SC - Gemstones

[Jenne Heise]

> 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.)
 
> >I would suspect that for our purposes, if the synthetic process resembles
> >the process by which the gem is created in nature, it is probably a
> >reasonable substitute: cultured pearls for pearls, etc. Since we aren't
> >practicing the same kind of symbolic magick based on value the original
> >users did, having the same chemical make-up ought to be enough. 
> I was assuming, in my responses, the point of view of someone who 
> took the recipe seriously, hence regarded the relevant medical 
> beliefs as a science he didn't understand very well rather than (as I 
> actually regard them) superstition that can be ignored for practical 
> purposes.
> Once you abandon that assumption, why do you care about the chemical 
> make-up? Why not use colored glass for everything?

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.)

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

- -- 
Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise	      jenne at tulgey.browser.net
disclaimer: i speak for no-one and no-one speaks for me.
"I do my job. I refuse to be responsible for other people's managerial 
hallucinations." -- Lady Jemina Starker