Читать книгу Handy Pocket Guide to Asian Gemstones - Carol Higgins Clark - Страница 6

Introduction

Asia is blessed with more gemological riches than any other region on Earth. The ancient diamond mines of India provided many of the most celebrated gemstones of all time. The earth and streams of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia yield rubies and sapphires, while the warm, clear seas of Indonesia and the Philippines nurture exquisite South Sea pearls. Myanmar and Sri Lanka hold the most dazzling treasure troves of all, producing gemstones of legendary beauty and amazing variety.

Most of the gem mining activity in Myanmar centers around the town of Mogok in the northern part of the country, which is nicknamed "Ruby Land." A mountain road from Mandalay, twisting through ancient teak forests infested with highwaymen, leads to this elusive land of million-dollar gems. In addition to ruby, Mogok and its environs possess large deposits of sapphire, diamond, spinel, peridot, apatite, scapolite, moonstone, zircon, garnet, tourmaline, iolite and amethyst. Upper Myanmar is the world's only major source of jadeite, the most beautiful and desired of the jade minerals, while gigantic South Sea pearls are cultivated in the tropical seas off Myanmar's southern coast. Top gem buyers from around the world gather in Yangon for the Gem, Jade and Pearl Emporium, an annual auction held by the government.

The tropical island of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) is commonly known as the "island of gems" because of the spectacular range of jewels found in its gravelly soil. It is most famous for its lovely sapphires, but it also produces ruby, diamond, garnet, alexandrite, spinel, zircon, peridot, topaz, tourmaline, moonstone and a highly-prized chrysoberyl cat's eye. Gems are found throughout central and southern Sri Lanka, but large-scale mining is concentrated in the Ratnapura and Elahera areas. Sri Lankan gems are found in the crown jewels of Europe and in artifacts from China's Ming Dynasty tombs. Historians trace Sri Lanka's international gem trade back to 500 B.C., when Buddhists from northern India conquered the island and began setting its gems into jewelry for export.

Gemstones are deeply embedded in Asian cultures. In China, the cult of jade worship began in the Neolithic era, when objects made of the precious material were used in religious ceremonies, agriculture and war. Stone and Bronze Age gem mining tools have been uncovered in Mogok. Even the most ancient Sanskrit manuscripts are rich with tales of fantastic jewels, both mythical and real. Hindu literature tells of a jewel called Syamantaka, that hung around the neck of the Sun-god and gave him brilliance. When the Sun god presented the divine gem to a mortal, havoc ensued, as other mortals envied the owner. Syamantaka was a powerful gem which brought good to good and evil to evil, and caused the death of any impure person who dared to wear it.

The Kalpa Tree, a symbolic offering to the gods; is described by Hindu poets as having a trunk of diamond and roots of sapphire. Its topaz branches dripped with pearls and sprouted leaves of zircon. This magical tree bore ruby and emerald fruit.

One of the oldest known talismanic jewels is the Naoratna, or the "nine-gem" jewel. Old Hindu treatises list the nine sacred gems which make up the naoratna as ruby diamond, pearl, coral, zircon, sapphire, topaz, chrysoberyl cat's eye and emerald. In modern times, the naoratna gems differ slightly—for instance, amethyst and garnet are sometimes substituted for zircon and cat's eye—but the spirit behind the jewel remains unchanged. Each of the gems are believed to be aligned with different planetary forces, and together they summon all the favorable influences of the celestial bodies. The purer the gems used in the naoratna, the greater the benefit it brings to its wearer. Poor or defective stones, on the other hand, can cause grave misfortune.

Enlightenment itself is described as a gem in the Buddhist faith—the rarest, most precious and beautiful of objects symbolizing the purest of human states. This belief is exemplified by Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda, the most revered Buddhist shrine in Myanmar. A Myanmaran legend describes a shower of precious stones raining down on the site when the pagoda was first built, sometime around the 11th century. The shower of gems may be legend, but it is fact that the dome of the pagoda's stupa is paved with 8,688 solid gold slabs and its spire is encrusted with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 pieces of ruby, sapphire and topaz. An enormous emerald is set at the tip of the spire, positioned to catch the first and last rays of the sun. Shwedagon Pagoda is known as "the gem of gems," and today is considered one of the wonders of the world.

European traders who made their way to Asia during the 17th century were astounded by the abundance of gems flashed by the rulers of the time. In the Great Mogul court of India, even the horses were decorated with precious stones. The famous French gem dealer Jean Baptiste Tavernier, who visited this luxurious court in 1638, wrote the following account of the legendary Peacock Throne:

I counted about 108 pale rubies in collets about this throne, the least whereof weighed a hundred carats, but there are some that weighed two hundred. Emeralds I counted about 160 that weighed some threescore, some 30 carats. The under part of the canopy is all embroidered with pearls and diamonds. Upon the top stands a peacock, with his tail spread, consisting of sapphires and other stones. The body is of gold and a great ruby upon his breast at which hangs a pearl that weighs 50 carats. When the king sits himself on the throne there is a transparent jewel with a diamond appendant of 80 or 90 carats encompassed with rubies and emeralds so hung that it is always in his eye. Upon each side of the throne are two parasols the handles covered with diamonds. This is the throne which Tamerlane began and Cha-Jehan finished. It is reported to have cost 160 millions of livres.

Behind this is a tub where the king bathes, the outside whereof shines all over with diamonds.

Today, many of the most fabulous stones from Asia's opulent past—including a few from the Peacock Throne—reside in the royal treasuries of Europe or in the permanent collections of the world's great museums.

In recent years, Asia has become even more prolific in its gem production as new sources have been discovered and new mines opened. Due to its skilled gem cutters and thriving jewelry-making industry, Thailand has become the undisputed center of the world's colored gemstone industry. Gems from Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and India—as well as from distant lands such as Brazil, Columbia, Australia and Africa—pour into the Thai capital of Bangkok for processing. Everything from amethyst and citrine to the most priceless gems are cut and polished here, then set into jewelry ranging from inexpensive silver settings to elegant gold and platinum pieces encrusted with diamonds, rubies and sapphires.

Thailand is number one in the world in the export of colored gemstones and number two, behind Italy, in the export of finished jewelry. Together, gemstones and jewelry bring more than US$1.5 billion a year to the Thai economy, making it the country's third most important industry. A visitor to Bangkok cannot help but marvel at the brilliant displays of gold and flashing color in the city, from the gilded opulence of the Grand Palace to the dazzling diamond, ruby and sapphire jewels which fill the modern shop windows along Silom Road.

Gemstone processing and jewelry manufacturing takes place in India, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaysia as well. China is also beginning to get in on the act as its economy opens up to outside investors.

Not only do Asian artisans excel at making jewelry, they are also avid buyers of jewels. In recent years, Asia has become the world's most important market for jewelry with record prices set for pieces at Christie's and Sotheby's auctions in Hong Kong. Just as wealthy Europeans once vied to own fantastic gems engraved with the names of the Great Mogul rulers, today Asians clamor for jewels stamped with the imprint of such European names as Cartier, and Van Cleef and Arpels. The growing middle class, from Shanghai to Singapore, is well acquainted with the brand Tiffany.

Economic recessions, political turmoil and natural disasters may come and go but Asia's long love affair with gems is no doubt set to last for eternity.

—Carol Clark