The word BALAS has been written as balace, baless, balays, balais, balass. It is derived from the Arabic BALAKHSH which, says Albertus Magnus, is the female of the real ruby “and some say it is his house.” That prolific writer on precious stones, Andrea Bacci (16th and 17th centuries), echoes older thought also when he writes that “Balas is derived from PALATIUS, a palace, which is the palace where the ruby lives.” He echoes the symbolic ideas of the old Greek writers who said that the true ruby resided in a palace—clearly showing that they knew the difference between rubies and spinels. Marco Polo’s remarks are as follows: “In this Provence (Badachschan), those fine and valuable gems the Balas rubies are found. They are got in certain rocks among the mountains and in the search for them the people dig great caves beneath the earth just as is done by miners for silver. There is but one special mountain that produces them and it is called Syghinan. The stones are dug on the King’s account and no one else dares dig on pain of death as well as of seizure of worldly possessions, nor may any take the gems out of the Kingdom. The King collects them all and sends them to other kings as tribute or as presents. He so acts in order to keep the Balas at a great value for if he allowed all persons to mine for them the world would be filled with them and they would be valueless.” In Persia there is a story which tells that they were found in a destroyed mountain after an earthquake. The Indians know the stone as the “Pomegranate Ruby” (Lal Rumani), and the King of Oude is said to have had a remarkable and beautiful specimen as big as the egg of a pigeon, which was known as “Lal-i-jaladi.” The beautiful heart-shaped Balass which is set in the British Crown under the Black Cross known as the “Black Prince’s Ruby,” is said to have been obtained in Spain by Prince Edward when he was aiding Don Pedro of Castillo to hold his throne. It is reported that this was the gem worn by King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt. This may have been the “fair great ruby” which Sir James Melville says Queen Elizabeth valued so highly. Elizabeth was very fond of spinels of which she possessed some splendid specimens, as shown in the still extant inventories of the personal effects of the Queen. An inspection of her nativity will show that they were gems of good omen for her. Madame de Barrera gives an extract from Robert de Berquen’s “Merveilles des Indes Orientales et Occidentales” wherein it is stated that “Josephus Barbaro, a Venetian gentleman, says in a report made to the Signori of Venice that when he was ambassador for the Republic at the court of Yussum Cassan, King of Persia, on a certain day of the year 1472 when he was received in solemn audience, that prince showed him a handkerchief filled with the rarest and most inestimable precious stones. Among others there was a table-cut Balass ruby, of a beautiful shape, of at least a finger’s breadth, weighing two ounces and a half, and of a most peerless colour: in fact, it was a most perfect paragon, so exquisite that when the King asked what he valued it at, he replied that he thought a city or even a kingdom would scarcely pay for it.”
Spinels and corundum are always found together, and Dr. G. F. H. Smith comments on the fact that although harder stones, rubies in the river gravels are usually waterworn whilst spinels are found in perfect crystals. The ancient Zoologist Elianus repeats an old story that a stork brought a spinel as a present to the woman-nurse Heraclis for healing his wounded leg. Here again it is necessary to look beneath the fable for true understanding of it. The stork is one of the birds of Jupiter and its legs are astrologically under the zodiacal Sagittarius (the house or mansion of Jupiter). The woman symbolizes the moon and in her name the afternoon sun is concealed. The nurse is under Virgo, the sign to which the Spinel is attached. The 4 toes of the stork symbolize the negative or afternoon sun, the 3 front toes webbed to the first joint, Jupiter. Again, the stork has no voice and tells no secrets. Hence we have a cryptic prescription illustrating the method employed by the ancient medical brethren to convey their meaning to each other. The spinel is here an active mineral employed in the treatment, together with the moon and negative or afternoon sun, of certain afflictions of the legs. Even today it is a custom amongst medical men to preface their prescriptions with the symbol of Jupiter. The stork is also greatly esteemed as a bird of good fortune and happy omen, and in many countries it is protected against destruction.
The spinel was esteemed as a perfect health stone and was especially valued as a charm to be worn over the solar plexus. It was a fortunate gem for doctors of medicine, scholars, writers, clerks, secretaries, manufacturers, business people, hospital attendants, nurses, etc. It raised the thoughts and purified the imagination. A specimen placed at each corner of a house was considered a protection against calamity, and rough pieces placed at the 4 angles of a garden, orchard or corn field were said not only to protect the products from storms and lightning, but also to carry the symbolic influence of rich returns for the farmer.
The spinel or balas, rubicelle, almandine ruby and the Sapphirine are under the Zodiacal Virgo. The Chloro-spinel and the pleonaste are under the zodiacal Capricorn.
Spodumene derives its name from the Greek word SPODIOS, ash-coloured. It is a stone resembling Feldspar, but has a lustre more pearl-like. In general appearance spodumene is of a pale yellow tint, sometimes gray or as its name suggests, ash-coloured. It is about the hardness of quartz. The emerald green variety which is exceedingly rare, is called Hiddenite, after its discoverer, Mr. M. G. Hidden, and it is said by Professor Dana to rival the emerald as a gem. It was discovered in 1881 in North Carolina, which seems to be the only place of its occurrence. Comparatively few specimens have been distributed and amongst them no stones of any considerable size. A pretty example of 2½ carats is in the Natural History section of the British Museum. Perhaps the most beautiful examples of this mineral were discovered in the San Diego district of California in 1903 and named Kunzite, after Dr. G. F. Kunz. These stones range in colour from pale violet to deep lilac and large specimens have already been unearthed, that in the British Museum weighing 60 carats. Dr. G. F. H. Smith remarks that under the influence of Radium Kunzite is phosphorescent, thus presenting some difference from spodumene in general. In analysis it is shown that spodumene contains 7.5 per cent of lithia. It would be, in harmony with ancient philosophy, under the zodiacal Libra, although the variety Hiddenite may be connected with the zodiacal Taurus. All varieties of spodumene would be regarded as powerful eye charms and as beneficial to the kidneys and lumbar regions.
SUCCINITE (See [GARNET].)
CHAPTER XXX
TITANITE—TOPAZ
TITANITE: TOPAZ: THE MYSTERY OF THE “ISLAND OF THE MISTS”: THE RING OF THOMAS A’ BECKET CALLED A PERITOT BY THE ABBOT OF GLASTONBURY: THE MEANING OF THE WORD TOPAZ: TOPAZ REMARKABLE FOR ITS CLEAVAGE: ITS USE IN ANCIENT AND MODERN MEDICINE: TOPAZ RHOMBICUS OF THE MINERALOGISTS: M. DUMELLE DISCOVERS HOW TO CHANGE THE COLOUR OF A TOPAZ: “PINGOS D’AGOA,” “GOUTTES D’EAU,” “MINAS NOVAS”: “DIAMOND OF SLAVES”: 12 LBS. OF TOPAZ FOR THREE SHILLINGS: HOW QUEEN MARY’S GREAT BLUE TOPAZ WAS FOUND: THE TOPAZION STATUE OF PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS: THE PTOLEMAIC BADGE: HADRIAN’S TOPAZ: TOPAZ OF THE GRAND MOGUL AND RUNYEET SINGH: A GIANT EMPEROR’S PLEASURE: SOME OLD INTAGLI: PLINY’S STONE OF STRENGTH: A STONE AGAINST DEATH AND TERROR: SYMBOL OF BOILING WATER: A CHARM AGAINST DROWNING: A MODERN ILLUSTRATION: RABBI BENONI: “BOOK OF WINDS”: TOPAZ CHARMS.
TITANITE. (See [SPHENE].)