When were gemstones discovered? Lesson summary on the topic: Presentation When gems were discovered A brief history of diamonds

Each people, in each country, due to the established traditions and rituals, living conditions, developed their own priorities for the use of one or another natural stone. So, for Chinese culture, jade had and still has an exceptional role and importance, for the Japanese - pearls. The ancient Egyptians had particular preference for lapis lazuli, emerald, malachite, carnelian and alabaster.

And much, of course, depended on the geological and geographical conditions of the habitat. On the territory of the European part of Russia, the country's geological conditions differed sharply from the conditions of Western Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, which somewhat hindered the development of a culture of using colored stone. Academician A.E. Fersman wrote that “... there was little good stone material in our country, in contrast to the West, where the culture of stone arose around its beautiful and numerous deposits ... And although in the West the age of polished stone replaced the Paleolithic, in Russia rough-hewn flints were still used for a very long time–rough products of the old Paleolithic type.

Yes, and the "range" of stone material in Russia grew rather slowly. Quartzite, quartz, chalcedony, flint and jasper- these are, perhaps, all the minerals, although in Western Europe at least 20 minerals and about 10 types of rocks were used already in the Paleolithic, and in the Neolithic they total number reached forty. A. E. Fersman noted that “... at a time when scientific natural science was already emerging in the Mediterranean regions in the works of Theophrastus, Aristotle and Pliny - in our country, slowly and in difficult ways, in the fight against difficult natural conditions, for thousands of years the culture of stone has developed: flint and quartzite in Russia, obsidian in Armenia, jade and serpentine in Siberia, pyrophyllite in Ukraine - everywhere in combination with the advancing and victorious culture of copper and bronze ... ".

True, it should be noted the unique gold products of various cultures, for example, the Sintashta-Arkaim culture in the Urals and Trans-Urals, Scythian gold jewelry, gold foil products of the Pazyryk culture on the Ukok plateau in Altai, etc.

And the culture of processing precious and ornamental stones in Russia has a long history. In Slavic burials, there are necklaces and earrings made of carnelian, rock crystal, coral and amber, and the products of the masters of pre-Mongol Russia (X-XIII centuries) contain local and imported (Byzantium, Central Asia, China) gems in the form of polished cabochons of irregular shape.

In Ancient Russia, master jewelers developed a unique color of jewelry that perfectly combined colored stones and pearls with cloisonné enamels and filigree (the Old Ryazan treasure of the 12th - early 13th centuries).

But in Russia until the 17th century, only pearls were mined, which are rich in northern rivers, amber from the Baltic Sea, and amethyst from the Kola Peninsula), the rest of the gems were brought from India and Asia.

But society and fashion do not stand still, and humanity at all times strives for change and perfection. One social system is replaced by another, science and technology are developing at a rapid pace, underground storerooms reveal their secrets, and new deposits of precious and ornamental stones inscribe their pages in the history of arts and crafts and jewelry.

The Russian gem gained world fame with the discovery of the Ural deposits in the 17th-18th centuries, in 1635 malachite was found in the Ural Mountains, and then, in 1668, amethyst, beryl, rock crystal and topaz. The Malyshevskoye emerald deposit in the Urals was discovered in 1831-1839.

In the Urals, malachite was mined primarily - from 1728 to 1871, the Gumeshevskoye deposit, 50 km southwest of Yekaterburg, and Vysokogorskoye, near Nizhny Tagil, functioned. They also mined the famous landscape jasper (Malomuynakovskoye, discovered in the 18th century, Kalkanskoye and other deposits), rhodonite (Malosidelnikovskoye and Kurganovskoye deposits), lapis lazuli and serpentine, and later discovered deposits of tourmaline, beryl, alexandrite, aquamarine, demantoid, selenite and amethyst.

The history of Russian mineralogy included the Gumeshki deposit, where malachite and chrysocolla were mined; Kolyvan, where rich deposits of jasper and porphyry are still located; in the 30s. XIX century, emerald mines were discovered there , alas, today they are exhausted, as well as most of the malachite and topaz mines. It should be noted that from the end of the 17th century to the middle of the 18th century, malachite was generally used as a raw material for copper smelting (the Demidov mines).

In the same place, in the Urals, at the end of the 30s of the XIX century, a rare and unique green gem was discovered, variety of chrysoberyl - alexandrite. This green mineral has the ability to change its color depending on the light source: in daylight it is green, and the flame of a candle or electric light bulb turns it red. The combination of such an unusual quality with the rarity in nature of its transparent, pure crystals "puts it on the same level" with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

The Urals has always been famous for its deposits of precious and ornamental stones, for example, larch, first described by G. Rose at the Berezovsky gold deposit, amazonite from the mines of Ilmen-Tau, have been known since 1774.

A deposit was discovered on the Kola Peninsula in the Keivy Mountains in the 20-30s of the 20th century. amazonite(Sail Mountain, Flat Mountain), iridescent feldspars - near the city of Belomorsk, the Slyudyanoy Bor deposit with a unique belomorite, aventurine feldspar (aventurine) is also known in the Irkutsk region, in the Slyudyanka region, and moon rock- on Aldan and also on the Kola Peninsula - Lovozero.

In Eastern Siberia, on the banks of the rivers, alluvial deposits were used in Neolithic times. agate, carnelian, chalcedony and jasper. Deposits were discovered in Eastern Transbaikalia and Transcaucasia in the 19th century chalcedony and agate, in the Eastern Sayan, in the 50s of the twentieth century - jade. Since the 18th century, lapis lazuli has been known in the Southern Baikal region, though not of the same quality as Pamir, but nevertheless often of the highest quality.

In the middle of the 19th century, Altayev began to develop a deposit of the famous greenish Revnevskaya jasper, from which the Tsar vase and columns in the throne room of the Hermitage were made.

In Russia, the world's only industrial deposit of bright green chromium diopside ("Siberian emerald")- Inagli on Aldan, and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory - the Kugdinskoye field chrysolite, one of the most famous and widely used green stones in jewelry. In the 1950s, a unique deposit was discovered in Yakutia charoite, stone of various shades of lilac color.

No less famous are the blue and colors of sea water. aquamarines Eastern Siberia, smoky quartz(rauch-topaz) and morion from the deposits of the Polar Urals, the world's largest deposits amber located in the Kaliningrad region.

emerald green demantoid garnet, due to its color and high dispersion, which provides a good "play" of the cut stone, as well as the rarity of being found in nature, is currently one of the most expensive of the jewelry garnets. For the first time this mineral was found in the Urals in 1868 during the development of gold-platinum placers along the Bobrovka River near Nizhny Tagil near the village of Elizavetinskoye by the famous traveler and collector N. Nordenskiöld. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, another demantoid deposit, Poldnevskoye, discovered in 1874 by A.V. Kalugin, 80 km southeast of Yekaterinburg, gained worldwide fame.

The “second discovery” of demantoid occurred in the early 1990s, when the promising Karkodinskoye demantoid deposit in the Chelyabinsk region, near the city of Verkhny Ufaley, was added to the previously known and largely depleted Bobrovsky and Poldnevsky deposits.

The first mention of the find jade in Russia, they date back to 1946, when the geologist Dzevanovsky found a huge boulder of pistachio-colored jade on Kalar. And only more than 40 years later, in 1985, the Kalar deposit of light-colored high-quality jade was discovered.

First diamond on the territory of Russia was found on July 4, 1829 in the Urals in the Adolfovsky log of the Krostovozdvizhensky gold mines, located near the Bisertsky plant in the Perm province. The owner of the mine, Count Polye, wrote a description of this event: “... The diamond was found by a 14-year-old serf boy from the village, Pavel Popov, who, meaning a reward for the discovery of curious stones, wished to bring his find to the caretaker ...”. For a half-carat diamond, Pavel got his freedom. A strict order was given to all mine workers to search hard for "transparent pebbles". Soon, in the safe where the panned gold and the first diamond were stored, there were two more sparkling crystals - the first Russian diamonds. At the same time, the famous German geographer and naturalist Alexander Humboldt was passing through the Urals. The manager of the mine asked Humboldt to deliver an elegant malachite box to St. Petersburg and hand it over to the Tsar's wife. It contained one of the first three diamonds of Russia.

Over the first 50 years, about 100 diamonds were found, the largest of which weighed less than 2 carats. In total, until 1917, no more than 250 diamonds were found in various regions of the Urals during the washing of gold-bearing sands, but almost all of them were rare in beauty and transparency - real gem diamonds. The largest weighed 25 carats.

In 1937, large-scale searches began on the Western slope of the Middle Urals, and as a result, diamond placers were discovered in vast areas. However, the placers turned out to be poor in diamond content and with small reserves of precious stone. Primary diamond deposits in the Urals have not yet been discovered.

The first diamond in Siberia was found near the city of Yeniseisk in November 1897 on the Melnichnaya River. The size of the diamond was 2/3 carats. Due to the small size of the discovered diamond, and the lack of funding, diamond exploration was not carried out. The next diamond was discovered in Siberia in 1948.

The search for diamonds in Russia was carried out for almost a century and a half, and only in the mid-50s were the richest primary diamond deposits discovered in Yakutia. On August 21, 1954, geologist Larisa Popugaeva discovered the first kimberlite pipe outside of South Africa. Its name was symbolic - "Zarnitsa". The Mir pipe was next, which was also symbolic after the Great Patriotic War. The "Successful" pipe was opened. Such discoveries served as the beginning of industrial diamond mining in the USSR. At the moment, most of the diamonds mined in Russia are located in Yakutia, in addition, a large diamond deposit was found on the territory of the Krasnovishersky district of the Perm Territory and in the Arkhangelsk region - the Lomonosov deposit.

Russia also has the largest natural reserves in the world. amber high quality (Kaliningrad region). In 2009, more than 200 tons of amber were mined here. Jadeite is also unique - in 2009, 67 tons of it were mined, including the rarest jewelry jadeite - "imperial"

Huge variety of designs and colors marbles was discovered and mined (and is still being mined in some places) in Russia, in Karelia, in the Urals, in Eastern and Western Siberia and in the former regions and republics of the USSR (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine).

In Ukraine, in the Crimea, south of Simferopol, the Beshuiskoye deposit is located jet, known jet and in Georgia - Dzirovanskoe, Tkibulskoe and Gelati deposits. Deposits are unique in Ukraine beryl and labradorite (Blue Stone, Guta Dobrynskaya).

In Central Asia, mainly in Uzbekistan, deposits of ore occurrence are known turquoise, which were mined in ancient times (even Pliny in the first century AD noted, “... that the Kyzyl Kum is one of the five places known to me where turquoise was mined ...”) and lapis lazuli- Lyadzhvardinskoe field in the Pamirs. Unique Karlyuk deposit marble onyx in Turkmenistan, opened in the 70s of the twentieth century. Marble onyx has been developed in Armenia since the 18th century (Agamzali deposit)

In the Caucasus and Transcaucasia - deposits Armenian pink volcanic tuff and obsidian(Gyadis and Gyumush-Jraber), about 100 deposits agates are known on the territory of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan (Shurda, Pamach, Ijevan, Ajikent, etc.), they have been actively developed since the 30s of the twentieth century.

According to experts, Russia is no less rich in colored stones than India and Africa, and the range of currently mined stones includes dozens of types of gems from the most expensive (diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald) to inexpensive ornamental and facing.

Despite the fact that over the past 20 years not a single new deposit of gems and ornamental stones has been discovered in Russia, and most often old deposits and even dumps of the 17th-19th centuries are being developed, Russia is still famous for its deposits of precious and ornamental stones. Remarkable deposits of colored jaspers in the Urals and Altai provide the best materials in the world in terms of the beauty of the stone and the size of the blocks for large works of art.

Unfortunately, the deposits of the once famous Siberian amethysts and Ural emeralds, malachite are almost completely developed, and the quality of Russian opal is considered low due to weak opalescence, like the lapis lazuli deposits (Slyudyanka).

However, there are currently about 132 deposits of colored gemstones of 27 types in Russia. The most unique are superb quality demantoids, including bright green, high quality charoite, pink and polychrome tourmalines, gem chromium diopside (but stocks are low and pure crystals are rare).

Kazdym Alexey Arkadievich,
candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences,
member of the Moscow Society of Naturalists

No one understands when precious stones were first discovered, but man has been captured by them since ancient times. For thousands of years, values ​​​​were worn in order to protect themselves from spirits and diseases. Even today, some people believe in the special power of stones.

The first mention of precious stones we find in the Bible. Section 28 of the Old Testament book speaks of a body plate worn by a high church official, Aaron. The plate was decorated with 12 precious stones.

The ancient Egyptians used gems in ornaments and ornaments. They were skilled in the art of working gemstones, and their designs on mantelpieces remain to this day. The Egyptians wore amulets known as scarabs. These were precious stones cut in the shape of the sacred Egyptian beetle. It was believed that the one who wears scarabs is protected by good spirits. In ancient times, different valuable stones differed in color. The name "ruby" was given to all valuable pebbles of a red hue. All green stones were called emeralds, and blue stones were called sapphires.

Later it turned out that some gemstones were harder and more durable than others. It became natural that the value of a stone depends not only on color, brightness, rarity, but also on its hardness. For example, a diamond is considered today the most expensive, because in fact, in addition to its splendor, it also contains the greatest hardness of the environments of all stones.

Many stones are called precious. But in reality this name refers only to four more valuable stones - diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire.

Even prehistoric man used precious stones for decoration, and there is probably not a single era in the history of mankind when people would not find charm in the multi-color splendor of minerals.

Gemstones vary in degree of hardness. Only diamond, which the Greeks called invincible, "adamas", has the highest hardness of 10 units.
Stones with a hardness of 9 to 7 were previously defined as genuine gems, which, with decreasing hardness, become semi-precious or simply decorative. Until now, there is no single point of view on this matter, because the evaluation criterion is not only hardness, but also rarity and beauty.

In the scale of hardness developed by Friedrich Mose, diamond appears with a degree of 10 units, followed by ruby ​​and sapphire - 9, cat eye, alexandrite, chrysoberyl, spinel, emerald, aquamarine and noble topaz - 8, amethyst, hyacinth, tourmaline, garnet, citrine, smoky topaz and rose quartz - 7 and other colored or transparent stones pleasing to the eye in a beautiful setting, polished or carved. The measure of a gemstone is a carat.

But they were satisfied not only with the beauty and play of light; at all times, precious stones were also used as a material for small plastic arts - for example, carving in stone (glyptics) was known and popular among all peoples of antiquity. These are intaglio gems (in-depth carvings) and cameos (protruding carvings). Even now it is difficult to find anything equal to the works of the ancient masters.

But along with precious stones, stones of natural origin, such as pearls and amber, were also used.
Pearls are equal in beauty to precious stones. Even, round shape, large pearls are called large or Burmite pearls; especially large pearls are called “parangons”, and angular, large pearls of irregular shape are called “freaks” - because of their fantastic shape, they were used in products of applied art, for example, as fragments of a human or animal body.
The smallest pearls were used for decoration women's clothing, and in baroque times, a robe embroidered with pearls or threads in several rows was a necessary accessory for a high society woman's toilet.

Amber has been used as a decorative material since ancient times - amber finds in Mycenaean tombs, which date back to about 2000 BC, testify to this, and in the north, amber jewelry was worn by people of the Stone Age.
They mined the “gold of the sea”, collecting it on the seashore; later caught with nets and spears. It happened like this: sitting in a boat, on clear days, they turned the seabed with a long hook and the current of water picked up amber, which was then caught with nets. Amber jewelry has always been valued and attributed to them with healing properties.

In Russia, precious stones were not only a symbol of beauty, but with their help, symbols of supreme power were given even greater significance. In the 14th-16th centuries, the symbols of the supreme (royal) power - the scepter, the crown, the orb, the royal baton were decorated with numerous stones.
The brightest example of such art is the Monomakh's Cap. Its top is richly covered with precious stones: emeralds, sapphires, rubies, tourmalines and pearls. "The Cap of Monomakh", as a symbol of the highest state power in Russia, was crowned to the kingdom of all Moscow grand dukes.

Huge wealth was collected in the Kremlin by Ivan IV (the Terrible). Products with turquoise, corals, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other precious stones replenished the royal pantries under him.
Made in 1552 in honor of the capture of Kazan by the troops of Ivan the Terrible, the "Cap of the Kingdom of Kazan" is an example of a successful combination of oriental and Russian art: a carved ornament with kokoshniks in the Russian style is made on the golden crown, and it is trimmed with pearls, garnets and turquoise - stones, which the jewelers of the East liked to use.

Research of our days has shown that in products with precious stones made before the 17th century, stones were used that were brought from abroad. Academician A.E. Fersman wrote that during that period of Russian history, the extraction of Russian gems and Russian stone for jewelry not done yet. A.E. Fersman believed that in the XIII-XVI centuries Russia received colored stones from Byzantium and from the East.

The extraction of Russian gems began around the middle of the 17th century. At that time, malachite was discovered in the Urals, and at the end of the 17th century, deposits of agates, chalcedony, jasper and carnelian were discovered along the rivers of Eastern Siberia.

Under Peter I, the development of the "black business" received a powerful impetus, since the tsar personally supervised the search for and extraction of precious stones. During his reign, deposits of rock crystal, amethysts, beryls and other gems were discovered. Ural gems have become widely known.
In the 20s - 50s of the last century, deposits of emeralds, topazes, rubies, chrysolites, diamonds and other precious stones were discovered in Russia.

The art of stone processing in Russia in the 19th century reached a very high level. During the construction of the world-famous palaces of St. Petersburg (Winter, Stroganov, Marble, Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Pavlovsk), as well as cathedrals (St. malachite, lapis lazuli, rhodonite, etc.).
Wonderful vases, tabletops, candlesticks, writing instruments and other products were made from Ural malachite, which were in high demand both in Russia and in the West.
At the 1st World Exhibition in London in 1851, the Russian exposition of jewelry and jewels was a well-deserved success. Many Russian products and stones received prizes.

Among jewelry firms In Russia in the second half of the 19th century, a company emerged, founded in 1848 in St. Petersburg by Carl Faberge, large jewelry workshops of that time (Reimer, Holstrem and Collin) worked, the products of which were distinguished by a clear pattern with relief details. Jade, jasper, rock crystal, lapis lazuli and various quartz were used in Faberge products. Many products were made by the Faberge workshops on orders from members of the royal family.
At the World Exhibition in Paris, Russian art stone products were a great success. The Faberge firm after this exhibition opened its branch to serve the countries of the West and the East.

At the end of the 19th century, the synthesis of precious stones of the corundum group was carried out, and since 1902, synthetic rubies began to be supplied to the market, and a little later - sapphires and spinel. This gave a new impetus to the development of the production of products from jewelry stones. But the appearance in in large numbers on the market of synthetic stones has not reduced, but significantly increased the role and value of natural jewelry.
In the 70s - 80s of our century, the cost of gem diamonds almost tripled. Jewelry from precious natural stones are still valued very highly, and in the future their value will only increase.

Human interest in jewelry and adornments is rooted in more than a thousand years of human history. The first jewels were discovered in ancient burials dating back approximately 20,000 years. They were jewelry made of processed shells, necklaces made of bone. At a later time, precious stones were used as symbols of divine and earthly strength and power, talismans that protect against misfortune.

The beauty of gold and precious stones, interest in them stimulated the development of decorative arts. Jadeite carving was common in China as early as 4500 years ago. At the same time, master jewelers from Sumer and Egypt made complex jewelry from lapis lazuli, carnelian, turquoise, amethyst, and garnet. Cameos and other agate jewelry were especially popular in ancient Rome, and also later in the Middle Ages. Masters skillfully used the variety of colors of different layers of stone. An example of their work is the cameo with the image of Emperor Augustus, which in the Middle Ages became part of the diadem.

The history of the development of jewelry art and the closely related culture of precious stones as jewelry has about five millennia. Only very scarce information has been preserved about its earliest stages, as there are archaeological finds dating back to those times. extremely few. The Cairo Museum (Egypt) stores bracelets recovered from the tomb of Pharaoh Djoser (Abydos), who belonged to the 1st dynasty (3200 - 2800 BC). ancient egypt and the Ancient East adjoins the ancient culture of Greece and Rome. This is followed by the medieval culture of the Celts, Franks and Germans, in the development of which several stages are distinguished: the era of the Carolingians, the era of Otto I and the Saxon dynasty, the Romanesque and Gothic eras. The Middle Ages are replaced by the Renaissance, and the pomp of the absolutist era (baroque and rococo eras) is replaced by modern culture of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In Egyptian inlays of the XII-XVII dynasties (2000-1700 AD), red carnelian, blue lapis lazuli (lapis lazuli), turquoise and amazonite, as well as colored glass were used mainly. The tombs of the kings of ancient Ur allow us to judge the art of the goldsmiths of Sumer, which reached its peak in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. e. and clearly based on long tradition processing of lapis lazuli, red limestone and mother-of-pearl. From the Egyptians, the art of inlay was adopted by the Greeks. They decorated their statues with precious stones, covered with plates of gold and ivory, inserted these stones into the eye sockets of the sculptural images of the gods of the ancient pantheon.

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When gems enter into a person's life? This history has not yet been written, and only certain episodes from the works of Herodotus, Theophrastus, Pliny are known.

Moreover, the finds of archaeologists help to lift the veil of centuries. Judging by the excavations in India and Burma, men and women decorated themselves, weapons and household utensils with stones as early as 7500-10000 years ago.

They used chalcedony, agate, jade, which could easily be found in that area.

Gems: names

A description of one of the oldest jewelry (2000 BC) has come down to us - efud, the breastplate of the Hebrew high priests, adorned with twelve precious stones, symbolizing the twelve steps of spiritual ascent. These stones were: carnelian, olivine (peridot), emerald, garnet (possibly almandine), lapis lazuli (from Afghanistan), onyx, amber, agate, amethyst, chrysolite, turquoise, jasper and another stone. Its name is difficult to identify, but historians and mineralogists are inclined to believe that it was most likely jade.

Emeralds became known around 2000 BC. e., diamonds for 1000-500 years BC. e. in India, sapphires and rubies from placers in Ceylon - 600 years BC. e. Scientists believe that the extraction of precious stones is one of the most ancient types of mining, which arose, perhaps immediately after the extraction of alluvial gold. At that time almost everyone gems also mined from placers. A mine found by archaeologists on the Sinai Peninsula, where in 3400 BC. e. turquoise was mined, it is considered the oldest known to us.

At the excavations of Paleolithic sites, many beautiful colored pebbles of chalcedony and flint are often found.

These "collections", according to scientists, most likely were collected by children. In the Neolithic, when the art of stone processing made a big step forward, along with polished stone knives and axes, the first drilled amulet beads appeared. These relics of the thirteenth millennium ago indicate that already at that time a person singled out a stone from the general picture of the world and considered it a useful companion (at about the same time the dog was domesticated).

Further, the chalcedony and agate trail in history runs through the ruins of the great civilizations of Mesopotamia and Mesopotamia: Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria, where palaces and colossal stepped temples - ziggurats, libraries and books themselves - were all erected from clay. In the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, where any stone is of great rarity and value, chalcedony was the embodiment of the earth's firmament.

Numerous Assyro-Babylonian cuneiform texts speak of the properties of stones. In Sumer at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. e. an amazing discovery was made: if you cut a picture not on a plane, but on a small stone cylinder with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm, then the print from it can be rolled out into a strip 3 cm long. Both economically and conveniently. The stone turned out to be the first printed drum in history.

Artistic objects made of azure (Afghan), amazonite, emerald, garnets, amethyst and other precious stones have been found in large quantities in Egypt in Neolithic layers and in graves before the dynastic period. It is well established that in the mountains on the western coast of the Red Sea, emeralds were mined almost 2000 BC. e. These were the so-called Cleopatra's mines, which were also abandoned with her. They were rediscovered by the French explorer Coylu in 1816.

Interesting evidence has been preserved, recorded on papyri, of an expedition sent by Pharaoh Seti to the Sinai Peninsula for turquoise and gold, as well as reports of its chief, the Egyptian Garoeris. The Eberus Papyrus contains detailed descriptions medicines, techniques and methods of treatment with stones and minerals.

AT ancient world stones were treated with great respect and approached their use carefully and thoughtfully. In India, Mesopotamia and other countries, stone decoration of clothing, harness, weapons and household utensils was carried out in strict accordance with the properties of the stones. Masters took into account their features: some stones protected from enemies and gave courage in battle, others strengthened peace and prosperity, others helped in gambling and dubious enterprises, the fourth brought deceit to clean water etc...

It's curious that different nations, completely different lifestyles and religious beliefs, endowed with the same gems similar properties. And in one more surprising unanimity is manifested: both the Egyptian pharaohs, and the corsairs of the 16th century, and the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, and Western European occultists - they all knew that gems they are very demanding of their owner, they throw many temptations on his way and severely, and sometimes cruelly punish a person who has not passed the test.

According to their sweet habit, people again found the culprit on the side, as they say, they went from a sick head to a healthy one. All historical experience confirms the sad truth: man is weak. So weak that the basest properties of his nature - greed, cruelty, deceit, treachery - are activated because of precious stones. A trail of blood trails behind any stone weighing more than 10 carats. The sight of a shining crystal shakes the moral foundations and drives greedy people crazy, there is no crime that they would not dare for the sake of possessing the treasure that fascinated them. But the crystals remember the energy of evil that is happening around them, and react in response, influencing the fate of their owners in their own way.

Wherever deposits of stones were discovered, for the inhabitants of this area this meant the end of the usual way of life, the beginning of adversity and disasters. Treasure seekers who were not burdened with decency filled the district, and the authorities began to show close interest in the newcomers. Often, local residents had to leave their homes and leave in search of more prosperous places.

The discovery or acquisition of a rare gem, as a rule, did not bring joy to a person for a long time.

In 1661, a Burmese named Ngalshuk accidentally found a magnificent ruby ​​weighing about 99 carats. He sawed it in half and sent one half to the king, who named this ruby ​​after Ngamauk. The Burmese decided to sell the second half to China, but by coincidence, it ended up in the hands of the Burmese king. It was not difficult to understand that two rubies were once a single stone, and for deception, Ngamauk, along with his relatives, was burned alive by order of the monarch. The restored ruby ​​"Ngamauk" was distinguished by the intensity of the color and, according to eyewitness accounts, shone through 6 layers of the linen. When the British troops in 1852-1885. colonized Burma, the ruby ​​"Ngamauk" was captured by Colonel Saleidin, but both the colonel and the ruby ​​disappeared without a trace, and no one knows anything about them.

Francisco Pissarro, the conqueror of the Inca Empire, the founder of the city of Lima and the viceroy of Peru, stole a lot of gold and precious stones during his campaigns. According to eyewitnesses, among other things, an emerald of stunning beauty was kept in his treasury. The life of the conquistador ended tragically: Pissarro was killed while dividing the booty, and, judging by the analysis of the remains, he was inflicted with more than a dozen chopping blows. Nothing can be said with certainty, but the heirs did not find the emerald among the jewelry of the deceased relative. And soon some magnificent emerald suddenly pops up in India, and it is clearly different from the "local" stones.

Indian master jewelers cut it in the form of a lily. In the 50s of the XVIII century, the Englishman Robert Clive becomes the owner of this stone under unclear circumstances that cast a shadow on his honor. Dark rumors followed Clive to England, and although Parliament recognized his services to the empire, he never managed to restore his reputation in the eyes of public opinion. At the age of 49, Clive committed suicide. His heirs put the emerald, which has since become known as "Clive", at Sotheby's in April 1978. It was purchased for £250,000 by a buyer who wished to remain anonymous and has since sunk into the water.

A small diamond ring that belonged to the Spanish king Alfonso XII (1857-1885) can be considered one of the most fatal pieces of jewelry. He gave it to his future wife as an intimate souvenir. Princess Mercedes wore it without taking it off, and soon died. The king gave the ring to his grandmother Queen Christina, who also did not hesitate to rest in the bose. Then the ill-fated ring went to Infanta del Pilar, sister of Alfonso XII, and she died a few days later. The ring returned to the king, and he gave it to his late wife's sister. The result was quite predictable: three months later she died. The ring returned back to the king, but he did not own it for long, leaving this sinful world at a young age. There were no more people who wanted to wear this ring, and it was donated to the Blessed Virgin Mary del Almudena, the patroness of Madrid, since it could no longer harm this lady.

Even innocent fun with gems can end badly. For decades, shepherds in the Diamantino region of Brazil have used the shiny stones as playing pieces. The chips caught the eye of Bernandino Lobo, a man versed in precious stones, and in 1727 he brought a bunch of such pebbles, which turned out to be diamonds, to Lisbon. He became rich, and crowds of treasure hunters rushed in his wake. The ignorance of the locals turned out to be a tragedy for them: having learned about new placers, the government drove them out of the valley into the desert, and confiscated their property.

The poor people had to endure a drought and a strong earthquake on September 24, 1746, during which most of them died. Those who remained alive were allowed to return to their original territory only on May 13, 1805. This land turned out to be fabulously rich: either a mule driver, sticking a staff into the ground, found a 9-carat diamond at its end, then a shepherd threw a piece of sandstone at a cow, and when it cracked, he found several diamonds inside. Newcomers caught all the chickens: in their crops they often found gems . At one site, until 1850, diamonds were mined for 15 million florins, for which one hundred thousand slaves engaged in the development of mines gave their lives.

gemstone colors

Of all the crystals, the diamond makes the most stringent demands on the spiritual qualities of its owner and, as a catalyst for tragic events, is undeniably the leader. Since ancient times, it has become a companion of death and bloodshed. His natural activating power, exaggerated by human rumor, has become an absolute guarantee of victory in battles. According to these beliefs, the victory in the war should go to the side that has the larger diamond. The diamond also acted as payment for the spilled blood.

About 600 years ago, a huge yellowish crystal with a volume of 46 cubic centimeters and a weight of about 800 carats was found on the placers of Golconda in Central India, which later became known as the "Great Mogul". The first owner, Burhan Nizim Shah, did not stay long: his powerful neighbor Akbar from the Mughal family seized the kingdom of Nizim Shah, and at the same time the diamond. Akbar's son, the envious and greedy Aurangzeb, did not want to wait for his turn in succession to the throne and imprisoned his father, agreeing to release him only if he was given the diamond.

However, he received the diamond only after the death of his father, and even then not immediately - the father gave it to his daughter, and she already passed it on to her brother. In the 15th or 16th century, the Great Mogul diamond broke into two pieces when trying to cut it. One piece weighed 187 carats and was called "Ko-i-nur", in modern transcription "Kohiiur" - "Mountain of Light", and the other - "De-i-nur" - "Sea of ​​Light". Kohinoor has adorned the British crown since 1850. And "De-ie-nur" in 1739 was captured by Shah Nadiram and has since remained in Persia. Ngo was renamed and named "Shah".

On January 30, 1829, the Russian embassy was attacked in Tehran, as a result of which the Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Minister of His Majesty the Emperor of Russia A. S. Griboedov, along with his retinue, perished. A wave of indignation rises in Russia, and tsarist diplomacy demands that Persia be punished. In order to appease Russia, a delegation headed by the son of the Persian Shah, Prince Khoreev Mirza, is sent to St. Petersburg, who, in expiation of guilt, must transfer to Russia one of the most valuable jewels of the Persian court - the Shah diamond. Now this stone is stored in Moscow in the Diamond Fund.

In 1712, the French traveler Tavernier brought a sparkling blue diamond weighing 115 carats to Paris. Louis XIV bought this stone, and Pitot the jeweler ofanized it in the form of a triangular pyramid. It was this form of cutting that determined the fate of subsequent owners of the stone. If the cut in the form of a four-sided pyramid leaves the energy of the stone practically unchanged, then the cut in the form of a three-sided pyramid enhances and concentrates the already uncompromisingly hard natural energy of the diamond.

In 1725, Louis XIV decorated his frill with a blue three-fan pyramid. He died seven months later. Louis XV did not use the stone for a long time, but then he ordered it to be embedded in the cross of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which he wore. Five years later, the king died of smallpox. This diamond was also worn by royal favorites - the Countess Dubarry, the Duchess of Dambal, and, finally, he came to Marie Antoinette. In 1789, during the revolution, many of the nobility died, but it is reliably known that none of those who were somehow connected with the blue diamond escaped. In September 1789, the stone was stolen, and some time later it appeared at the Dutch jeweler Guillaume Fals. The jeweler's own son stole the diamond from his father, who soon died of grief. The son also did not live long - tormented by pangs of conscience, he drowned himself.

In 1820, the stone was bought by the English king Morgam IV, and after a while the king began to show clear signs of insanity. The ill-fated diamond was sold for a pittance to the banker Hope, who named the stone in his honor "Hope" - "Hope". There was a small calm period in the life of a diamond, it is clear that this owner met the requirements to some extent. But the name did little to change the restive nature of the stone: everything went on as before. Hope's grandson lost Nadezhda at cards to the American businessman Frenkel. Frenkel went bankrupt, and the diamond was sold at auction to the Turkish Sultan Abdul-Hamid, who presented it to his mistress Zelma. But soon, in a fit of jealousy, he stabs his mistress with a dagger, and in 1909 he has to abdicate, after which he goes crazy and dies.

The next owner of Nadezhda, the Greek Mantaridas, fell into the abyss along with his wife and daughter. In 1941, the diamond came to the Russian prince Kalitovsky, two days later his corpse was found on a Parisian street. Since 1958, the irrepressible gem has become the property of a collective owner - the US Smithsonian Institution. As long as the institute exists, and the stone behaves quietly... Perhaps it is resting?

Everything about everything. Volume 5 Likum Arkady

When were gems discovered?

No one knows when gemstones were first discovered, but man has admired them since ancient times. For thousands of years, jewelry has been worn to ward off spirits and disease. Even today, some people believe in the special power of stones. The first mention of precious stones we find in the Bible. In the 28th chapter of the book of the Old Testament, it speaks of a body plate worn by a high church minister, Aaron. The plate was decorated with 12 precious stones. The ancient Egyptians used gemstones in ornaments and jewelry. They were skilled in the art of working gemstones, and their designs on stones have survived to this day.

The Egyptians wore amulets known as scarabs. These were precious stones cut in the shape of the sacred Egyptian beetle. It was believed that the one who wears scarabs is protected by good spirits. In ancient times, different gemstones differed in color. The name "ruby" was given to all red-colored gemstones. All green stones were called emerald, and blue - sapphire.

Later it turned out that some gems were harder and more durable than others. It became obvious that the value of a stone depends not only on color, brightness, rarity, but also on its hardness. For example, a diamond is considered today the most precious, because in addition to its magnificence, it also has the greatest hardness among all stones. Many stones are called precious. But in reality, this name refers only to the four most valuable stones - diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire.

What are gems? Precious stones have always amazed people. For thousands of years, people wore them as amulets to protect themselves from disease and evil spirits. It was believed that with the help of some gems, their owner was able to predict the future. Other stones supposedly

When were gems discovered? No one knows when gemstones were first discovered, but man has admired them since ancient times. For thousands of years, jewelry has been worn to ward off spirits and disease. Even today, some people believe in a special power

What are gems? To be considered precious, a stone must have certain properties. It must be beautiful, hard enough and strong enough, it must be rare and valuable enough. Diamonds, rubies and emeralds have all these qualities in

PRECIOUS STONES CORRESPONDING TO THE ZODIAC SIGNS It is usually very pleasant for a birthday person when he (or she) is given a birthday jewelry with the stone that corresponds to his (or her) zodiac sign. In addition, a ring with such a precious or

Artistic processing of metal. Precious and semi-precious