Before leaving the subject of diamonds, it may be well to notice some other valuable stones that are much sought and prized for ornament. One of these is the _oriental ruby_. This, in its most esteemed color, is pure carmine, or a blood-red of considerable intensity, forming, when well polished, a blaze of the most exquisite and unrivaled tint. It is, however, more or less pale, and mixed with blue in various proportions; and hence it occurs rose-red, and reddish-white, crimson, peach-blossom red, and lilac-blue, the latter variety being named the _oriental amethyst_. It is a native of Pegu, and is said to be found in the sand of certain streams near the capital of the country; and it also occurs, with the sapphire, in the sands of the rivers of Ceylon. A ruby which is perfect both in color and transparency, is much less common than a good diamond; and when of the weight of three or four carats, is even more valuable than a diamond of the same size. The king of Pegu, and the monarchs of Asia and Siam, monopolize the finest rubies, in the same way as the sovereigns of India make a monopoly of diamonds. The finest ruby in the world is in possession of the first of these kings. Its purity has passed into a proverb, and its worth, when compared with gold, is inestimable. The dubah of Deccan, also, possesses a remarkably fine one, which is a full inch in diameter. The princes of Europe can not boast of any rubies of first-rate magnitude. The _oriental sapphire_ ranks next in value to the ruby. When it is perfect, its color is a clear and bright Prussian blue, united to a high degree of transparency. The _astoria_ or _star-stone_, is a remarkable variety of this beautiful gem: it is semi-transparent, with a reddish purple tinge. And beside these, there are the _red_ sapphire, often called the oriental ruby, and the _yellow_ sapphire, which is called the oriental topaz. And in addition to these precious stones, or gems, there are also the _emerald_, of a beautiful green color; the _topaz_, which is of a yellow or light wine-color, and which by being heated, sometimes becomes rose-red, so as to be passed off as a ruby; the _jasper_ and _chalcedony_, which are of various colors; the _onyx_, which is a regularly banded agate, much prized for cameos, especially where the colors are very distinct and different; the _cornelian_, which is properly a red or flesh-colored chalcedony, much valued for seal-stones, &c.; and the _blood-stone_, or _heliotrope_, which is deep green, and somewhat translucent, and variegated by blood-red spots: all of which are much used in the various departments of jewelry.