corundum, ruby, sapphire, Thailand.12, Cambodia.12, gems

Turpin’s History of the Kingdom of Siam, originally published in French in 1771 and here translated by B.O. Cartwright, presents an eighteenth-century European account of Siam from its early kings through the destruction of Ayutthaya and the rise of Phya Tak (Taksin). Drawing largely upon reports of Catholic missionaries and earlier European writers, it gives particular attention to the reign of King Narai, Constantine Phaulkon, Siam’s relations with France under Louis XIV, the Macassar revolt, the overthrow of Phaulkon and expulsion of the French, and subsequent persecution of Christians. The most important later sections describe Burmese invasions, the capture and destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767, the sufferings of its inhabitants and European residents, and the political fragmentation and recovery that followed under Phya Tak. The final chapters broaden into descriptions of Siam’s neighboring kingdoms and an argument for renewed French commercial involvement in the region. Of gemological interest are numerous contemporary statements on mineral resources and the precious-stone trade. Burma and Ava are described as producing exceptionally fine rubies and sapphires, while Pegu exported gold, silver and precious stones, with “rubies” used broadly to include topaz, sapphire, amethyst and other gems. Laos is said to possess a mine yielding rubies and emeralds, including a celebrated royal emerald reputedly the size of an orange; Cambodia is credited with amethyst, ruby, topaz, chrysolite, agate and bloodstone; and Siam itself is reported to contain agate, diamonds and pearls. The work is valuable both as a near-contemporary European narrative of the political upheavals that ended the Ayutthaya kingdom and as a record of eighteenth-century European beliefs concerning the geography, commerce and gem resources of mainland Southeast Asia.

jade, nephrite, Xinjiang, Khotan, Hotan, China, Chinese jade, gems

A monumental report on Stein’s first expedition to Chinese Turkestan in 1900–1901, presenting the archaeological, geographical and historical results of his explorations in the ancient kingdom of Khotan and surrounding regions. The first volume gives detailed accounts of sites such as Yotkan, Dandan-Uiliq, Niya, Endere and Rawak, together with descriptions of manuscripts, coins, sculptures, paintings, textiles and other antiquities; the second consists of photographic plates, plans and a large map of the Khotan territory. Of particular gemological interest are Stein’s observations on Khotan jade, including the recovery of nephrite from the Yurung-kash and Kara-kash rivers, traditional methods of searching the river gravels, and the historical importance of jade as one of Khotan’s principal exports to China. The work greatly expands upon the preliminary and popular accounts of his expedition and remains a fundamental source for the archaeology, geography, trade and material culture of the southern Tarim Basin, as well as for the historical setting of the celebrated Khotan jade deposits.

sailing, Thailand, gems

A wide-ranging study of traditional sailing craft in Europe and Asia, based largely on vessels Smyth had personally observed, sailed or examined during extensive travels. Rather than merely cataloguing boat types, he considers how hull form, rig, sail plan and construction evolved in response to local winds, waters, available materials and particular commercial requirements. The Asian sections are especially extensive, treating craft of India and the Indian Ocean, Burma, the Malay Peninsula, Siam, Indo-China and China, from small river and coastal boats to large rice boats and Chinese junks. Numerous drawings, plans and diagrams document construction and rigging, while Smyth frequently compares surviving Asian forms with ancient vessels and discusses their historical development. Although not specifically gemological, the work provides useful contemporary background on the indigenous transport systems and waterways through which commodities moved in South and Southeast Asia at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Gems, corundum, Burma.12, gold, silver, diamond

A popular survey of mining throughout the world, written for the general reader and describing the extraction of gold, silver, diamonds, coal, iron, copper, tin, mercury and other mineral resources. Of particular gemological interest is Chapter XXII, “The Burma Ruby Mines” (pp. 358–366), which summarizes the history of the Mogok ruby district and the methods then employed to recover rubies from the gem-bearing gravels. Williams describes both traditional workings and the more organized operations of the Burma Ruby Mines, Limited, including excavation, washing and sorting of the ruby-bearing material. The chapter provides a useful contemporary overview of Mogok at the beginning of the twentieth century and places ruby mining alongside the major mining industries of the period. The book is illustrated with 24 plates and is valuable as a readily accessible contemporary account of mining technology and practice worldwide.

India, Asia, travel, gems

An edited account of John Jourdain’s travels during the English East India Company’s Fourth Voyage, describing his experiences between 1608 and 1617 in Arabia, India and the Malay Archipelago. Jourdain records local geography, customs, political conditions and, above all, the commodities and trading practices encountered at ports and commercial centers along his route. Of gemological interest is his description of a mountain near Sana’a where cat’s-eyes, agates, bloodstones and other stones “of better value” were found, and his account of Mocha as a major entrepôt receiving “precious stones of all sorts” from Indian shipping, which were purchased by merchants connected with Cairo and subsequently carried into the Mediterranean and Ottoman trading network. He also notes that the country associated with Dabhol produced diamonds in “great store of the new rock,” together with other stones of lesser value. Beyond these specific references, the journal provides valuable firsthand evidence for the commercial routes linking western India, Arabia and Southeast Asia during the formative years of English participation in the Asian trade. Foster’s edition includes extensive historical notes, contemporary supplementary narratives, maps and a bibliography.

gems, corundum, Sri Lanka.12, garnet, zircon, spinel, tourmaline, sillimanite

Reports twelve mineralogical observations from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), combining field occurrences, crystallographic descriptions, and chemical analyses. The principal section discusses newly identified thorianite from Bambarabotuwa, its distinction from uraninite, radioactivity, helium content, associated minerals, and potential commercial importance. Other notes describe corundum–sillimanite rocks at Haldummulla, phlogopite near Kandy, kyanite in offshore sands, and replacement of limestone by chert and opal. Further observations cover talc, stilbite, serendibite, moonstone, kaolin, sphene, and arsenopyrite. Of particular gemological interest are the corundum-bearing rocks, an additional serendibite locality, and analysis of sodium-rich orthoclase moonstone from Gangapitiya.

corundum, India.12, Burma.12, Tajikistan.12, Sri Lanka.12, history.1, jade, gems

One of the most fascinating books about the Orient ever written. If you’ve ever wondered about the derivation of words like “pajamas,” “assassins” or “looters,” this is the book for you. A total classic and now quite scarce. A celebrated historical and etymological glossary of Anglo-Indian words, place names, and expressions, drawing extensively on early European and Asian travel literature. Of particular gemological interest are entries tracing the terminology and geography of the Asian gem trade. “Balass” is identified as the rose-red spinel and derived from Balakhshī/Badakhshī, referring to the celebrated spinel-producing region of Badakhshan on the upper Oxus; quotations from Ibn Battuta, Clavijo, Barbosa, Frederick, Hawkins, Fryer, and others document the term’s changing forms and usage. “Capelan” preserves early European accounts of the Burmese ruby-mining region, with quotations from Ca’ Masser, Varthema, Barbosa, and Tavernier showing the confused geographical knowledge surrounding the sources of Pegu and Ava rubies; the editors associate the name tentatively with the Mogok-area mines. The entry on “Corundum” discusses the Indian origin of the word, comparing Hindustani, Deccani, Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit forms and noting its historical use for non-gem corundum. Other entries on Ava, Ceylon, Coromandel, and Tenasserim provide detailed historical geography valuable for interpreting early accounts of the Southeast Asian gem trade; notably, Ceylon is discussed as the ancient Ratnadvīpa, “Isle of Gems,” and in Arabic tradition as an “Isle of Rubies.” The work remains an important source for understanding how gem names, mining localities, and trade terminology were transmitted and often distorted in European literature on India and Southeast Asia.

gems, turquoise, Iran, Persia, Nishapur

Stuart devotes much of his chapter on Meshed and Bushire to a detailed description of the Nishapur turquoise mines, drawing explicitly on information supplied by General Schindler. He locates the mines in the Bâr-i-Meidan district northwest of Nishapur and describes their geography, villages, population, individual workings, mining conditions, production, classification, cutting, valuation, and trade. Numerous named mines are discussed, including workings that were dangerous, flooded, poorly ventilated, collapsed, or exhausted, together with differences in the quality and color stability of their turquoise. Of particular gemological interest is his description of material from the Sar-i-Reîsh and Anjîrî mines, which could possess an attractive color while moist but faded on drying, becoming greenish, spotted, or eventually nearly white. Such stones were reportedly shipped to Europe in damp earthenware vessels, and Stuart attributes declining European confidence in turquoise and falling prices partly to the influx of this unstable material. He contrasts these deposits with the Khâkî workings in accumulated mine debris and alluvium, which were then producing many of the finest stones, including valuable ring-quality turquoise. Mining employed picks, crowbars, and increasingly gunpowder, although blasting was considered detrimental because it shattered turquoise that older hand-working methods might have recovered intact. Stuart gives an unusually detailed contemporary classification of Nishapur turquoise into three commercial categories: Angushtarî, comprising fine, stable-colored stones suitable for rings and sold individually; Bârkhaneh, divided into grades and sold by weight; and Arabî, encompassing inferior pale, greenish, spotted, or otherwise undesirable material. Deep sky blue was most prized, but value also depended upon shape, freedom from flaws, permanence of color, and an indefinable quality termed zât, which Stuart compares with the “water” of a diamond or the luster of a pearl. He describes several traditional cuts, including the high peikânî form reserved for fine deep-colored stones, cabochons, and flat slabs, and notes the practice of disguising flaws in large stones with gold scrollwork or strategically positioned inscriptions. The account also traces the commercial chain from miners through village Rîsh-i-Safîds and commission agents to Meshed dealers and ultimately European markets, particularly Moscow, showing how a stone could increase enormously in value after cutting and successive resale. Annual production from the mines, mountains, and surface diggings is estimated at 25,000 tomans at mine value, perhaps tripling by the time the turquoise reached its final purchasers. Stuart’s chapter thus provides an exceptionally detailed early twentieth-century account of Nishapur turquoise mining, quality grading, color stability, cutting, valuation, marketing, and the economic organization of the trade.

gems, history of gemology, gem prices

Legg and Hope publish and annotate inventories relating to Christ Church, Canterbury, accompanied by historical and topographical introductions and supporting documents. The records describe the cathedral’s ecclesiastical possessions, including vestments, plate, reliquaries, ornaments, and other treasures, preserving detailed evidence for their materials, decoration, and use. Of particular gemological interest are references to jewels and precious stones set in liturgical and ceremonial objects, providing documentary evidence for the use and terminology of gems in medieval English ecclesiastical treasures.

travel, India, Asia, gems, Indian lapidary

An English translation of portions of Pedro Teixeira’s Relaciones, combining his own travels with his historical accounts of the kings of Hormuz and Persia. Teixeira, a Portuguese traveller active around 1600, journeyed extensively through India and the Persian Gulf and later returned to Europe overland by way of Basra, Baghdad, Aleppo and the Mediterranean. Of particular gemological importance is his detailed description of the Bahrain pearl fishery, which he observed firsthand. He records that fishing normally began in July and continued through August, involving a fleet of roughly 200 vessels from Bahrain, Julfar and Nihhelu, with much of the fishing conducted near Qatar. Oysters were opened immediately after recovery and the pearls removed; Teixeira considered the pearls of the Persian Gulf superior in quality and weight to those from other regions. His descriptions provide valuable early evidence for the organization, geography and commercial importance of Gulf pearling and for Hormuz’s role as an entrepôt linking the trade of Persia, Arabia and India. The volume also contains historical material on the rulers of Hormuz and Persia and extensive editorial notes placing Teixeira’s observations within the broader literature of early European travel in Asia.