Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c23.23

v1.c23.23

Rufus also described the use of pendants of precious stones, gold bracelets, silver censers etc. He described king Saubhūti presenting ‘his spectre made of gold and set with beryls’ to Alexander. (McCrindle, 1896: 220) Pliny of the first century AD wrote in his Naturalis Historia (37.5) that beryls were seldom found elsewhere than in India, and that the Indians had discovered how to make counterfeit gems and specially beryls by staining crystal. Solinus of the third century AD drew upon Pliny and wrote: