History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c17.s3.t4.2

v1.c17.s3.t4.2

Pliny of the first century A.D. wrote in his Naturalis Historia (37.5) that beryl was seldom found outside India, and that the Indians had discovered how to make counterfeit gems, and specially beryl, by staining crystal. Marshall has corroborated this through his observations on the Taxilan samples. Solinus of the third century A.D. drew upon Pliny, and wrote: “The Indians rub down the beryl into hexagonal forms in order to impart vigour to the dull tameness of the colour by the reflection from the angles. Of the beryl the varieties are manifold”. The Greeks accompanying Alexander were surprised to note the Indians’ fascination for green beryl which possessed only light colour. The Greeks might have introduced the Egyptian emerald of brighter greenness to the Indians who continued to import the same as marakata during the post-Christian era of trade with the Romans.