corundum, Burma.12, gems

A biographical memoir by Henry Burney of the Italian Catholic missionary Giuseppe d’Amato, who spent nearly five decades in Burma and died at Moun-lha in 1832. Burney describes d’Amato’s long residence in the country, his missionary work, knowledge of Burmese language and society, and the respect he had acquired among the local population. Of particular gemological importance, d’Amato had personally visited the precious-stone mines of Kyat-pyen (Kyatpyin) in the Mogok district and left a description of their workings. That account, published separately in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1833, is among the earliest firsthand European descriptions of the Burmese ruby mines. Burney’s memoir is therefore an important source for establishing d’Amato’s identity, background and connection with the early documentation of Mogok.

gems, jade, Fischer-Book, turquoise, Mexico, Maya, Aztec, Olmec, greenstone

A monumental nine-volume publication devoted to the antiquities and pictorial manuscripts of pre-Columbian Mexico, assembled by Edward King, Viscount Kingsborough. The work reproduces in elaborate facsimile a number of major Mexican codices and other Indigenous manuscripts preserved in European collections, accompanied by historical, linguistic and antiquarian commentary drawn from colonial sources. Its contents document religion, calendrical systems, tribute, costume, warfare, ritual and material culture. Of particular relevance to gemological research are depictions and references to valued materials such as greenstone/jade, turquoise, gold and other ornaments used in elite and ceremonial contexts. Despite Kingsborough’s highly speculative interpretations, the volumes remain an important early source for the publication and study of Mesoamerican manuscripts and material culture.

gems, Brazil, diamond, topaz, gold

A two-volume account by the Irish clergyman and traveler Robert Walsh describing Brazil during his residence and travels there in 1828–1829. The work covers Rio de Janeiro and journeys into the interior, with observations on politics, society, slavery, religion, natural history, agriculture and commerce. Of particular gemological interest is Walsh’s visit to Minas Gerais, where he describes mining districts, gold workings and the Capão topaz mine near Ouro Preto (Vol. 2, pp. 104–108), including the occurrence and extraction of Brazilian topaz. The work is a valuable firsthand source for the mineral wealth and mining practices of Brazil in the early nineteenth century.

gems, jade, Fischer-Book

A German translation of the seventeenth-century Mongolian chronicle commonly known as the Erdeni-yin Tobči(“Precious Summary”), composed by Ssanang Ssetsen Chungtaidschi of the Ordos Mongols. The work traces the history of the Mongols and their ruling houses from legendary origins through the era of Chinggis Khan and his successors to the seventeenth century, combining dynastic history, genealogy, Buddhist tradition and accounts of relations with Tibet and China. It is an important source for Mongolian historiography and for the political and religious history of Inner Asia. Its relevance to gemological research is secondary, chiefly through references to precious objects, royal gifts and material culture rather than any systematic discussion of gemstones.

gems, corundum, Burma.12, Mogok, ruby, sapphire

Account of a British mission to Ava following the First Anglo-Burmese War, combining a narrative of its journey from Rangoon to the Burmese capital and return with observations on the country’s geography, geology, mineral resources, botany, zoology, and economy. The mission travelled up the Irrawaddy, visiting Prome, the petroleum wells at Renangyoung, Pagan, and Ava, where it attended the Burmese court and concluded a short commercial treaty. Of particular gemological importance is its description of the celebrated ruby and sapphire mines at “Mo-gaot” and “Kyat-pyan,” said to lie about five days’ journey ESE of Ava. Members of the mission examined sapphires in both crystallized and rough states and the gem-bearing gravel, and collected specimens. The stones reported include ruby (“red sapphire”), blue sapphire, spinel ruby, white, yellow, green, opalescent, amethyst and girasol sapphires, together with common corundum. Fine ruby was described as scarce and expensive even at Ava, while blue sapphire was more common and cheaper; one imperfect sapphire examined reportedly weighed 951 carats. The account also records the Burmese king’s claim to rubies and sapphires exceeding 100 ticals in value, the alleged practice of miners breaking valuable stones to evade this claim, and the export of rubies and sapphires by Chinese merchants. Precious serpentine is likewise noted as an important Burmese product exported by the Chinese. The wider scientific survey describes fossiliferous deposits near the petroleum wells, marble around Ava, metallic ores and mining in the Shan regions, the petroleum industry, and extensive botanical collections made during the mission.

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

A detailed account of John Crawfurd’s British diplomatic mission to Siam and Cochin China in 1821–1822, combining travel narrative with observations on government, commerce, society, geography and natural resources. Of particular gemological importance are his remarks on the gem deposits of Chanthaburi, where he records sapphire, ruby and “Oriental topaz” (yellow sapphire) occurring in alluvial ground at the foot of the hills. He describes the washing of the gem-bearing soil, notes that the recovered gravel was sent to Bangkok for examination, and states that the Chanthaburi gem workings were a royal monopoly. Crawfurd also compares Siamese ruby and sapphire unfavorably with stones from Ava. The work is an important early nineteenth-century source for the history of the Chanthaburi gem fields and the Siamese gem trade.

gems, turquoise, Iran, Persia, Persian turquoise, Nishapur

An account of James Baillie Fraser’s travels through the Persian provinces bordering the southern Caspian Sea, describing the geography, peoples, settlements, political conditions, commerce, and natural resources encountered along his route. The cited pages (pp. 343–347) are of particular gemological interest for Fraser’s discussion of turquoise and its trade, including observations on the stones, their sources, qualities, valuation, and commercial importance. The work provides useful firsthand evidence for the early nineteenth-century Persian gemstone trade and complements Fraser’s more detailed account of the celebrated turquoise mines of Khorasan.

corundum, inclusions.5, gems

An important early study by David Brewster of liquid inclusions enclosed within minerals. Brewster describes cavities containing two immiscible fluids with markedly different physical properties and examines their behavior under changes of temperature and pressure. Using microscopic observation and optical methods, he investigated the relative volumes, expansion and contraction of the enclosed fluids and the formation and movement of bubbles within the cavities. The paper is a major early contribution to the study of fluid inclusions and is especially important to gemology and mineralogy because such inclusions later became valuable evidence for mineral growth conditions, geological environment and, in some cases, geographic origin.

gems, Brazil, diamond, topaz, gold

A two-volume geographical, historical and topographical account of Brazil and Buenos Aires compiled by Josiah Conder as part of his extensive Modern Traveller series. Drawing on the published narratives of earlier travelers and explorers rather than on Conder’s own travels, the work describes the geography, cities, inhabitants, government, commerce and natural productions of Brazil and the Río de la Plata region. Of particular interest to mineralogical and gemological research are its notices of the mining districts and mineral wealth of Brazil, reflecting contemporary European knowledge of the country’s gold, diamonds and other valuable natural resources. The work provides a useful synthesis of early nineteenth-century travel literature on South America.

gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio, shell, ancient gems, Rome, Greece, ancient jewelry, rings

A catalogue by Jean-Marie Dumersan of the antiquities, medals and engraved gems exhibited in the Cabinet des Médailles of the Bibliothèque du Roi in Paris. The work describes objects from the royal collection, including ancient coins, sculptures, antiquities, cameos and intaglios, and is illustrated with 42 plates. Of particular gemological and art-historical interest are the engraved stones, which are discussed as works of glyptic art and as evidence for classical iconography and antiquity. The volume is an important early nineteenth-century guide to one of Europe’s major collections of ancient engraved gems and documents the state of the French royal collection before its later reorganization as part of the Bibliothèque nationale.