A lapidary, or, The history of pretious [sic] stones with cautions for the undeceiving of all those that deal with pretious [sic] stones / by Thomas Nicols ...

CHAP. XI. Of the Opalus.

[Description of the stone.] THe Opalus is a pretious stone which hath in it the bright fiery flame of a Carbuncle, the pure refulgent purple of an Amethyst, and a whole sea of the Emeraulds spring glory, or virescency, and every one of them shining with an incredible mixture, and very much pleasure: so that this cannot easily be counterfeited or adulterated as other jewels may. Boetius saith of it, that it is the fairest and most pleasing of all other jewels, by rea∣son of its various colours. Cardanus saith that he

bought one for 15 crowns,* 1.1 that he took as much pleasure in, as he could do in a Diamond of 500 aureos.

In many of these stones do appear Skie-colour, Purple, Green, Yellow, Red, and sometimes a Black and White or Milkish colour: but we must not think that all these colours are severally in the jewell, for break but the Opalus, and all the variety of colours do perish; by which it doth appear that the variety of colours in the Opalus, ariseth from the reflection of one or more colours; as some∣times is seen in the Rain-bow, and may be experi∣enced in a triangular Crystall, where the alone re∣flection of the light upon the angles, or corners of the Crystall, do in the Crystall produce various co∣lours, which otherwise is diaphanous, perfectly transparent, clear, and without colour.

Of its foyl or tincture.

Though the gemm be a transparent gemm, yet there can be no foyl for the setting of it off, for the variety of colours in the foyl, would cause a confu∣sion in the various colours of the Opalus.

Of its adulteration.

Though a foyl can hardly be usefull in the setting off of the true jewell; yet by other stones it cannot be counterfeited, imitated, or adulterated, but by the help of a foyl; Impostours can adulterate it with a double glasse tinctured, or coloured, or with a con∣venient tinctured foyl betwixt them, or with two

Crystals, or other diaphanous stones joyned together with a convenient foyl.

Baptista Porta saith, that if the Calx of tinne be cast into molten Crystall glasse, it will cloud it, and colour it like an Opalus. Quercitanus saith, that the spirit of Nitrum will colour a glasse alembick with variety of colours, like unto an Opalus; as ap∣peareth by his book called Priscorum Philosophorum vera medicina.

Of its names.

It is known of jewellers that are most expert, by the name of Opalus. In English it is so called. The Italians call it Girasole and Scambaia.

The kinds of it.

There are four kinds of it, The first kind of it, doth imitate red, green, skie-colour, and purple; and sometimes purple with a yellow colour, and these are the best of all other: These are known by their Carbuncle flame, by their Amethyst splendour, and by their Emerauld viridity, all shining together with an incredible mixture, and by their admirable and wonderfull ponderosity: for this is a gemm that though it be seldome found bigger for magnitude then a bean, and for the most part of lesse bignesse, yet its weight will be incredible, as appeareth by this of Cardanus,* 1.2 who speaketh of one of these stones that was shorter then a bean and not thicker, that weighed duos denarios, that is saith he, almost fifty grains of wheat; the best are hardest, the other are softer: the cause of its wonderfull pro∣prietie,

and of its various delightfull colours, Car∣danus saith is this, because the stone is crisp, and of some pervious parts: by those parts which are not pervious or porous it doth receive the light, and re∣turneth it; and by this means it cometh to passe that it hath a white snowy brightnesse and splendour: con∣trariwise, by a contrary conversion it doth receive the light, but not return it: and hence it is that the stone appeareth dark, obscure, and of a brown co∣lour. Vide Card. lib. de lap.

2. The second kind is black, and doth out of its blacknesse send forth as it were a flame. This is very pleasant, very rare, and very pretious. Boetius saith, that he hath seen of this kind of the bignesse of the greater sort of pease.

The third kind hath various colours, but in a yel∣low body, and they seem to be quiet, lie still, and not to range; and therefore they do not so exactly feed the eyes with the reflexion of their rayes. These three kinds are brought out of Hungaria.

To this last kind there is another with a milkish co∣lour that may be referred, and the Italians do call it Occhio del garto, oculus cati, or the cats eye: and of some it is called Pseudopalus, or the Bastard Opalus.

4. The fourth kind is also called Pseudopalus: it is notably diaphanous like unto fish eyes, and it hath in it a little milkish sky-colour, or somewhat of a yel∣low colour. The Germanes call this Wehse, the Ita∣lians Girasole: some call it Astroites and Asteria, be∣cause it doth include within itself a light, walking like a starre.

The places.

India is the mother of these gemms: they are found also in Cyprus, Egypt, Arabia, Galatia, Thaso, Hunga∣ry, Pontus. The Hungarian ones are found in a soft stone, distinguisht with black, yellow, and brown veins, and the body of the stone is whitish, yellowish, and blackish, and sometimes perspicuous with divers colours. Many of these are so soft that they will not endure polishing, no not upon tinne or lead, but one∣ly upon a soft Tripolitan earth. Boetius 98.

Its vertues.

It is reported of this stone, that it sharpeneth the sight of the possessours of it, and cloudeth the eyes of those that stand about him, so that they can either not see, or not mind what is done before them: for this cause it is asserted to be a safe patron of thieves and thefts; as it is related in Lapidario.

Its value.

[History.] Amongst the Romanes it was in great request: for it is reported of Nonius a Senatour, that he had ra∣ther have been deprived of his countrey and Sena∣tour-ship, then part with an Opalus which he had from Antonius. This Opalus of Nonius was of the bignesse of a filberd, and esteemed at twenty thou∣sand aureos. Boetius saith, he saw one of the big∣nesse of a walnut, perspicuous, with various colours, and milkish, which was valued at 200 crowns. Their

price and esteem is not great in these dayes: for one of foure grains weight of the first and best kind, is scarce worth three crowns: the other have their value according to their bignesse and beauty.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cardan. de Subt. l. 7.
• * 1.2

  Card. de sub∣til. l. 7. pag. 349.