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

There is in them a softer fire than the ruby, there is the brilliant purple of the amethyst, and the sea green of the emerald – all shining together in incredible union. Some by their splendor rival the colors of the painters, others the flame of burning sulphur or of fire quickened by oil. – Pliny, about the opal

Many individuals have, like uncut diamonds, shining qualities beneath a rough exterior. – Juvenal

Flowers that are so pathetic in their beauty, frail as the clouds, and in their coloring as gorgeous as the heavens, had through thousands of years been the heritage of children – honored as the jewelry of God…. – Thomas De Quincey