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The Greek name amethystos alludes to the popular belief that amethyst prevented intoxication; as such, drinking vessels were made of amethyst for festivities, and carousers wore amulets made of it to counteract the action of wine. [6] The amethyst is a brilliant transparent stone of a purple color and varies in shade from violet purple to rose.
Luminous gems are common theme in comparative mythology. Ball cross-culturally analyzed stories about luminous stones and pearls and found about one hundred variants in ancient, medieval, and modern sources. The wide-ranging locations of the tales comprise all Asia (except Siberia), all Europe (except Norway and Russia), Borneo, New Guinea, the ...
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer. There are many references to "sapphire" in the Old Testament, but most scholars agree that, since sapphire was not known before the Roman Empire, they most likely are references to lapis lazuli. For instance, Exodus 24:10: "And they saw the God of Israel, and there was under his feet as it were a paved work ...
The classification of the cardinal gems dates back to antiquity, and was largely determined by ceremonial or religious use as well as rarity. [1] The term has largely fallen out of use. The five traditional cardinal gems are: amethyst (purple) – Rare and precious in the Old World until large deposits were found in Brazil. diamond (transparent)
The name sapphire is derived from the Latin word sapphirus, itself from the Greek word sappheiros (σάπφειρος), which referred to lapis lazuli. [2] It is typically blue, but natural "fancy" sapphires also occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colors; "parti sapphires" show two or more colors.
The team found Corinthian alabaster, Attic vases, and locally-made ritual jugs. They also uncovered treasure of a shinier kind: gold, silver, coral, and amber jewelry, amulets from the East, and ...
Some man-made gems can serve in ... Xin 心 shaped jewellery; 1368–1644; gold, ruby, pearl and other gemstones; ... Gold imagery occurs frequently in ancient Indian ...
Archaeologists and volunteers excavating an ancient Roman site in the United Kingdom uncovered a “mysterious” purple lump. It turned out to be an “incredibly rare” substance once “worth ...