History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c17.s3.t4.1

v1.c17.s3.t4.1

The popularity of green beryl or vaidūrya in ancient India is clearly revealed from the writings of Pāṇini, Kauṭilya and Patañjali. The Greek and Roman writers also attested to this fact. Rufus described king Saubhuti presenting ’his spectre made of gold and set with beryls’ to Alexander (McCrindle, 1896, 1969: 220). Several Buddhist relic caskets contained semi-precious stones, quartz crystal, carnelian and malachite bird and beryl reliquary (as in 2nd century B.C. site of Bhattiprolu, near Guntur, Andhra Pradesh). The Buddhist monks and nuns were asked not to use shoes ornamented with, and bowls set with vaidūrya or beryl which must have been popular luxury commodities during the pre-Christian era (Mahāvagga 5.8.3; Cullavagga, 5.9).