NINE GEMS. English Sanskrit Burmese Chinese (Canton) Arabic Diamond Vajra Chein Chun-syak Mâs Ruby Manikya Budmiya Se-fla-yu-syak Yâkût bihar Cat’s-eye Vaidûrya Châno Mâu-ji gan Ain al-hirr Zircon Gomeda Gomok Pi-si Hajar yamânî Pearl Muktâ Pa-le Chun-ti Lûlû Coral Pravâla Tadâ Sau-ho-chi Murjân Emerald Marakata Mujâ Luk-syak Zumurrud Topaz Pushyaraga Outfiyâ Si-lang-syak Yâkût al-azrak Sapphire Nîla Nîlâ Chang-syak Yâkût al-açfar Among the Burmese the value for occult purposes of the nine gems composing the naoratna, or nararatna, is strictly determined in the following order: first, the ruby; second, the diamond, or rock-crystal; third, the pearl; fourth, the coral; fifth, the topaz; sixth, the sapphire; seventh, the cat’s-eye; eighth, the amethyst; and ninth, the emerald.[368] That the ruby, diamond and pearl should occupy places of honor is quite natural, but the relegation of the sapphire to sixth place, after coral and topaz, seems to be a rather unfair treatment of this beautiful stone. [Illustration: SCULPTURED JADE MOUNTAIN. Probably the largest mass of sculptured jade in existence. The design commemorates the meetings of a literary club of the fourth century. The Chinese characters (colored red) in the side of the cliff express the famous _Lan Ting Hsu_, or “Epidendron Pavilion Essay,” by Wang Hi-che (A.D. 321-379), ever since used by the Chinese as a model of elegant caligraphy, and were engraved directly from the autograph of the Emperor Ch’ien-lung, written by him in 1784. Height 23 inches, width 38½ x 18½ inches; weight 640 pounds. From the Summer Palace, west of Peking. Collection of T. D. Walker, of Minneapolis, Minn.] The yellow girdles worn by the Chinese emperors of the Manchu dynasty were variously ornamented with precious stones according to the different ceremonial observances at which the emperor presided. For the services in the Temple of Heaven, the very appropriate choice of lapis-lazuli ornaments was made; for the Altar of Earth, yellow jade was favored; for a sacrifice on the Altar of the Sun, the gems were red corals, while white jade was selected for the ceremonies before the Altar of the Moon. Jade of different colors was used for the six precious tablets employed in the worship of heaven and earth and the four cardinal points. For the worship of Heaven there was the dark-green round tablet; for that of Earth, an octagonal tablet of yellow jade. The East was worshipped with a green pointed tablet; the West was worshipped with the white “tiger-tablet”; the North with a black, semi-circular tablet, and the South with a tablet of red jade.[369]