Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c43.s1.2

v2.c43.s1.2

Over the centuries, the pattern of categorisation of gems did not alter very much. The thirteenth century text RRS (4.4-4.7) listed five principal gems or pañca-ratna: vajra, padmarāga, indranīla, puṣparāga and marakata (the last one is emerald, a deeper green variety of beryl or vaidūrya). During the Gupta era, the Br. Sam. (80.2-5) listed 22 gems of which nine were principal ones (navaratna) representing nine planets (navagraha).