68 - On the test of gems—Diamond

Suta said: 

1. I shall now expound the process of testing gems. There was a demon Bala. He conquered Indra and other gods. They could not reconquer him. 

2. Under the pretext of choosing a boon the gods requested Bala to be the animal at sacrifice, and he conceded their request. Though very powerful, he was killed as the sacrificial animal. 

3-4. Since he was bound by his pledged words, he had suffered himself to be tied to the sacrificial column. For the benefit of the world and for doing good unto the gods his limbs became seeds of gems. This was due to his meritorious deeds as he was pure with Sättvika virtues. 

5. A great tussle took place among gods, yakshas, siddhas and serpents over the seeds of gems. 

6-8. When they were speeding in their aerial chariots in the sky here and there the seeds fell in the oceans, rivers, mountains or jungles. Wherever the seed fell, those places became the storehouses of gems. On account of their intrinsic merit some of them imbibed the power of quelling obstacles accruing from the influence of demons, poison, serpents and sickness, and others were devoid of any quality.

9-10. These are the different kinds of gems:- Vajra (diamond); Mukta (pearl), Mani (gems), Padmarāga (ruby), Marakata (Emerald), Indranila (sapphire), Vaidūrya (Lapis Lazuli), Pushparāga (Topaz), Karketana (?) Pulaka, Rudhira (Blood red stone), Sphatika (crystal) and Vidruma (coral). Persons who know gems have classified them thus. 

11. First the shape and the colour are to be tested; then its merits and defects are to be understood; its influence must then be known; after consultation with experts in gems who have studied technical literature on them the price shall be decided on.

12. Gems bought or first used in a bad lagna or inauspicious day become defective and lose even their merits.

13. Collection or wearing of only well-tested gems should be undertaken by a king who wishes for prosperity. 

14. Only those who have studied the technical literature concerning them, and who habitually deal in them can be deemed to be the proper persons to know the price and quality of gems. 

15. Experts have spoken of diamond as highly influential, hence our description also starts with a detailed description of diamond.

16. Indra wielding thunderbolt while moving about dropped little particles of bones from his weapon. These particles acquired various shapes in the various places as they fell. 

17. Diamond is found in eight different places. They are: Himalayas, Matanga¹ territory Saurashtra, Paundra², Kalinga, Kosala³, Sauvira⁴ and the banks of the river Venva⁵.

1. A janapada in castern India.

2. The region around modern Santal Parganas.

3. The ancient region around Ayodhya, the capital in the Ramayana age.

4. The region around modern Multan. 

5. Either the Bină river, or the Waingangå river in Central India, or Vena river in South India.

18. Diamonds found in the Himalayan region are slightly copper-coloured; those found on the banks of the river Vena have the lustre of the moon; those from Sauvira land resemble blue lotus and cloud; diamonds found in Saurashtra are light copper-coloured; those from Kalinga have the brilliant colour of gold; diamonds from Kosala are deep yellow in colour; diamonds from the Pundra territory are dark-blue and the diamonds found in Mātanga land are not too deep yellow in colour.

19. Really the deities will grace it with their presence if anywhere in the world even if a bit of a diamond with very sharp edges can be seen, which has a clear light shade and the usual good features, which is quite light, symmetrical in the sides and is free from the defects, such as scratches, patches, dark spots, crows, foot and Trása (atom of dust found in a gem). 

20. Idols of gods are prepared from diamonds of various colours. For different castes different colours in diamonds are assigned. Diamonds are classified also according to their colours. 

21. Green diamonds are assigned to Lord Vişhnu; white diamonds to Varuņa; yellow diamonds to Indra; brown diamonds to Agni; blue diamonds to Yama and copper-coloured ones to the Maruts. All these colours are naturally beautiful. 

22. Brahmaņas shall use diamonds white like Shankha, Kumuda¹ flower and crystal; Kshatriyas shall use diamonds brown like the eyes of a rabbit; Vaishyas shall use diamonds shining like the green leaves of a plantain tree and the Shūdras shall use diamonds refulgent like the fresh sharpened sword.

1. Nymphaea alba.

23. Two colours of diamonds are spccially assigned to kings. They are not for the general public. One is the crimson colour of the Java flower (China Rose) or freshly cut coral and the other yellow like the turmeric juice. 

24. In his capacity as the lord of all castes a king can wear good diamonds of any colour as he pleases but not the others. 

25. The improper use of colours in diamonds by the different castes is more baneful than the mixture of castes resulting from the improper pursuit of one another's avocation. 

26. A scholar shall not wear a diamond merely because it is assigned to him in view of the path chosen by him. A diamond having good qualities yields weal and wealth; otherwise it becomes the source of sorrow.

27. A diamond with even one of its horns (angles) broken or withered, scratched or shattered shall not be retained in the house by people wishing for prosperity even though it may have all other good qualities. 

28. The diamond of which the apex is mutilated or withered by fire and the centre is vitiated by dirty spots and marks will induce the goddess of fortune to resort to others even if it happens to be the diamond of Indra.

29. The diamond that has impressions of scratches in any part or is painted with stripes of red will bring about the destruction of a person even if he has attained mastery over death.

30. The qualities of a diamond springing from the place of its origin are as follows. It must have six elevated tips, eight equal sides and twelve sharp edges. 

31. A perfect diamond with these features is not easy of access. It has six fine tips, it is pure, the edges are clear and sharp. It has fine colour. It is light. Its sides are well smoothed. It has no defects. It sheds lustre all around like the thunderbolt¹ of Indra.

1. As the legends record, it was fashioned out of the bones of the sage Dadhichi.

32. He who, pure in body, wears a faultless diamond, bright and sharp-edged, shall flourish in life, blessed with wife, children, wealth, foodgrains and herds of cattle.

33. All sorts of fears arising from serpents, fires, poison, tigers, thieves and imprecatory and maledictory actions, the sorcery of the enemies shall not harass him.

34. Persons who know the science of diamonds and gems say that a man shall wear a diamond free from all flaws weighing twenty Tandulas (rice grains). Its characteristic, features and price are twofold. 

35-36. The price of a diamond weighing twelve Tandulas iş taken as the standard. When the weight is reduced by two Tandulas the price is reduced by one third. For further reduction in weight the reduction in price is gradually by 1/13, 1/30, 1/80, 1/100 and 1/1000 upto a weight of one Tandula.

37. Diamonds are not weighed only by rice grains. Eight white mustard seeds constitute one Tandula.

38. If a diamond possesses all other qualities and floats in water, a man shall wear that alone although he may have all other precious gems in possession.

39. If a diamond is vitiated by a small defect visible or invisible to the eye, one shall get only one-tenth of its price.

40. If there are many defects small or great, not even one hundredth of its price need be offered.

41. A diamond, the defect of which is clearly seen is valued very low even if set in an ornament of gold.

42. A diamond may be flawless at the beginning; but while setting in an ornament it may acquire defects. A king shall not wear such an ornament. Defective diamonds are not to be used even in ornaments.

43. If a woman desires sons, she shall not wear even a flawless diamond. Otherwise she can wear elongated, flat and short ones, even devoid of good qualities.

44-45. Experts prepare imitation diamonds by using iron, Pushparåga (topaz), Gomedaka, Vaidurya (Lapis lazuli), Sphatika (crystal) and different kinds of glasses. They must be tested well by means of alkaline solutions and emery-wheel, etc.

46. A diamond can scratch all other gems and metals but it cannot be scratched by other gems or metals.

47. Weight is a criterion in the appraisal of other gems; but scholars say that in diamonds contrary is the case.

48. Vajra (diamond) and Kuruvinda (cyprus rotundus) can scratch similar or dissimilar materials. But Vajra alone can scratch another Vajra, nothing else.

49-50. Diamonds and pearls set in ornaments do not shed lustre upwards. If laterally cut, some diamonds may emit lustre upwards but then they do not emit lustre sideways. 

51. A diamond scintillating with flashes of rair bow blesses the wearer with wealth, food grain, and good children although the tip may be mutilated, or the diamond may have faded colour or may contain dots and scratches. 

52. A king wearing a diamond dazzling with lightning flashes will surely enjoy the whole earth asserting his sway over the vassal kings and over-powering his enemies by means of his exploits.