GEMMOLOGY IN PAN- INDIAN TRADITION

G .Sudev Krishna Sharman

Gems have attracted the fascination of all human beings of all cultures. The lustre,
colour, sharpness, brightness, quality and high value are the factors which makes them
attractive. Gemmology is coined as the scientific study which includes the study of the
characteristics and classification of gemstones, their valuing, grading, cutting, polishing,
and also the identification of real and best gems. The study of gems also include their origin,
occurrence, their crystallographic, pharmacological and their therapeutic properties etc.
Apart from these the subject includes the study upon the treatments applied to them with
heat, radiation, waxing, oiling , fracture filling and the making of synthetic artificial
gemstones. . In the modern scientific era, Gemmology or Gem Studies is a part of the
curriculam of Chemistry, Solid State Physics, Mineralogy, Crystallography and Jewellery
designing etc. Of course the students of Commerce and Economics are acquainted with
these disciplines due to its commodity value.
For the process of eliminating the fake or substituted gems from a lot, a gemmologist
needs thorough and firsthand knowledge about ores, minerals, their physical appearances,
chemical reactions, properties, and characteristics etc. In India the central government and
certain state governments have authorised some laboratories as gem-testing centres and the
certificates issued by these laboratories, countersigned by eminent gemmologists are
considered valid in this regard.For these they are employing the facts and concepts of most
modern branches of sciences like chemistry, crystallography, and mineralogy .

The history of gemmology has recorded so many advancements in this branch of

knowledge that were happened in the medieval and post- medieval period. But the Indian
traditions on it , most of them in the ancient period were not recorded so well. There were
also some approaches combining both the tools of mythology and rational thinking. Some of
these studies were done in a scientific manner. But some approaches were based on myths
and belief-systems. Sanskrit the backborn of ancient Indian lore maintained many texts in
both of these approaches.
It will be quite interesting for us that if we go through the indigenous methods
that developed in India centuries ago by ancient Indian gemmologists. We can see a
numerous references to gemstones in many of the sanskrit texts starting from veda-s even to
prove the antiquity of these gemstones in ancient India.1 In the same manner there are so
many texts or certain chapters of a particular text which exclusively deal with the subject of
gemmology.
Let us have a peep into the basic notions of these gemmologists and their texts.

1 See the term ratnadhätama in the RV 1-1-1

End of 4th cent. BC – Kauöilya’s Arthaçästra , koçapräveçyaratnaparékñädhyäya (KAS 2.1)
AD 505 - Varähamihira’s Båhatsamhitä ( (VBS 80-83)
6th cent. AD - Budhabhaööa’s Ratnaparékñä (BRP)
after 8th cent.AD - Agastimata (AM)
8th cent. AD -Kämandaka’s Nétisära
AD 1075 - Bhoja’s Yuktikalpataru (BYKT, Alankaraëayukti)
AD 1130 - Somadeva’s Mänasolläsa (SMNSL 2.4)
12th Cent. AD – Vägbhaöa’s Rasaratnasamuccaya (VRRS)
AD 1250 - Narahari’s Räjanighaëöu
AD 1260 - Näräyaëa’s Navaratnaparékñä or Småtisäroddhäre ratnaparékñä
(But the work seems to be the same as a chapter in Mänsolläça)
AD 1315 - Räyaëaparékhä(Präkåt) of Thakura Pheru
17th cent. AD - çukranéti
‚ - Basavabhüpa’s Çivatattvaratnäkara (BSTR 6.17)
‚ -Bhävaprakäça

8th Cent. AD - Agnipuräëa

10th Cent. AD - Garuòapuräëa
11th Cent. AD- Skandapuräëa
15th Cent. AD -Viñëudharmottarapuräëa

Éçvaradékñita’s Ratnaparékñä Unknown Date

Agastéyaratnaparékñä(ARP) ‘’
Laghuratnaparékñä ‘’
Maëiparékñä ‘’
Maharñisimha’s Ratnasamgraha(MRS) ‘’
Bharadväja’s Ratnapradépikä ‘’
Candeçvara’s Ratnadépikä ‘’
Tattvakumäramuni’s Ratnaparékñä AD 1788
A gemmological treatise certainly explain the origin (utpatti), mines ( äkara), type
(jäti), colour (varëa) , defects (doña), qualities (guëa), value(mülya) of these gemstones.

Utpatti
Origin of Stones- Fact and Belief
The gems are believed to be born out of a demon called valäsura, who was
killed by Indra. After his death, his body parts transformed into different forms of stones.
His borns changed to diamonds, teeth into pearls , blood into rubies, bile into emeralds, eyes
turned to sapphires and body fluid to cat’s eye and so on. 2 Varähamihira records many
concepts .

2 See BRP and AM

 ratnäni balät daityät dadhécitonye vadanti jätäni
kecid bhuvassvabhävät vaicitryam prähurupalänam3

Many other conceptions on the origin of gemstones were there. 4 But the
observation like that of bhuvaù svabhävät as recorded by Varähamihira is an indicative of the
rational thinking of ancient time .
Mandi, a gemmologist of the new generation records that
‚Almost all gems of mineral origin form in the earth’s crust except peridot and
diamond, which forms in the mantle, and all of them are mined in or on the earth’s crust.
This gemiferous crust is made up of three types of rocks, igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic which differ in their origin and characteristics‛.5
Later in the 10th centuary work Garuòapuräëa the story of vala became
predominant.Apart from these SRN Murthy records many other legends 6. And finally he
establishes that ‚the science of gemmology had been slipped from gemmologists into the
hands of traders and story tellers.‛ 7 But it is interesting that the Indian gemmological
tradition have not always fully compromised with these superstitious mythological beliefs.

Äkara
The mines
It is now clear that the mines of gems have formed in different parts of the
world due to the pressure of igneous rocks and also due to the sedimentation of minerals
according to the modern notion. As the ancient conceptions somewhere contradicts this,
many of the mines (äkara) pointed out hereby have got significance. Kauöilya’s
Arthaçästra(KAS) says that vajra can be formed from khani-s(mines) and from prakérëaka-s (
veëu, gajadanta). Sabhäräñöra (Near Vidarbha) , Madhyamarañöra (near Kosala),Kastéraräñöra (near
Väräëasé) and Srikaöana mountain Maëimanta mountain , Indraväna (near Kaliìga) are the
mines of diamonds described in KAS.8
All the other texts after KAS record another anecdote on how these mines are
formed . This as an extension of the vala episode that when vala was killed and his corpse
transformed into different stones, yakña-s, siddha-s kinnara-s and others took these stones to

3 According to some the gems came from vala demon, and some they came from the borns of dadhéci and some belive due to
the typical nature of the earth. (VBS 80.3)
4 purä våtravadhärtham viçvakarmä dadhécivamçästhinä vajräyudham kåtvä indräya dattavän/ anyänyasthéni bhümipatitäni
vajräkäräëyäsan / baläsurästhéni ca/ Ratnaparékñä p.71 /)
These lines are given by éçvaradékñita as been quoted from ratnaçästra.
5 Mandi Konesni, Mandi’s Metaphysical Gemstones - P. 6, 2009
6 Gems are formed from aruna’s egg pieces,Mohini,Viñakanöha ,horse sacrifice done by Indra , Tvañtré and Sun ,Killing of
Hiraëyäkña , impurities of ancesrtral body , cutting of mountain wings by Indra ,killing of Madhuakaiöhabha
SRN Murthy Gemmological Studies in ancient Sanskrit Texts P.14
7 Ibid.P.5
8 See KAS 2.11
their own worlds. Some of them fell down to the different parts of the earth like on the top
of the mountains, in the oceans, rivers and in the forests etc.9 Wherever his born parts fell
there it became the mines of vajra-s.10
certain mines will be exhausted and certain new mines will be found out in
course of time. This is a common phenomenon with many of the gemstones. India had
been the chief supplier of diamonds to the world once. Then it was in the eighteenth
centuary only the diamond mines in Brazil are discovered. AM also records this
pheonomenon and it says that in Kåtayuga two äkara-s will be discovered- kaliìga and kosala.
In Tretäyuga Himälaya and Vanga may have vajra minings, in dväparayuga pauëòraka and
suräñöra may have vajra minings, and in kaliyuga it will be in sürpära and in veëuga.11

Let us analyse the mines of diamonds as treated in different texts

Name
of Sources
Texts
KAS Sabhäräñöra Madhyamaräñöra Indraväna
BRP Suräñöra Himälaya Mätanga Pauëòra Kalinga Koçala Vaiëyätaöa Sürpära
VBS “ “ “ “ “ Veëätaöa “
AM “ “ Vaìga “ “ “ Veëu “
SMNSL “ “ Mätaìga “ “ “ Vairägara Sopära
ARP “ “ Magadha “ “ “ Nil Nil
MRS Nil “ Mätaìga Nil “ “ Äraba Sopära

Jäti
Classification
It should be noted that ancient gemmologists have attempted to classify the
gemstones.Stones showing similar properties belong to one class. Agasti had made sixty
different classes in his work. They are12
1)Padmaräga 11)mahänélä 21)lohitäkña
2)Puñparäga 12)indranélä 22)samäragalla
3)Marakata 13)rägäkara 23)hasmagarbha
4)Karketana 14)vibhavakara 24)vidruma
5)Héra 15)jvarakara 25)aïjana
6)Vaiòurya 16)rogahara 26)aìka

9 Devänämatha siddhänäm yakñänäm pavanäçinäm

Ratnabéjäù svayam grähyaù sumahän abhavat tadä
Teñäm sampätatäm vegat vimalena vihäyasä
Yad yad papäta ratnänäm béjam kvacana kimcana
Payonidhau sariti ca parvate känane api vä
Tad tad äkaratäm yätam sthänam adhyeyagauravit BRP V. 8-10
10 Tasyästhileço nipapäta yeñu bhuvaù pradeçeñu kathamcid eva (Ibid 17)
11 Kåte yuge kalingeñu kosale vajrasambhavaù
Himälaye matangädrau tretäyäm ( AM , Guëadoña-s of VajraV.1)
12 Ibid V.35
7)Candrakänta 17)çülahara 27)riñöa
8)Süryakänta 18)viñahara 28)muktäphala
9)Jalakänta 19)çatruhara 29)çrékänta
10)Néla 20)ruvaka 30)çivakänta

31)çivamkara 41)aparäjita 51)jyotiñkara

32)priyamkara 42)gangodaka 52)çvetaruci
33)bhadramkara 43)kaustubha 53)guëamäli
34)prabhamkara 44)karkoöaka 54)hamsamäli
35)äbhamkara 45)puÿaka 55)amçumälé
36)candraprabha 46)saugandhika 56)devänanda
37)sägaprabha 47)subhaga 57)kñératailasphaöika
38)prabhänätha 48)saubhägyäkara 58)maëitridha
39)açoka 49)dhåtikara 59)garuòodgära
40)vétaçoka 50)puñöikara 60)cintämaëi

Guëa-s
Qualities
Somadeva in his Mänasolläsa cautions that if one without knowing the qualities of
vajra evaluates it, may have the blow of vajra (lightning).13 Thus it is necessary to know the
qualities of diamonds and other gemstones.

The good effects of the stones as described in KAS are thick (Sthüla), circular (våtta), heavy
guru, prahärasaha,samakoöika,bhäjanalekhi, tarkubhrämi, illuminating( bhräjiñëu). All other texts
of later period are in a unison that good vajra-s may have five guëa-s, which are six-
corneredness (ñaökoëatva), lightness (laghutva) , eight- facedness (samäñöadaÿatä), sharp-edged
(tékñëägratä) and purity ( nirmalatä ).

Qualities of a goodVajra
Most of the ratnaçästra texts have said that Vajra cannot be scratched by any other
othings but in turn all of them can be scratched by Vajra.Metals and stones can be marked by
diamonds, not diamonds by the other stones and metals.14 This is true and it is also accepted
by the modern gemmologists as it is the hardest of all earthly particles which rates a
hadness of 10 according to Moh’s scale .

13 Yo na vetti guëam doñam maulyam kuryädayuktitaù

Tasya mürdhni patedvajram parvatänämiva dhruvam SMNSL V. 28
14 Lohäni yäni sarvväni sarvaratnäni yäni ca
Täni vajreëa likhyante vajram tairnna vilikhyate (AM 1.77)
Doña-s
The defects
KAS states that the defects of stone sare faint colour, sandy layer, spots,
holes, bad perforation, and scratches. But generally other treatises says the defects of the
stones are mala (impurity), bindu(dot), yava(barley shaped), rekhä(lines), käkapada( a portion
of gem discoloured or crooked). These are the five defects which are generally found in the
gemstones according to the later treatises.15

Mülya
The evalution
In ancient times, the size of certain grains like black gram (mäña), abrus precatorius
(guïja), çäëä, kalaïja etc. are considered for comparing it with that of the gemstones. This
will serve the purpose of understanding not only the weight but also the volume of the
stone . As the comparison of the weight and volume of these grains can be understood
easily it will be more appropriate for this purpose.
AM states that
1 mäña = 5 guïja-s
1 çäëa = 4 mäña-s
1 kalaïja = 40 guïja-s =24 maïjäli-s.
According to Finot
1 Kalaïja= 22 ½ carat
1 çäëa= 2 ½ or 3 guïja-s
Dharaëa=1,6 çäëa
The cost of these stones are always expressed in terms of rüpyaka(made of silver) and
kärñäpaëa( made of copper) .The cost of diamond according to different texts are as follows.
BRP VBS AM
(rüpaka) (rüpaka) (rüpaka)
1 taëòula 1000 - 50
2000 200 200
4 2500 2000 600
6 3,333 ¼ 8000 1000
8 6,666 ½ 12,500 1400
10 15,384 2/6 40,000 1,800
12 33,333 1/6 66,666 2/3 2,200
14 50,000 1,00,000 2,600
16 1,00,000 1/3 133,333 3000

18 1,33,333 1/6 150,000 3,400

20 200,000 200,000 3,800

15 Ibid V. 24
1 çäëa costs 5300 rüpaka-s
Pearls
BRP VBS
(Rüpaka) (Rüpaka)
4 mäñaka-s 5300 5300
3 ½ ‚ 3200 3200
3 2000 2000
2 ½ 1300 1300
2 800 800
1½ 325 353
11 5 200
1 120 135
4 guïjä-s 50-60 90
3½ 70
3 25-28 50
2½ 35
2 10-12

The cost of pearls according to AM

1 Guïja 50 rüpaka-s
5 84
6 106
7 204
8 406
9 788
10 1068
11 1488
12 2073
13 2167

Some texts like AM and BSTR describes about Mäëòalika Grähaka and Hastasamjïä,
Maëòala is the place where, the value of the gemstone is fixed 16 and Mäëòalika is the
eminent Gemmologist, whose service should be used for the benefit of buyers17 .
Not only from the side of the seller but these treatises consider also from the side of the
customer. When one is in need of a gemstone, he should seek the help of a mäëòalika, an
expert gemmologist.18 Hastasamjïä-s are the hand signs by which the value of gemstones

16 Maëòalo näma vikhyäto yatra mülyam prakurvate (Ibid 61)

17 Añöadhä ratnaçästreñu paradvépästhireñu ca
Sabähyäbhyantaram ratnam yo jänäti sa maëòalé (Ibid 62)
Am had a detailed description of Mäëòalika in the end portion of the chapter on vajra.65-67
18 Grähako bhaktipürveëa samähvayavicakñaëaù
Asanam gandhamälyäni maëòalé tasya däpayet (Ibid 68)
Vékñya samyak guëän doñän ratnänäïca viçäradaù
Pädaço ratnasamjïä ca lakñyamekaikasannidhau (Ibid 69)
are indicated by the mäëòalaka probably with the buyer.19 Agastimata just refers to this term,
but çivatattvaratnäkara of Basavabhüpa describes hastasamjïä in a detailed manner.
Let us analyse some of these gemstones
Vajra
Vajra is also known by the names héraka, vajra, kuliça bhidura pavis etc. The word has
three sense of meanings. They are the diamond, the lightning, and the weapon of Indra. The
Killing of the demon Vala (or Våtra in some versions) may be the cause of this terminology.

Muktäphala

As Vajra only has got a mythological description in Veda-s, pearl ranks first in the
identification among navaratna-s which appears in RV manywhere in the name of kåçana.
AV, in the çankhamaëi sükta associates which may have a lesser concern to the association of
muktä with candra. Later in the epic period this name changed into muktäphala or muktä.. It
seems that before the start of epic tradition people began to know about the technology of
how a pearl evolved from its’ oyster shell renaming it as muktäphala. Thus it is involved in
the animal kingdom and not in the mineral kingdom. BRP says that pearls formulate from
eight different sources. They are Elephants, Cloud, Pig, conch, fish, serpent, oyster and
bamboo20.

Mäëikya
The word Mäëikya is the derivative of the word maëika. This shows somehow the stone is
important among all other stones in some regards.

In ruby the primary hue must be red. All other hues of the gem species corundum are
called sapphire. Ruby may exhibit a range of secondary hues. Orange, purple, violet and
pink are possible. As the modern corundum is the exact westerenisation of the term
kuruvinda. BRP records another anecdote of for mänékya mines near Sri Lanka.21

19 Starting from tarjané the numbers should be counted as one, two, three and four.With amguñöha the digit became five. When
touching the tip of Kaniñöha the digits became six, seven eight and nine .When touching the nail of tarjané the digit became ten.
One two three and four combined with ten.When the tip of the finger is touched the digit became fifteen. When the tip is
touched the digit became six, seven, eight, nine .Then the digit became ten by hastasamjïa experts starting from tarjané the digits
two, three four and five.Then the digits became twenty thirty fourty and fifty .With the half of tarjané the number considered is
ninety. When the half of the tarjané is shown the digit became hundreds, then it became thousands, ten thousands, one lakh
and then ten lakh. Touching the place of maëibandha the digit is considered as one crore. (See BSTR vv. 181-187)
20 Dvipendrajémütavarähaçaëgha
matsyähiçuktyudbhavaveëujäni /
muktäphalani prathitäni loke
tenant çuktyudbhavameva bhüri BRP 52
21 Ibid 108-111
Vidruma or Praväÿa
The coral is the secretion of a biological animal. Coral is believed to be a plant until
the 18th century, when William Herschel used a microscope to establish that coral had the
characteristic thin cell membranes of an animal.22 But the ancient Indians even noted that
this bears some specialities as being a plant . The name of it even terminologises it into a
plant which bears certain particularities(viçiñöaù drumaù ityanena vidrumaù ).

Marakata
Marakata has the synonyms of Garuòa which owes to an important story in
connection between that has been referred to in the BRP. Due to this reason emerald is also
considered as medicament for poisoning.
The references to marakata only in certain recensions of Mahäbhärata was answered
by Arun Kumar Biswas. He says that23 ‚ Epic was definitely expanded from time to time and
the references to ant-gold, marakata and gem incrustations must have been later-day
insertions.We cannot accept marakata was known to the residents of Hastinäpiura 1200BC
Hastinäpura.‛
We cannot state that gem-incrustations are a later day insertions without strong
evidences as usage of this encrusted ornaments have been referred to in BC 3 rd centuary
work Kauöilya’s Arthaçästra as royal adornments. But as far as marataka is concerned, this may
be a correct reading as Arthaçastra in a chapter on gemmology deals with all the other stones
except marakata. Thus it can be safely arrived that the people until the period of Arthaçastra
are unaware of the marakata.Sulekha Biswas says that Emerald the English name also
derived from the Sanskrit name marakata. It means that the (Egyptian) gem found near
desert(maru) and sea-coast(kata).
Puñparäga or Puñyaräga
The puñparäga or Puñyaräga is a stone of Aluminium oxide Al2O3.The encyclopaedia of
Gems and Gemmology states that normally it is misnomered as Oriental Topaz. Thus from it
is clear that Topaz and Puñparäga(Yellow Sapphire) are two different stones and not the
same .
Indranéla
Etymologically, the English word ‚sapphire‛ derives from Latin sapphirus, sappirus
from Greek σαπφειρος (sappheiros) from Hebrew ‫( ַספִּיר‬sappir) from Old Iranian sani-prijam.
Some also consider its origin from Sanskrit, ' 'çanipriya' ' (शनिप्रिय) .
Gomedaka

22 The Light of Reason 8 August 2006 BBC Four

23 Sulekha Biswas, Minerals and Metals in Ancient India Vol.II P.178
As from the word itselves it can be inferred that the colour of the stone resembles that of the
bile of cow. As regards to this, Kauöilya says that there are certain other stones this stone
Kauöélya says about two important other stones. They are Gomütrika and Gomedika etc.
Puñyaräga (AlF)2SiO4
Vaiòürya Gomutrika (unknown)
Gomedaka ZrSiO4
Gomütrika which is not familiar today may be a stone with cow’s urine as its’ colour. We are
not aware what exactly the gemstone gomütrika is. Thus according to KAS three of the later
navaratna concept Puñyaräga, gomedaka and vaiòürya belong to the same of class of gemstones.
As the Puñparäga is the Flusilicate of Aluminium (AlF)2SiO4 and Gomedaka
is Zirconium Silicate ZrSiO4 , we can see that the silicate (SiO4) term is common due to
which they have some similar properties. Perhaps these similar properties lead Kauöilya or
his contemporarians to classify it as two stones of the same class. But this classification has
not gained currency as the navaratna notion of later periods considered these stones as
different entities.
Vaiòürya
Päëini in one of his aphorism vidürayyaù has said that the suffix /ya/ combines with the term
vidüra when it means the stone mined from the vidüra mount.24But later Pataïjali clarifies in
his bhäñya that this is not correct as the stone do not originate from vidüra mountain, but the
market of the gem vaidürya-s can be seen there instead.25What that had been corrected by
Pataïjali was stated thus by Amarasimha as Vaéòuryam välaväyajam.
This shows that vaiòürya is known to Indians for a long years ago.

Mahäratna-s & Uparatna-s

Precious & Semi-precious gemstones
As we can see that the concept of precious and semi-precious stones have also developed in
the ancient India.
Canòeçvara in his ratnadépikä says that stones are classified into Mahäratna-s and
uparatna-s. And the mahäratna-s26 are five in number( vajra, mauktika, mäëikya, néla,and
marakata). And the four uparatna-s27 are Gomeda, Puñparäga, vaiòürya and praväÿa. But later
when predictive astrology based on navagraha-s and their worship has become familiar this
notion changed and all these nine gemstones associated to nine graha-s. All other stones
then became semi-precious stones. This classification of stones may also due to the cost of
the stones.

24 See Añöädhyäyé 4.3.84

25 Vyäkaraëamahäbhäñya XVIII368-386
26 vajram ca mauktikam caiva mäëikyam nélameva ca
Marakatam caiva vijïeyam mahäratnäni païcadhä CRD V.5
27 uparatnäni catväri kathayämi çåëuñva tat
Gomedam Puñparägam ca vaiòüryam ca praväÿakam Ibid V.6
(1)Precious (Ratna-s)
They are Mäëikya, Muktäphala, Praväÿa, Marakata, Puñparäga, Vajra , Indranéla and Gomedaka
and Vaiòürya
(2) Semi-Precious Gemstones (Uparatna-s).
These include Süryakänta, candrakänta, Karketana, räjävarta, Puläka, Rudhira, Sphaöika,
Vimalaka, Räjamaëi and other stones of lesser values etc
The gems are useful in mercury (rasa), alchemy (rasäyana), giving off (däna), wearing
(dhäraëa) and in worshipping gods (devatärcana)28.Gemmology had also got a boom when the
planetary associations became stronger as these stones can be used to ward off the evil
effects of planets.29
Ancient Indian gemmology and its Later Western counterpart
It can be compared easily that the ancient Indians seem to have known the
awareness of many technologies of gemmology from the earlier times itself.
Let us look out these instances.
1)The etymological analysis of the word gem (eng.) may lead us to the Parent Indo
European ‘gembh’ or ‘jambh’ which means tooth or nail. In Sanskrit also some mean it as the
tooth itselves. But it should be noted that in Sanskrit we have the name of demon called the
jambhäsura, as Indra being popularly known as jambhäräti ( the enemy of jambha).
Perhaps the myth of vala who had been killed by Indra , whose corpse transformed into
different gemstones have made an influence in making even the terminology of gems in
gembh in parent indo European and then to the European languages.
As Indra had been familiar for killing three demons namely våtra, vala and jambha.
2)Kuruvinda type of ruby has been famous which later began to be called Corundum
3)The synonym of néla – çanipriya which began to be called later as sapphire.
4) The name moonstone may be the correct translation of the word candrakänta
And the word sunstone may be the exact translation of the word süryakänta.
5)The etymology of Vidruma as viçiñöaù drumaù vidrumaù (a plant with certain peculiarities).
Later the modern gemmology attests this that these are biological animals which belong to
Kingdom Animalia, Phylum -Cnidaria and the Class - Anthozoa Ehrenberg.
7)Dvichäya Double refraction or birefringence can be defined as the ability of crystals to
split a beam of ordinary light, into two beams of unequal velocities, which vibrate in two
planes, at right angles to each other, known as orthogonal polarization. The concept of
dvicchäya or vicchäya seems to be more comparable to this feature.. AM and SMNSL
dvicchäya dvipäda or dvirüpa dissymmetry has been considered as the doña-s of certain
gemstones.

28 Rase rasäyane däne dhäraëe devatärcane

Sulakñyäni sujäténi ratnänyuktäni siddhaye VRRS 4.7
29See Jätakapärijäta (2. 21)
8)Ratnaparékñä - Tests for genuine gemstones
This term is much familiar in the contexts of Indian Gemmology. Many of the texts have
been titled as ratnaparékñä like buddhabhaöiye ratnaparékñä, éçvaradékñitiye ratnaparékñä etc. The
term seems to gained a greater currency as this term itself has been used as a synonym for
gemmology (ratnaçästra) not to signify the sense of examining of gems.

9) Vijätiratna or Kåtrimaratna - Artificial gems

The study of the properties of vijäti ratna will be useful in testing of gemstones. But another
interesting fact is that many of the treatises30 explain about the making of these artificial
gemstones .
10)BYKT records the property of vajra as andhakäre ca dépyate which resembles the modern
concept of phosphorescence31.

Conclusion
Thus it is evident that India had witnessed in the ancient and medeival period a
greater advancement in this rare discipline of technical sciences. Many of them had also
been so critical in shaping out the modern notions in the subject. The terminology of
kuruvinda, çanipriya, marakata , vidruma the concept of dvicchäya, krtrimaratnanirmäëa and
ratnaparékñä put the Indian tradition of gemmology in a high esteem.
Hence even some of the modern notions of gemmology are indebted to Indian
percepts and some of them are comparable to the Indian one, while many of the Indian
notions cannot be compared by no means to that of modern one which makes the
ratnaçästra really a pan- Indian one.
G . Sudev Krishna Sharman
Research Scholar, Dept. of Sanskrit
University of Calicut
Kerala, India
email – [email protected]
Ph. 09447347817

30 See BRP V. 192-194, and SMNSL

31 See BYKT , Alankaraëayukti V.75
Appendix
Precious stones and their compositions
Sanskrit English Chemical Composition
Vajra Diamond C-4
Muktäphala Pearl 10-14% (a horny organic material of C32H48N9O11),
calcium carbonate (calcite or aragonite; CaCO3) 82-
86% and water 2%
Mäëikya Ruby Al2O3 with chromium impurities
Marakata Emerald Be3Al2Si6O18
Puñparäga Yellow Sapphire Flusilicate of Aluminium (AlF) 2SiO4
Indranéla Blue sapphire Al2O3
Gomedaka Zircon Zirconium Silicate ZrSiO4
Vaiòurya Cat’s Eye BeAl2O4
Praväÿa Coral an admixture of lime carbonate, Magnesium carbonate ,
Metals, Sand, Organic compound etc.
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