The Science of Gems, Jewels, Coins, and Medals: Ancient and Modern (Classic Reprint)

A TREA'fISE on Gems naturally embraces the preoious stones, or jewels; for although the word' gem' has been for ages oonventionally applied to stones with some subject or device engraved upon them,-such as the ring-stones alluded to by Mrecenas, one of the first connoisseur gem-collectors on record, in his epistle to Horace, *-the Romans had no name for jewel but gemma;t nor for jeweller, except gemmw·ius. Tho Romans of the present day, however, apply the word gioia to jewel, as in the pretty Italian ballad, where it is used figuratively: " Benede.tt a sia la madre. chi te fece cosi bella; ... ... ... ... Tn sei la gioia mia,"! &c. ; '* " I.ucentes, mea vita, nee smaragdos, Berillos mibi, Flacce, nee nitentes, Nec percandida margarita qurero. Nee quos Tbynica lima perpolivit AnelIos, neque jaspios lapillos,"- that is, "seal-rings and jasper pebbles, polished by the Thynian file," besides the jewels which he has previously enumerated. t "Non gemmis, neque p

Table of Contents

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS; No Facill!! page 40; 1 Elgin Metope; 2 Elgin }