Emerald
Emerald is found in Ajmer and Udaipur in India, Pakistan, Russia, America, Africa, Rhodesia, Egypt, and Brazil. It is found in cracks and piles of rocks besides being found in granite and pagmatite rocks. It was much mined in Italy during the reign of Cleopetra and Alexander the Great. Spaniards had received good quality emerald from Peruvians at the time of the victory of America. They
were perhaps from the Colombian mines, which are famous even today for high quality emerald. It may be interesting to note that some emeralds found in the Colombian mines are clear and transparent at the time of mining, but they grow faults later on coming into contact with the air; they either get cracked or broken.

Second quality enerald are found in Ural mountains of Russia and Brazil. Those found in Ajmer (India) have much yellowness which is quite attractive. But it is softer than that of Colombia. The Udaipur emerald has dark colour, is chirpy, and has less water .

The Pakistani emerald has much dark colour and is chirpy. The Colombian emerald is quite strong and is known as 'wax' .Its colour and water is of good quality The African emerald has dark lustre with black stains. The sendwama emerald found in South Africa is considered to be of the highest quality. It has yellowness which is as good in colour as that of the Colombian emerald.

The Rhodesian emerald too is world famous. Its water is little thick and has less black lustre. The Brazilian emerald has more yellowness as compared to other kinds. It is not considered a good quality emerald.

Emerald is known by various names: gurutmat, paghi, harinmani, garudakit, garunagirna, ashyagarbha, garlari, sauparni in Sanskrit; panna in Hindi; jamrud and markat in Arabic; emerald in English.

Emerald is found in five colours : (Possibly emerald of six or more colours has not been seen) Green water colour emerald, parrot green emerald, peocock feather emerald, light shendul flower colour emerald and grey flower colour emerald. Due to its high quality attractive and pleasing green colour it finds a place in precious gems the world over. It is not so hard and is light in '. weight and caution has to be exercised while studding it into jewellery.

In an English museum, there is stored the most flawless emerald of the world. The Devenshire Duke has an emerald of 1347 carats with some faults. The Russian Czar had an emerald of 30 carats.

The Moghul emperor, Humayum had emerald cups which later broke and its fragments too are found. They were of high quality. A trader has a rosary of emeralds which he bought from a foreign sailor .

Maharaja Tej Singh of Alwar has an emerald of 365 ratti which is valued at thirty lac rupees.

Generally, it is not possible to have emerald exceeding a 5-6 carats which may be clear and flawless. As far as cost factor is concerned, no other gem can match emerald. A green colour clear emerald, which may be only one carat in weight, may sell from five thousand to five lac rupees.

An American has an emerald cup which was priced at one trillion three hundred millions in 1983.

The Nizam of Hyderabad had a glass of emerald which was priced equivalent to the value of the whole state. Finally, it was cut into pieces and sold for sixty crore rupees then. In 1976, aspects frame made of emerald was valued beginning from two lac to two crore rupees.

King Parikshat wore emerald, due to which the takshak could not reach him, however the takshak stung him when he put it off one night.

Lord Krishna too was covered in emerald when he went to kill the Kalia snake. The wearer of emerald is immune from all kinds of poisoning.


Diamond

Diamond is mined in South Africa, Brazil, Australia, South America, and India. In India, the famous mines were in the South and Golconda was the main diamond market. These days, it is also mined in Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Gujarat.

There are diamond mines in Bomio. The Brazilian mines started functioning in 1725, but due to excessive charges by the Portuguese government, it could not grow properly.

In 1834 after attaining independence, diamond mining began once again and thousands of carat diamonds were mined. In Brazil, diamond mines are situated in Bahia and Minazeri states. Corbnedo kinds of diamonds are extracted here. The mining work in South Mrica began in 1867 and today it is the chief miner. Here, Kirbally is the chief producer of diamonds. Diamond is also mined in Gold Coast, Velgian, Cango , and Rhodesia. Diamond is also mined in New South Wales (Australia) and South America. 95% of diamonds of the world are mined in South Mrica. India, America, and Israel are the largest buyers of diamond.

The Indian diamond has eight triangular edges while the Brazilian one has twelve parallel ones. The Bornian diamond is harder than the Australian ones.

According to Vrihatsamhita written by Acharya Varahmihir , the high quality diamond is found on the banks of the Berut river; diamond of the colour of autumn flower is found in Kaushal; red diamond is found in Saurashtra; and black diamond is found in Surpatak.

Diamond found in the Sawan mountain has some redness. The diamond like valla flower (a creeper plant) is called matganja. Diamond with yellowness is produced
in Kalinga. The best quality diamonds are in vogue in Israel, thereby, there has come to be said, 'India's selection, Israel's rejection.' The hua diamond has dark colour.

The lord of hexagon diamond is Indra. The lord of white colour one is Yama. The lord of serpentine black, yellow, and blue colour diamond is Lord Vishnu. A diamond resembling female genitals is called Varuna and is like a marnikar flower. The lord of water nut like diamond is Agni. A diamond of the colour of Asoka flower and like barley shape is called vayayva. Diamond is found in rivers, mines, and nearly places.

Diamond is known by various names: heerak, vajra, bhargav priya, manivar, pavi, amedyam, kulish, vidyut, ark, bhidur in Sanskrit; heera in Hindi; almas in Urdu; Heerak in Bengali.