1042, he effectively revived the Western tradition of wearing ‘royal purple’…. It is…

Read more »

Posted: December 29th, 2007 under Gems.
Comments: none