If wisdom and diamonds grew on the same tree we could soon tell how much men loved wisdom. – Lemuel K. Washburn, Is The Bible Worth Reading And Other Essays, 1911

The topaz is a miniature reproduction of the rich gold which illumines the setting sun. – Charles Blanc, Art in Ornament and Dress, 1875, translated from French

The hues of the opal, the light of the diamond, are not to be seen if the eye is too near. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The aquamarine… has the glassy tint of the waves of the sea. – Charles Blanc, Art in Ornament and Dress, 1875, translated from French