Gems Notes and Extracts Augusto Castellani, Mrs. John Brogden 1871

38 GEMS.They were of a whitish colour, and were much oxidized,whence, at first sight, it seemed a recent precipitate ofsilver ;but this was not so, as, under the action oflight, they did not become darker, but always remainedwhite. Now, might not these two cornucopise havebeen formed of the unknown argirite ?Mineralogistscan see and examine them in the Paris Museum.XLASTERIA.WE read in Pliny : " After opals, amongst whitejewels, the asteria naturally takes the pre-eminence,because it has enclosed in it a light, like that of theeyeball, which it sends out, now from one place, nowfrom another, as ifmoving about in the jewel, and'when placed facing the sun, it emits rays, whence itsname." *Is it possible from such a descriptionto understandwhat stone Pliny wished to particularise? The soledistinctive character such a stone bears is the propertyof sending out bright rays when it reflects those of thesun. But this property is common to many gems.I saw,some years ago, a large sapphire, very thick,cut smooth, of a whitish colour, and almost transparent,which in the sunlight presented a beautifuldouble star, therefore it deserved the name of asteria.* Nut. Hist, xxxvu. ix. 47.