Such is the hardness of jasper, that the savages of Canada avail themselves of it for the fabrication of the heads of javelins, and sometimes also of arrows. It is used by artists for the formation of vases, snuff-boxes, seals, and trinkets of various kinds; and formerly cups and saucers were sometimes made of it. Many beautiful antique engravings have been made upon jasper.
In the province of Andalusia, in Spain, there are four fine quarries of jasper. One of these is celebrated for a blood-red stone, streaked with white, exceedingly hard and very handsome, of which the beautiful columns of the tabernacle in the Escurial are made. This quarry is in the territory of Cogullus, in the archbishopric of Seville, and was purchased by the Crown in 1581; but was afterwards so far neglected that even the place where it lay was not remembered. It was, however, again discovered about the end of the reign of Charles the Third, after a very expensive search made by order of the government.
Jasper occurs in the Pentland hills, near Edinburgh, and in several other parts of Scotland; in the Shetland Islands, and Hebrides. It has been observed in most of the countries of the Continent; and is found, in great abundance, in Siberia.
97. Red Jasper is an opaque red stone which is found embedded in red clay-ironstone in Baden; and is cut and polished for various ornamental purposes. There are extant many fine antique engravings on red jasper.
98. Egyptian Pebble is a kind of jasper, that is found in globular or rounded pieces, and is distinguishable when cut or broken, by its numerous colours, arranged in concentric stripes or layers. It is chiefly brought from Egypt; and, as it is capable of receiving a fine polish, and when polished is very beautiful, it is manufactured into several kinds of ornamental articles. From the great abundance in which it is supplied, it is, however, much less valuable than carnelian ([93]). The colours of the Egyptian pebble frequently assume very singular forms. There was one in the Leverian Museum which exhibited, in the centre, the resemblance of a pantaloon, or a man wearing a fool’s cap.
99. Striped, or Ribbon Jasper, is marked with alternate stripes of different colours; and is found in Siberia, Saxony, and even in the Pentland hills, near Edinburgh. It receives an excellent polish, and is frequently cut into the tops and bottoms of snuff-boxes. The red and green layers of jasper, being well defined and regular, this kind is used for several purposes of ornament, particularly for cameos.
100. AGATE, or AGATE JASPER, as some mineralogists denominate it, is a semi-transparent stone of the quartz family, which is capable of receiving a high and very beautiful polish.
These stones are always found in a shapeless or massive form, and nearly of all colours, except bright red and green.
The name of agate is derived from the river Achates, in Sicily, in the vicinity of which these stones were obtained by the ancients in great abundance. They are now found in several parts of Scotland; in Iceland, Saxony, and Hungary; and they are occasionally brought into Europe from China and the East Indies.
Agates are used in several kinds of ornamental work, and particularly for necklaces and seals. They are occasionally made into cups, the handles of knives and forks, hilts of swords and hangers, and the tops and bottoms of snuff-boxes. The less ornamental kinds are manufactured into small mortars, which are employed by enamellers and others, for pounding such substances as are too hard to be reduced in any other way. They are also made into instruments for grinding colours, and into polishers for the glazing of linen. In the Electoral Cabinet at Dresden, and the Ducal Cabinet in Brunswick, there are several elegant vases formed of agate.