Now the melancholy God protect thee, and the tailor make thy garments of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is opal. – William Shakespeare, The Twelfth Night

The emerald condenses the green of the meadows and certain aspects of the ocean. – Charles Blanc, Art in Ornament and Dress, 1875, translated from French

These words dropped into my childish mind as if you should accidentally drop a ring into a deep well. I did not think of them much at the time, but there came a day in my life when the ring was fished up out of the well, good as new. – Harriet Beecher Stowe, Old Town Folks, 1869

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