It is related that the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, while on a hunting expedition, came upon a young ostrich. He had it put in a glass case and taken to his palace. For three days the mother-bird followed, trying in vain to break the glass and release her young. After many fruitless attempts she went away and returned with what is described as a THUMARE (a name easily identified with SHAMIR) or magical worm. This she dropped on the glass cage which split into fragments in the same way as the glass which covered the nest holding the young of the moor fowl.

The belief that the gift of a precious stone brought great good to the receiver was, and still is, a popular Eastern conviction. It echoes from the Book of Proverbs to the great new age into which the world is now entering: “As a precious stone appeareth a prize in the eyes of him that obtaineth it: whithersoever it turneth it prospereth.” (Proverbs XVII. 8.) The blessedness of giving has always been lauded by the masters who constantly enlarge on the magical power gained by the act, for, say they, “God gives.”

The gem given should always be carefully considered especially in accordance with the philosophy laid down in these pages which is held to be a true presentation of ancient laws. The wish of the giver then, it is assumed, is translated into the gem which expresses the wish, translated in concrete form so that whenever the receiver gazes on it, realizes it, the wish of good fortune begins to bear fruit and “whithersoever it turneth it prospereth.” The Talmud relates that Abraham had a magical jewel which he wore suspended about his neck; some writers state that it was a pearl that would re-appear at the time of the Messiah; it was however his own natal stone which, when worn, enabled him by the touch of his hand to heal the sick—a practice which has endured, naturally with varied success, through the ages.

The gem in the ring of Aaron was said to shine out brilliantly when the Elohim favoured the nation; and we are told that when the gem and the wearer were in harmony the brightness or otherwise of the stone would indicate faithfully the conditions surrounding him. In the writings of Bishop Epiphanius a fourth century ecclesiastic of Jewish descent, there is a passage commenting on the Breastplate in which he repeats a still older belief that the stones all turned red when war and defeat faced the Children of Israel. Some Quabalistical writers maintain that various colours indicating answers to the many questions asked were reflected from the stones over the whole plate; others say that the stone having reference to the tribe or to the direct question alone, gleamed out its special colour; thus, for military triumph the symbol would be expressed by the beaming of the Haematite; for bountiful production of the fruits of the earth the Emerald would flash its message of comfort; for success in matters connected with education the Marble would shine; for promise of a good water supply the sparkle of the Chrysoprase would suffice; for the well-being of royalty the illumination of the Sardonyx would promise well; for a good harvest the Jasper would glisten; for success in negotiations with neighbouring nations the gleaming of the Opal would augur well; for protection from epidemics the glaring of the agate would be accepted as a favourable omen; for prophetic truth the radiation of the Amethyst would stand; for the welfare of cattle the Serpentine would vibrate; for the realization of hopes the Lapis Lazuli would electrify like the deep blue of the Heavens in serene weather; for success in secret negotiations the Crystal would throw off its flashes of light.

According to the legends in the Targumin, Noah lit up the Ark with a stone of marvellous brilliancy; this is considered by some students to denote the Sun at noonday, by others it is called a Carbuncle. The Manna of the wilderness, it is said, fell from Heaven accompanied by a rain of the most precious and beautiful stones: this is merely an allegorical expression of the “opening of the Heavens,” although some more material writers indicate a fall of meteorites. Meteorites were held in especial reverence and were termed BETHEL or House of God by the old Jews, and Baetylus by the Greeks and Romans. They were assumed to carry all glorious influences from the Heavenly spheres and to bear the blessings of God. Pliny mentions a curious stone which he terms AMIANTHUS and which is not affected by the action of fire. This substance, he says, effectually counteracts all noxious spells, especially those wrought by magicians. It was considered a bad mistake to barter for a talismanic gem, that being in itself a crystallization of the sublime forces, and being holy does not admit of barter. Pliny tells of Ismenius the great fluteplayer of his time, who loved to display numbers of gems: he set his heart on obtaining a beautiful emerald—his talismanic gem—on which was engraved a figure of Amymone (one of the Danaides), the gem being offered for sale in Cyprus for six golden denarii; he sent his messenger to purchase it for him, and this man on his return informed Ismenius that the jeweller had agreed to take two golden denarii less than was originally asked; on learning this the musician exclaimed: “By Hercules, he has done me a bad turn in this, for the merit of the stone has been greatly impaired by this reduction in price.”

The seven precious minerals of the Buddhists are stated by Sir Moiner-Williams K. C. I. E. to be:

The list varies and Lapis Lazuli is given instead of pearls by some authors. There are also seven royal treasures amongst which is the jewel stone NORBU which throws its rays for several miles on the darkest nights.

Apollonius of Tyana, described by Barrett as one of the most extraordinary persons that ever appeared in the world, received during his travels in India from the sage Iarchus seven rings each of which contained a jewel symbolical of one of the planets. One of these he wore every day, according to the planetary order of the days of the week, and to the virtue of these gems—which Iarchus is stated to have received from Heaven—Philostratus, the biographer of Apollonius, attributes his long life, his strength and his attractions. The following were the gems inset in the rings which Apollonius wore, one on each day of the week:

SundayDay of the SunDiamond (In a ring of gold)
MondayDay of the MoonCloudy Crystal (? Moonstone) (In a ring of silver)
TuesdayDay of MarsHæmatite (In a ring of iron)
WednesdayDay of MercuryPink Jasper (In a ring of silver)
ThursdayDay of JupiterCarbuncle (In a ring of tin)
FridayDay of VenusCoral (In a ring of bronze)
SaturdayDay of SaturnOnyx (In a ring of lead)