SC - Gemstones

[david friedman]

At 10:28 AM -0400 10/10/00, Jenne Heise wrote:
>  > I don't think there is any cetera to be et there--in modern usage,
>>  any gem corundum that isn't red is a sapphire. My point was that
>>  corundum and spinel, being easy to synthesize, are used to provide
>>  imitations of things that are not corundum or spinel--emerald,
>>  amethyst, etc.
>
>*blink* I'm not sure why anyone would bother with synthetic amethysts...
>the real thing is 25 cents a pop at my lapidary. (Note that the recipe
>does not call for a particular cut.)


Junk ruby and sapphire rough are pretty cheap too.

The recipe doesn't even specify that they have to be cut; I have no 
idea whether people in period believed that cutting was necessary to 
bring out the virtues in stones.

>Assuming you care about the assumption, why do you want to use the
>expensive stones you can't afford rather than the period alternatives for
>those who can't afford them? (Yes, there is plenty of documentation of
>the less-expensive alternatives for poor people.)

I'm not sure I follow you. The choice among alternatives was supposed 
to be based on your physician's advice. The "less expensive" version 
would be to use low grade rough instead of valuable gems. Or to 
borrow the gems--after all, boiling isn't going to do them any harm. 
But synthetics aren't "period alternatives."

>However, if you think with your persona's mind, why not use whatever is
>sold to you as 'pearl' or 'ruby'?

Why do you assume my persona is easily defrauded? Fake (and improved) 
gemstones existed in period, and people knew it. See Cellini for 
detailed instructions on how to improve the color of gemstones. And 
(past our period) Casanova for an incident where he insisted on 
having a stone unset so he could examine the back before agreeing to 
buy it (or lend money on it, I forget).

If I end up with colored glass instead of gems, the soup won't cure 
what ails me.
- -- 
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/