About the Symbolism of Precious Gem Stones

Symbolic precious stones by the early Christian artists have been alluded to by several ancient writers. Conspicuous among these was Marbodeus, Bishop of Rennes, who wrote (as before mentioned) at the commencement of the twelfth century.

The Rev. J. M. Neale, in his "Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences," gives the translation of a "Prose" by Marbodeus, and also selections from his Commentary. The following are extracts from the work, and a few passages from the notes.

Diamond, the most beautiful, brilliant, and precious of all stones, signifies light, innocence, purity, life, and joy. Ruby signifies divine power and love, dignity and royalty. Carbuncle, with its red or blood colour, symbolizes Our Lord's Passion and Martyrdom. Five carbuncles placed on the cross represent the five wounds received by Christ. Sardius, of a purple red colour, typifies the martyrs who poured out their blood for Christ--

"The Sardius, with its purple red,

Sets forth their merit who have bled,

The martyr-band, now blest above,

That agoniz'd for Jesu's love."

The blue-coloured Sapphire is an emblem of heaven, virtue, truth, constancy, heavenly love, and contemplation.

"The azure light of Sapphire's stone

Resembles that celestial throne,

A symbol of each simple heart

That grasps in hope the better part,

Whose life each holy deed combines,

And in the light of virtue shines."

In his "Commentary," Marbodeus says, "The Sapphire is of the colour of the sky. It signifies, then, that while they be yet on earth, set their affections on things above, and despise things terrestrial."

The yellow Topaz signifies the goodness of God, love towards God, fruitfulness and faithfulness. Marbodeus says, "It signifies those who love God and their neighbour."

The Emerald, in its brilliant green, represents hope in immortality, exalted faith, and victory over trial and sin.

"The Emerald burns intensely bright,

With radiance of an olive light;

This is the faith that highest shines,

No need of charity declines,

And seeks no rest, and shuns no strife,

In working out a holy life."

The violet or purple-coloured Amethyst is emblematic of earthly sufferings, sorrow, deep love, and truth unto death.

"Last in the Holy City set,

With hue of glorious violet,

Forth from the Amethyst are rolled

Sparks crimson bright, and flames of gold.

The humble heart it signifies,

That with its dying Master dies."

The Pearl signifies humility, purity, innocence, and a retiring spirit.

We are told by Matthew Paris, that Pope Innocent, desirous to gain King John of England to his plans, and knowing that he was covetous, and a diligent seeker after costly jewels, sent him four gold rings adorned with precious stones, in token that the rotundity of the rings signified eternity; "therefore your royal discretion may be led by the form of them to pray for a passage from earthly to heavenly, from temporal to eternal things. The number of four, which is a square number, denotes the firmness of mind which is neither depressed in adversity nor elated in prosperity, which will then be fulfilled, when it is based on the four principal virtues--namely, justice, fortitude, prudence, and virtue......Moreover, the greenness of the emerald denotes faith; the clearness of the sapphire, hope; the redness of the pomegranate denotes charity; and the purity of the topaz, good works...In the emerald, therefore, you have what to believe; in the sapphire, what to hope for; in the pomegranate, what to love; and in the topaz, what to practise; that you ascend from one virtue to another, till you see the Lord in Zion."

The essence of all that is sacred in Lamaism is comprised under the name of what may be translated the "three" most precious jewels, viz., the "Buddha" jewel, the "doctrine" jewel, and the "priesthood" jewel--a kind of trinity, representing an essential unity.

Among the Bonaparte miniatures in the Mather Collection, at Liverpool, is one of the Empress Josephine, an enamel, after the original by Isabey. This celebrated artist used to relate, that while Josephine was sitting for her miniature, one morning, he asked her what jewels she would be painted in, and she, with a most sad and sweet expression of countenance, looked at him, and, with tears in her eyes, said, "I am about to change my state, and I have heard it said it is a custom in England, that when a true heart is severed from that it loves, that the women wear green, to denote to their friends that they are forsaken. Paint me also in emeralds, to represent the undying freshness of my grief, but let them be surrounded with diamonds, to portray the purity of my love."

This was to Isabey a mystery; and he was so much affected by the earnestness and simplicity of her manner, that he dared not ask for an explanation, though he soon learned from rumour the truth of the meaning; for at this very time Napoleon had asked from the Emperor of Austria the hand of Marie Louisa, and had, at the solicitation of Josephine, given her that suite of jewels in which she went to the levee at the Tuileries for the last time as the wife of Napoleon.

Montalembert, in his "Monks of the West," relates an interesting anecdote of what was called the "Xenodochium," an asylum for the poor and strangers, formed among the monastic precursors in the East, and from that time a necessary appendage to every monastery. The most ingenious combinations, and the most gracious inspirations of charity, are to be found in their history. A certain monastery served as an hospital for sick children, and another was transformed by its founder, who had been a lapidary in his youth, into an hospital for lepers and cripples. "Behold," he would say, while showing to the ladies of Alexandria the upper floor, which was reserved for women, "behold my jacinths." In conducting his visitors to the floor below, where the men were placed, he would exclaim, "See my emeralds."

In a love-song, dating about the year 1200 (Harleian MSS., Brit. Museum), we have--

"Heo is coral for godnesse,

Heo is rubie of ryghtfulnesse,

Heo is cristal of clannesse."

In the "Life of St. Pelagian" (Caxton's "Golden Legend") we read: "As the bysshop sange masse in the cyte of Usanance, he saw thre dropes ryghte clere all of one grateness, which were upon the aulter, and al thre ranne togyder into a precyous gemme; and when they had set thys gemme in a crosse of golde, al the other precyous stones that were there, fyllen (fell) out; and this gemme was clere to them that were clene out of synne, and it was obscure and dark to synners."

The peculiar cast of romantic invention was admirably suited to serve the purposes of superstition.

Emmerson has some fine sentiments on precious stones:--

"They brought me rubies from the mine,

And held them to the sun;

I said, 'They are drops of frozen wine

From Eden's vats that run.'

I look'd again--I thought them hearts

Of friends, to friends unknown;

Tides that should warm each neighbouring life

Are lock'd in sparkling stone.

But fire to thaw that ruddy snow,

To break enchanted ice,

And give love's scarlet tides to flow,--

When shall that sun arise?"

In the curious and rare book of Sylvanus Morgan, "The Sphere of Gentry" (1661), the Diamond is represented as the emblem of fortitude, and its motto, "In aeternum." The Sapphire denotes prudence, "distinguished by their sex, viz., male and female, whereof the bluest are thought to be the male." The Ruby displays the virtue of charity. The Topaz, "the colour of justice in the throne--in blazon attributed to gold." The Emerald, an emblem of hope. The Pearl, "attributed to the metal silver, but not properly among the precious stones, by reason it is ingendred from shell-fish and the heavenly dew, and is not of that antiquity by its mother's side as the other gems are, though it may be reckoned as the chief, as being produced of a globular form; but in blazon by precious stones. I conceive argent ought rather to be blazoned crystal and furres in arms (which are not metals) may be blazoned Pearle. However, all precious stones are generated by their father, air, and mother, earth, which at this time had but the vegetative faculty; and it matters not whether the pearle or crystal had the greatest antiquity, however, the whiteness of it is attributed to the divine grace of faith." The Amethyst denotes temperance, magistracy, and worship.

The heraldic coat "that is displayed by gems and precious stones, is Insignia Gentilitioe, declaring the stock or stem from whence they sprung; and he that finds the first matter must find also the first mover, and will be able to demonstrate that honour is theological, philosophical, and moral in the soul, matter, and form."