| In the centre | The Sun | The Ruby |
| To the East | Venus | The Diamond |
| To the Southeast | The Moon | The Pearl |
| To the South | Mars | The Coral |
| To the Southwest | Râhu | The Jacinth |
| To the West | Saturn | The Sapphire |
| To the Northeast | Jupiter | The Topaz |
| To the North | The descending node | The Cat’s-eye |
| To the Northwest | Mercury | The Emerald |
| Such is the planetary setting. | ||
From this description we learn that the jewel was designed to combine all the powerful astrological influences. The gems chosen to correspond with the various heavenly bodies, and with the aspects known as the ascending and descending nodes, differ in some cases from those selected in the West. For instance, the emerald is here assigned to Mercury, whereas in Western tradition this stone was usually the representative of Venus, although it is sometimes associated with Mercury also.[366] On the other hand, the diamond is dedicated to Venus, instead of to the Sun as in the Western world.
MANI MÁLÁ, OR CHAIN OF GEMS.
Comprising diamond, ruby, cat’s-eye, pearl, zircon, coral, emerald, topaz, sapphire, chrysoberyl, garnet, carnelian, quartz and rock-crystal. A pendant is the naoratna, or “nine-gem” ornament, suspended from which is a pear-shaped pearl.
In possession of the late Rajah Sir Surindro Mohun Tagore, of Calcutta. From his “Mani Málá,” Calcutta, 1879, Vol. I, iv-506 pp., 2 plates, portrait and plate; Vol. II, xiv + ii 507-1046 pp. Contains 49 figures on 10 plates.
In the naoratna the five gems known to the Hindus as the mahâratnâni, or “great gems,”—the diamond, pearl, ruby, sapphire, and emerald,—were, as we see, associated with the Sun and Moon, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn, while the four lesser gems (uparatnâni)—namely, the jacinth, topaz, cat’s-eye, and coral—represent Mars, Jupiter, Râhu, and the descending node. The two last named are very important factors in astrological calculations and are often called the Dragon’s Head and the Dragon’s Tail. These designations signify the ascending and descending nodes, indicating the passage of the ecliptic by the Moon in her ascent above and descent below this arbitrary plane.
In three somewhat obscure passages of the Rig Veda there are references to the seven ratnas. Whether these were gems cannot be determined, since the primary meaning of the word ratna is “a precious object,” not necessarily a precious stone; but it is possible that we may have here an allusion to some earlier form of talisman, in which only the Sun, Moon, and the five planets were represented.
It is easy to understand that such a talisman as the naoratna, combining the favorable influences of all the celestial bodies supposed to govern the destinies of man, must have been highly prized, and we may well assume that only the rich and powerful could own this talisman in a form ensuring its greatest efficacy. For the Hindus believed that the virtue of every gem depended upon its perfection, and they regarded a poor or defective stone as a source of unhappiness and misfortune.