The former was described as rarer and more precious, displaying a rainbow blue, while the latter apparently included stones of a darker hue (Brown, 1956). Early Sanskrit texts dealt with ratnapariksa ('investigation of gems,' or 'gemology'), and divided blue sapphire ( 'nilamani') into two varieties, indranila and mahanila. In the former class was placed diamond, pearl, ruby, sapphire and emerald. India's ancient jewelers divided gems into two main groups: Maharatnani ('great gems') and Uparatnani ('secondary gems'). Since the earliest times, ruby and sapphire in India have ranked among the Maharatnani ('great gems'). In fact, the term corundum is derived from the Sanskrit word kurand (see page 29). No land save Sri Lanka has venerated the corundum gems longer than India. India's rulers were also the world's greatest gem collectors, amassing riches of incalculable value. Indians not only sold their mineral treasures to Rome, but were leaders in developing the technologies that allowed such deposits to be exploited. To the ancient Romans, the East, specifically India, was the repository of all wealth. Beryls, pearls, carnelians and Golconda's storied diamonds were but a few of the precious substances which for millennia drew visitors to the subcontinent. India has long been synonymous with gemstones. If you like what you see, order a copy of the revised 2017 edition direct from the publisher. Ruby & Sapphire from India Note: The following is only one of forty-five studies of world sources found in Chapter 12 of Richard Hughes' 1997 book, Ruby & Sapphire.This is the chapter on ruby and sapphire from India (including Kashmir sapphire) from Richard Hughes' 1997 book, Ruby & Sapphire.
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