Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c43.s3.t11.16

v2.c43.s3.t11.16

*Rasaratnasamuccaya* (RRS) mentioned in its chapter four, that *rājāvarta* has a mixed shade of blue and slight reddish colour, and that it is heavy and smooth. All the Sanskrit texts referring to lapis lazuli mention that it is guru or heavy. Its specific gravity however is actually low (~2.4), much lower than that of blue sapphire (~ 4.1) and on this point, the ancient scholars might have confused one kind with another. RRS further mentioned satvapātana or metal extraction from rājāvarta. We wonder what metal was extracted from this gem. Possibly the author of RRS confused sasyaka, a blue copper mineral, from which copper metal was extracted (RRS, 2.125-133), with rājāvarta.