unforum

[Kradlum]

SAPPHIRES is the only gem in the list with a double letter in. When AMETHYSTS is mingled with SAPPHIRES we get a double S so he throws them away?

[Scribe]

On a side note, Garnet is another kind of gemstone...

[falqwin]

Random facts about the gemstones:

Diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald are known as the four cardinal gems - and are thus considered the most valuable. Amethyst was originally considered a cardinal gem, but was later dropped from the list as it became "common" with the discovery of large amethyst mines in Africa.

Topaz is relatively common, as gems go. Generally, I see it more often at my aunt's place than the 4 cardinal gems, but far less often than amethyst.

Incidently, the gemstones are commonly associated with 4 primary colours and 2 secondary colours (I'm considering white a primary colour here.)

Diamond - white
Sapphire - blue
Ruby - red
Emerald - green
Topaz - yellow
Amethyst - purple

This is just off the top of my head - so I apologize for stating the obvious. I'll do a more indepth check when I get home.

[Scribe]

You don't reckon this ties in with the colours of the cards themselves, do you?

This bit of Gyvann:

[fitzyfitz]

[PerplexHero]

Re: Gemstones - cross-card intrigue #030 and #156

[PerplexHero]

[Scribe]

Hmm, some good observations and some interesting spec. I like the fact that there are 21 letters across on Going Dotty...

Hmm, so... the BotS site maintains 6 colours. 5 of these match to the gemstones mentioned. Assming topaz = yellow (rather than orange) that still leaves orange and diamonds "unmatched"...

I'll send a mail to sister flynnt, see if she can explain where they get their "curious" colour system from. Maybe some history will shed some light on the matter.

Edit: Also, while some BotS pages follow the same colours for the text, some also include black text in what seems to be a deliberate way (matching the 7th card colour...). Is there a "traditionally" black gemstone? Or could diamond be black?

[mac_monkey]

I'm not quite sure on the progress this is getting us yet, so I'll still be hanging around in spec mode for a while.

However, if it's more spec to add diamonds are made from carbon, and I guess carbon often appears as being black (coal etc.)

[GuyIncognito]

I'm afraid that matching those gemstones and their respective colors will hardly yield a definitve answer...AFAIK, most gemstones can come in a wide variety of colours.

Anyway, FWIW, I have found this at http://www.blackdiamonds.co.uk/index.html, of all places (No duh!)...so that would leave us with the Silvers then?

[myf]

[sjbuknewc]

What about onyx for the black gemstone???

and couldn't "silver" be classed as the silver card? just a thought, though i know that the diamond is mentioned be gyvann

[sjbuknewc]

Oh yer and amber is traditionally orange, as is carnellion

[falqwin]

Gemstones tend to come in a very large range of colours, which does make the mapping pretty iffy and complicated if you consider all possible options.

Let me put it this way:

Red corundums are called rubies. Blue corundums are called sapphires. All other colours of corundum are called fancy sapphires.

So, if you had a pink/light red piece of corundum, you could theoretically call it a ruby or a fancy sapphire.

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Just for reference,

Diamond: All colours

Sapphire: Blue
Ruby: Red
Fancy Sapphire: All other colours except blue or red

Emerald: Green

Topaz: Most commonly yellow. Other colours include: golden brown, colourless, pink (rare), red (rare), blue (rare)

Amethyst: Purple

Garnet: (incidently, one of my favourite gems)

Pyrope: Reddish-brown
Rhodolite: Deep pink/pinkish-red
Almandine: Reddish-purple

These 3 are regarded as the most common variants of garnets.

Spessartite: Orange
Hessonite: Yellow
Grossular: Most commonly green.

Andradite: Most commonly green, also black (melanite), yellow (topazolite)
Demantoid: Green
Uvarovite:Green (Also known as "emerald of the Urals" and gets my vote for coolest name ever.)

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The following gemstones are commonly associated with the following colours:

Orange: Citrine, amber (an organic, not a mineral)
Black: Obsidian, onyx, black opal.

[ampetrizzo]

[SPEC] Casle Castle and the mining operations?