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. XVII. Of the Topaze, or rather of the true Chry∣solite, and of the Chryselectrum and Melichrysus.

IN former times that hath been vulgarly and commonly called a Chrysolite, which truly is a To∣paze, and that a Topaze, which is indeed a Chrysolite, as appeareth by Cardanus his book which he hath writ de Lapidibus Pretiosis.

[Description of the stone.] The true Chrysolite is a gemm translucide, perspi∣cuous or transparent, with an excellent aureus or golden splendour, or as I may so say, with a plea∣sing sun-shine splendour: Boetius saith, that a wa∣ter coloured with Rhubarb or with Saffron doth make a representation of the tincture of a Chry∣solite.

Of its foyl or tincture.

This being a transparent gemm doth without all question admit of a foyl, such as may be a gold foyl, or some other tinctured accordingly.

Of its adulteration.

The Chrysolites for the elegancy of their aureus colour are divers wayes adulterated; the best of such sophistications, is in this following manner. R. of powder of Crystall, or of glasse lb. put two drachmes of Crocus Martis to it, and a little Mini∣um:

this must be put to it as it is molten upon the fire, or in the furnace. Baptista Porta in his Magia saith, that the Minium must first be put in, and after that the Crocus.

Or put to calcined Crystall thrice so much Mini∣um, and let it stand for one whole day in a furnace, and it will be a Chrysolite.

Or R. aes ustum finely powdered, and Minium and Crystall finely powdered, and four times so much burnt Tinn; put it into a strong calcining pot and set it into a fornace for a day; this powder is easily melted; therefore the fire must not be very vehement, and it must be kept alwayes at the same stay.

Of its Names.

In Greek it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, quasi aureus la∣pis; and from hence also in Latine it is called Chry∣solithus, from the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, quia est lapis qui aureo colore translucet, that is, because it hath with it a Golden translucency, saith Martinus Rulandus. Solinus cap. 33. calleth it Chrysolampon. In English it is called the Chrysolite.

The kinds of it.

There are three kinds of Chrysolites.

The first, which is the true Chrysolite, is a very hard glorious sun-shine gemm; which Albertus Magnus saith doth discover the greatest of its beau∣ty in the mornings, and at other times of the day is lesse beautifull then then.

The other two kinds of this gemm are lesse glo∣rious then the former; the one of these kinds is called Chryselectrum; the other Melichrysus: both these names import something of a golden colour, but these stones are lesse glorious and softer then the former.

Of the places.

There are Orientall Chrysolites, and Occidentall Chrysolites; the best of the Orientall ones are found in Aethiopia: these are like unto most pure gold with an excellent splendour; they are the hardest of all other jewels but the Diamond. There are also Chrysolites found in Arabia, but these sometimes have too much yellownesse, and sometimes too little, sometimes they have various colours, and sometimes they are clouded; but these fall much short of the glory of an excellent Chrysolite, whose sun-shine beauty will easily make it known from all the soft troubled clouded kinds thereof. There are also Eu∣ropean Chrysolites, which are frequently found in Bo∣hemia, of as great glory and excellency as the Ori∣entall ones, and they differ onely in this, in that these are somewhat softer then the Orientall ones. There are very excellent ones found in India, and Bactria, and those in very great weight but soft, sometimes of the weight of twelve pound. Ansel∣mus Boetius saith that he saw a Bohemian Chrysolite that was given to Rodolphus the second, Emperour of Rome, that was two ells long, and half an ell broad.

Of its nature, properties and qualities.

It is of the nature of the Solaris, or Sun-stone. Cardanus in his book of admirable cures, doth re∣late wonders concerning the vertues of the Chryso∣lite; he saith that with the alone powder of it drunk in wine, he cured Cesar Palavicinus of a fever that he had been troubled withall fifteen dayes, and another Noble-man of Melancholy, and of the falling sick∣nesse with the same remedy, after that he had long in vain been tormented with the somniferous lotions of Physicians. The powder of it, is said to be good in Asthmatick passions, and in the orthopnoea if it be drunk in a convenient liquour. If in fevers it be held under the tongue it is said to quench thirst.

It is cold and dry as all other pretious stones are.

Of its value and dignity.

It is of esteem, not onely for its sun-shine glory; but for that also it hath been of sacred use. This is one of those stones by which the glory of the sea∣venth foundation of the wall of the New-Jerusalem is discovered to us, as Revel. 21.20.

It is for its gratefull aspect of very great esteem. It is so perfectly hard, as that by the heat of fire it may be made diaphanous and void of all colour, and thus like the best Saphire, changed into an admirable Diamond; in so much as it being thus dealt withall, no other stone whatever can better resemble an Ori∣entall Diamond then it will.

A Chrysolite of the weight of eight grains is

worth four crowns; one of these excellent ones of twelve grains weight is worth nine crowns; and one of these glorious ones of the weight of two scruples is worth one hundred crowns.

Anselmus Boetius saith, that he saw one of these that weighed scarce two scruples, and it was sold for two hundred crowns. The colour of which (he saith) being separated from it, it was so exactly set in a ring, that a skilfull jeweller could not know it from a true Diamond.

It is whitened after the same manner that the Sa∣phires are; of which hath been before spoken.

Ovid. lib. 2. Metamorph. doth very splendidly feigne a chariot of the Sunne made of a Chrysolite, in that he saith,

Aureus axis erat, temo aureus, aurea summae Curvatura rotae, radiorum argenteus ordo: Per juga Chrysolithi, positaéque ex ordine gemmae Clara repercusso reddebant lumina Phoebo.