#emerald glass

[lexlee20]

a note on the Chinese dragon breed names that were introduced in the last few books of the _Temeraire_ series—

way back when Naomi Novik hosted the original Temeraire wiki on her own website (around book 5 iirc), some other users and I were speculatively reverse-engineering “Scarlet Flower” and ”Emerald Glass”, given the likely constraint that the naming pattern should demand a single ideograph for each of those. Those phrases could be regarded as translations provided to Laurence by someone who frex might not know the English names of every kind of local red flower; we ended up deciding on peony: 芍, sháo.

“Emerald Glass” was a lot tougher bc of the single-character constraint, so it had to be something inherently green that wouldn’t require an added descriptor. “Jade” was already taken; even a novice translator would be clear on the value difference between jade and glass; and most glass isn’t intense emerald green anyway. We ended up going metaphorical by referring to the serene, smooth green surface of a formal water garden. Pond/fishpool: 沼, zhǎo.

(We absolutely did not want to go in the direction that Laurence had misheard an ambiguously enunciated “emerald grass”.)

By the time those names appeared in print, the wiki and discussion pages were gone from her site and the participants dispersed, but I was ever so pleased to see them canonized yay.

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Emerald Spectacles from India, c. 1620-1660 CE: the lenses of these spectacles were cut from a single 300-carat emerald, and it was believed that they possessed mystical properties

These eyeglasses are also known by the name "Astaneh-e ferdaws," meaning "Gate of Paradise," based on the symbolic associations between the color green and the concept of spiritual salvation/Paradise. That symbolism (which is rooted in Islamic tradition) was especially popular in Mughal-era India, where the spectacles were made.

The lenses were crafted from two thin slices of the same emerald. Together, the lenses have a combined weight of about 27 carats, but given the precision, size, and shape of each lens, experts believe that the original emerald likely weighed in excess of 300 carats (more than sixty grams) before it was cleaved down in order to produce the lenses. The emerald was sourced from a mine in Muzo, Colombia, and it was then transported across the Atlantic by Spanish or Portuguese merchants.

Each lens is encircled by a series of rose-cut diamonds, which run along an ornate frame made of gold and silver. The diamond-studded frame was added in the 1890s, when the original prince-nez design was fitted with more modern frames.

The emerald eyeglasses have long been paired with a second set of spectacles, and they were almost certainly commissioned by the same patron. This second pair is known as "Halqeh-e nur," or the "Halo of Light."

The Halo of Light features lenses that were made from slices of diamond. The diamond lenses were cleaved from a single stone, just like the emerald lenses, with the diamond itself being sourced from a mine in Southern India. It's estimated that the original, uncut diamond would have weighed about 200-300 carats, which would make it one of the largest uncut diamonds ever found.

The lenses are so clear and so smoothly cut that it sometimes looks like they're not even there.

Both sets of spectacles date back to the mid-1600s, and it's generally believed that they were commissioned by a Mughal emperor or prince. The identity of that person is still a bit of a mystery, but it has been widely speculated that the patron was Shah Jahan -- the Mughal ruler who famously commissioned the Taj Mahal after the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan did rule as the Mughal emperor from about 1628 to 1658.

The emerald and diamond lenses may have been chosen for symbolic, sentimental, and/or cultural reasons, or they may have been chosen simply because they're pretty and extravagant; the original meaning and purpose behind the design is still unclear. Experts do believe that the eyeglasses were designed to be worn by someone, though.

At times, it was believed that the spectacles had spiritual properties, like the ability to promote healing, to ward off evil, to impart wisdom, and to bring the wearer closer to enlightenment. Those beliefs are largely based on the spiritual significance that emeralds and diamonds can have within certain Indic and Islamic traditions -- emeralds may be viewed as an emblem of Paradise, salvation, healing, cleansing, and eternal life, while diamonds are similarly associated with enlightenment, wisdom, celestial light, and mysticism.

The Gate of Paradise and the Halo of Light were both kept in the collections of a wealthy Indian family until 1980, when they were sold to private collectors, and they were then put up for auction once again in 2021. They were most recently valued at about $2 million to $3.4 million per pair.

Sources & More Info:

Sotheby's: Mughal Spectacles

Architectural Digest of India: At Sotheby's auction, Mughal-era eyeglasses made of diamond and emerald create a stir

Only Natural Diamonds: Auspicious Sight & the Halqeh-e Nur Spectacles

The Royal Society Publishing: Cleaving the Halqeh-Ye Nur Diamonds

Gemological Institution of America: Two Antique Mughal Spectacles with Gemstone Lenses

Manuscript: From Satan's Crown to the Holy Grail: emeralds in myth, magic, and history

CNN: The $3.5 million Spectacles Said to Ward off Evil

BBC: Rare Mughal Era Spectacles to be Auctioned by Sotheby's

[artifacts-archive]

Dagger with Scabbard

Indian, Mughal 1605–27

The hilt of the dagger is constructed of heavy sections of gold over an iron core and its scabbard mounts are of solid gold. All the intricately engraved surfaces are set with gems and colored glass finely cut with floral forms. The designs closely parallel those in Mughal painting of the early seventeenth century, suggesting the dagger dates from the reign of Emperor Jahangir (1605–27), whose deep love of nature, especially flowers, is well documented in his memoirs, the "Tuzuk." The blade is forged of watered steel.

[starlittragedies]

saw this post about regulus wearing glasses and I LOVE IT SO MUCH

cause imagine regulus who’s contacts had been ruined by barty (he was messing around as he does and accidentally knocked down regulus’ side table making his contacts fall on the floor, leaving them unusable) so he HAS to wear his glasses so he could see cause it would take at least a day for his new contacts to come in.

but being his stubborn and vain self he doesn’t want to because for one, he thinks it makes him look stupid and two, it doesn’t really match him or his face shape (it does he just doesn’t want to admit it) so he settled for squinting his eyes at any given moment just so he would not have to wear his godforsaken glasses. though his squinting doesn’t do that much for him considering the number of times he seemed to bump into things, people, and walls.

by the time they had reached the great hall his friends had enough. pandora accio-ed regulus’ glasses and handed it to dorcas who had put it on its owner with a strong sticking charm while barty and evan held him in place.

safe to say that regulus has not bumped into anything or anyone after that and the glasses stayed on until his contacts came. he also got a few compliments for it.

not to mention a similarly bespectacled boy from the gryffindor table looking at him with heart eyes, which had a lovestruck shine to them (double than they usually are), thinking about how cute his crush is and how if they had had a child the child would have blurry eyesight just like his fathers.

[snototter]

An emerald glassfrog (Espadarana prosoblepon) in Imbabura, Ecuador

by Andreas Kay

[ninoochat]

[gathoscorner]

Done for @owlhousesecretsanta gift exchange for: @envcc

[thelastofthebookworms]

So... Here's one more of your suggestions and a few more personal favorites. Is your fav still not there ?

[mimiriko]

stsg have their own ways of spoiling you.

gojo looks at you like you sprouted a second head when you decline the two overflowing bags of dior. he’s like “wtf. just take it.” and you try to get it through his thick skull that you don’t want it and you’ll have to owe him later. his ears go red because he’s insulted you think so lowly of him!!!! why would he want you to pay him back!!! in the end he leaves them in your closet while you sleep and rips off the tags so they can’t be returned. he’s petty and wants you to enjoy life but has 0 communication skills

geto is a manipulative KING. he’ll take your hand and walk you to places. keeping your mouth filled with goodies and constantly talking so you don’t notice when the credit card is swiping and how many bags are in his hands. mother hen tendencies. you realize at the end of the day and sulk while he looks at you fondly and says you can repay him by trying on all the clothes. or make him something hand made

[colorsoutofearth]

Emerald glass frog (Centrolene prosoblepon) sitting in flower folds of ginger (Zingiber), Costa Rica

Photo by Guy Edwardes

[transingthoseformers]

so how would a SG Unicron work in tf prime or bayverse?

considering hes the earth? what would he do?

lol nothing changes in TLK because he does nothing in bayverse/hj

In prime the whole "Unicron is going to destroy the earth" thing probably wouldn't happen, he'd probably work with SG Megatron, accepting that his frame needs to go to sleep again and his action of possibly reviving Megatron in the sg epilogue is a much more benevolent act

[oheysunshine]

[phoenixmetaphor]

Leon from @thebrandywine ‘s [pull me under]

[fanartbyherd]

Fan art for the wizard of oz I did on top of an assignment.

It’s not finished, but I’m done with the sketchbook it is in, meaning that it’s unlikely to ever be finished.

[daydreams-and-honeybees]

Thinking about Willow’s ‘out of sight out of mind’ motto and picturing Gus and Hunter pestering her so she just takes off her glasses and ignores them. They are devastated.

[leeshabeth90]