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 and ome others have done, that our Sapphire was unknown to them: it was unquetionably of the Number of their tranparent Gems, though not, ditinguihed by a particular generical Name. De Laet imagines it was one of the many Kinds they reckoned of the Amethyt or Hyacinth; but I think it appears much more probably to have been the Gem they called the Beryllus Aëroides; as they did, for the ame Reaon, their blue Japer. Pliny decribes the Beryll in general to be (except in Colour) of the Nature of the Emerald, and ays it was brought from the Indies. Their Beryll was what we now call the Aqua Marina, a beautiful tranparent Gem of a bluih green; and there is abolutely no Stone which our Sapphire more: nearly reembles than this; and to which, if it were not allowed a particular generical Name of its own, it could more properly be referred: nor could there; I think, be otherwie conceived a better Name for it than uch a one as would expres, as this did, a tranparent Stone of a ky blue, and (except in Colour) of the Nature of the Emerald.

Our Sapphire is a very elegant, tranparent in mot Species of a beautiful blue, and aching to the Ruby in Hardnes. It owes its Colour to Particles of Copper diolved in ome Menftruum of an alkaline, Nature and, as more or les of this cupreous Matter has entered its original Compoition, is of a deeper or paler blue, and in the entire Abence of it, perfectly colourles, and refembling a Diamond.

We have now among the Jewellers, four Species of this Gem: 1. The blue Oriental Sapphire. 2. The white Sapphire. 3. The Water Sapphire. 4. The Milk Sapphire; and beide thee there is a fifth, of a batard Kind, having a Tinge of green, the Sapphirus Subaviridis of Wallerius.

The firt, or, fine blue Oriental Sapphires, are greatly uperior to the Occidental, and are called, in regard to their deeper or paler Colour, Male and Female. We have them from the Iland of Ceylon, and from Pegu, Binagar, Conanor, Calecut, and ome other Parts of the Eat Indies.

The econd is brought principally from the ame Places, and is a true Sapphire, though wholly colourles, being of the ame Hardnes with the former, and equalling it in Splendor and Tranparency.

The third is the Occidental Sapphire; thee we have principally from Sileia and Bohemia. They are of different degrees of blue, but never are o well coloured as the Oriental, or nearly o hard; their conftituent Matter coming nearer the Texture of common Crytal than the gemmeous Subtance of the true Sapphire.

The fourth, or Milk Sapphire, is the oftet and leat valuable of all; this is the Leuco-Sapphirus of Authors; it is brought from Sileia,