Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/179

 very different from the Male Cyanus; as alo the The Praius is the Stone known by our Jewellers under the Name of the Root of the Emerald; and before mentioned in the Notes on that Gem.

It is a Gem of the lower Clas, of an impure green, in which there is commonly ome Tinge of yellow. The Antients ditinguihed it into three Kinds; the one of a plain yellowih green, the others variegated with white, and with red. We often ee it now coloured from the other Gems or coloured Stones on which it is produced, but make no Ditinctions from thoe Accidents.

We have, however, as the Antients had, three Kinds of it ditinguihed by Colour, though none of them variegated; they are, the deep green, the yellowih green, and the whitih yellow; the lat has very little green in it, and more properly belongs to the Lapis Nephriticus Clas, as being but emi-pellucid.

It is found in the Eat and Wet Indies, and in Germany, Sileia, Bohemia, and England; but is little valued any where.

Woodward errs in thinking our Jewellers call this the Smaragdo-Praus: that and the Chryopraus are both, indeed, called Species of it, but are much uperior to it in Beauty and Value. The Chryopraus is a Stone of greater Lutre and Hardnes than the Praius, and is in Colour of an equal Mixture of green and yellow. And the Smaragdo-Praus, a beautiful Gem, of a gras green, with the lightet Cat imaginable of yellow.

The Ditinctions between the Emerald, Praus, Chryopraus, and Smaragdo-Praus, are, indeed, very nice, but they are very jut. The Antients, we find, were well acquainted with them; and ome of our Lapidaries are very clear in them at this Time. As the Hitory of Gems is at bet a thing too full of Confuion and Uncertainty, we ought, of all things, to avoid adding to it, by loing more of the old Ditinctions. Praius, which is of an æruginous Colour.

LXVI. And the Hæmatites, or