Cosmetics, Costumes and Ornaments in Ancient India
by Remadevi. O. | 2009 | 54,177 words
This page relates 鈥楳aterials (e): Indranila (Sapphire)鈥� of the study on cosmetics, costumes and ornaments of ancient India based on Sanskrit sources. Chapter one deals with cosmetics and methods of enhancing beauty; Chapter two deals with costumes, garments and dresses; Chapter three deals with ornaments for humans and animals. Each chapter deals with their respective materials, types, preparation and trade, as prevalent in ancient Indian society.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
1.2. Materials (e): 滨苍诲谤补苍墨濒补 (Sapphire)
滨苍诲谤补苍墨濒补 is a precious gem with blue colour. 骋补谤耻岣峚辫耻谤腻峁嘺[1] compares its colour with that of the throat of 艢颈惫补, throat of a cuckoo and a blue lotus. It also believes that the eyes of the demon Bala that created this gem. 骋补谤耻岣峚辫耻谤腻峁嘺 forbids the fire test for this gem, for it will become spoiled, when placed on fire. A good variety of sapphire has a rainbow like hue at the centre and such sapphire can turn milk blue.
碍补耻峁璱濒测补[2] mentions eight varieties of sapphire. They are as follows.
| Name | Colour |
| 滨苍诲谤补苍墨濒补 | Peacock wing |
| 惭补丑腻苍墨濒补 | Dark blue |
| 碍补濒腻测补辫耻峁补办补 | Colour of pea flower |
| Nandaka | Inside white, outside blue |
| 闯墨尘奴迟补辫谤补产丑补 | Resembles rose apple |
| 狈墨濒补产补濒墨测补 | Having blue strips |
| Srvamadhya | Spreading rays like water flow |
Ornaments decorated with sapphire are prescribed for 搁腻办峁蝉墨 type characters by Bharata[3]. This gem is known by some other names like Kuruvinda, 狈墨濒补尘补峁噄 and 惭补丑腻苍墨濒补.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
I.13,17,18
[2]:
DAOAI, p.144
[3]:
狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补, XXI.56-76