Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c43.s3.t8.13

v2.c43.s3.t8.13

There are evidences that the inhabitants of ancient India were familiar with onyx and moss agate. Onyx, as we have explained, is agate with plain and parallel bands, alternately dark and light-coloured. Buddhabhaṭṭa provided an incomplete description of the gem-mineral *śeṣa* (*RP*, 175-178) which occurred with emerald, and was said to be striped white and green alternately. Finot equated *śeṣa* with onyx. *Maṇimālā* provided another name *pālaṅka* for onyx, and a Sanskrit text: