Beryls are pale green stones coloured by iron. Some very large crystals have been found. Professor Rutley mentions one specimen found at Royalston in Massachusetts, which weighed nearly 2½ tons.
EMERALD
“As when an emerald green enchas’d
In flaming gold, from the bright mass acquires
A nobler hue, more delicate to sight.”
J. Philips.
The name in days of old was variously written: emeraud, emeraude, emraud, emeroyde, emmorant, emerant, ameraud, emerode, emrade, hemerauld, smaragdus. The derivation is from the old French word ESMERALDA, through the modern French EMERAUDE; Greek SMARAGDOS, Latin SMARAGDUS.
Amongst some large sized emeralds Professor Dana notes one in the cabinet of the Duke of Devonshire, which specimen is 2¼ inches long by about 2 inches in diameter; a finer specimen weighing six ounces, once in the possession of Mr. Harry Thomas Hope; one formerly in the Royal Russian collection, 4½ in. in length, 12 in. in breadth, 16¾ pounds troy in weight; another weighing six pounds, which is 7 in. long and 4 in. broad.
Dr. Holland’s translation of Pliny (Book 37) is as follows:
“True it is that we take great delight to behold green hearbes and leaves of trees but this is nothing to the pleasure we have in looking upon the emeraud, for compare it with other things, be they never so green, it surpasseth them all in pleasant verdure.”