Precious Stones
Preserved but no longer current.
The ancients divided precious stones into male and female. The darker stones were called the males, and the light ones were called the females. Male sapphires approach indigo in colour, but the female ones are sky- blue. Theophartus mentions the distinction.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Precious Stones” mean?
The ancients divided precious stones into male and female. The darker stones were called the males, and the light ones were called the females. Male sapphires approach indigo in colour, but the female ones are sky- blue. Theophartus mentions the distinction.
Is “Precious Stones” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.