"قبرص." [و‎‎٦‎٤] (١٨٤/١٢٧)

6E0L0GY AND MINERALOGY.
ORNAMENTAL STONES USED IN JEWELLERY.
Kock-crystal is very common amongst the porphyritic rocks of Rock-crystal,
the mountains of Cyprus, and is particularly plentiful where these
rocks have passed into the wacke condition. Pliny makes men
tion of the amethysts of Cyprus. Gaudry says that he could not
find any amethystine quartz in the island, but crystals abounding
amongst the ores of iron and manganese are frequently tinged
with these substances and have the appearance of amethysts.
The jasper of Cyprus is of remarkable beauty, and may be Jasper,
found in sufficient quantity to repay the labour and expense of
working. Theophrastes, Pliny, Etienne de Lusignan, Mariti, and
Sonnini have all testified to its merits. The colours are generally
green, yellow, purple, red, or black, but it is also sometimes found
in bands of well defined and various colours. The best specimens
are to be found at Platanisso, Hagios Andronicos, Mavro-vouni,
Visatchia, Acoutzo, and Moni.
Pliny mentions the existence of agate in Cyprus. On the Agate,
northern slope of Olympus, near Hai Herakliti, the green and red
jaspers are somewhat translucent, and Gaudry thinks it not impos
sible that fine agates and bloodstones might be found in this
locality. White chalcedony abounds on the southern slope of this
mountain range at Pentacomo and Moni, in the white siliceous
marls of the miocene age.
According to Pliny, varieties of the opal, which he calls paideros Opal,
and sangenon were found in Cyprus, but Gaudry was unable to
discover any true opals in the island.
The substance which ancient writers have called the “ diamond Analcime.
of Cyprus ” is probably analcime, a silicate of alumina; this sup
position is to a certain extent borne out by the fact that in the
localities where the presence of the “ diamonds ” is indicated, large
quantities of very fine analcime crystals have been found. In the
caverns near Baffo, crystals of this substance are found in large
numbers and of great beauty.
Several ancient authors have mentioned the emeralds of Cyprus. Emeralds.
Theophrastes says they are found in the copper mines. Pliny
speaks of the green colour of the Cyprian emeralds being often
unequally distributed in the same stones. Porcacchi da Castiglione,
Etienne de Lusignan, Le Pieux Pelerin, and Sonnini all allude to
the emeralds found in the island, but probably only on the authority
of the above-named writers.
Gaudry does not credit their assertions, but thinks that the
name of emerald has been given to some copper mineral, or perhaps
to quartz-prase, which has a green tint.
Morion is a black quartz. Pliny mentions a substance which he Morion,
calls morion, as existing in Cyprus, but says it resembles the colour
of sardonyx. Gaudry did not discover any true morion, but,
amongst the minerals that he found, that which most accords with
Pliny’s description, was an opaque flesh-coloured hydrolite.