Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c24.s1.t2.4

v1.c24.s1.t2.4

There is considerable confusion as to whether Pliny’s ‘lychnis’ and ‘anthrax’ (latin carbunculus) mean garnet or ruby. Hydapses are probably the ruby, part of which might have come from the gem gravels of Sri Lanka and the rest from Burma. The balas ruby came from the Badakshan. Sri Lanka also produced and supplied corundum cat’s eye and chrysoberyl.