Guest guest Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Hi, As there was some interest in Pukhraj I thought I'd scan some expcerpts from Harish Johari's book The Healing Power Of Gemstones. THE YELLOW SAPPHIRE The yellow sapphire is known as pushparaga in Sanskrit and pukhraj in Hindi. A gem of the corundum family, yellow sapphire is a twin of ruby and blue sapphire. It is found in yellow, golden, and orange colors, as well as in a colorless variety known as white sapphire. The best gem is said to be of lemon-yellow color. The color in yellow sapphire is due to the presence of iron and titanium. For gaining the favor of the planet Jupiter, scriptures recommend that one select a pukhraj that is transparent, even, smooth, yellow like the color of the Cascaria ovata flower, and with a tenuous lustre that sparkles. QUALITIES OF A GOOD YELLOW SAPPHIRE 1) heaviness or high specific gravity that can be felt when placed on the palm 2) rich velvety lustre that can be seen with the naked eye 3) transparency, which makes it clean and pure 4) evenness in surface, without any variation in thickness 5) uniformity of color, without any layers 6) solidity, hardness 7) self-luminous quality: it should emit light all over its surface 8) smooth feel 9) regular shape 10) pleasant appearance FLAWS OF A YELLOW SAPPHIRE 1. dullness -harmful for health 2. crack inside the gem-creates fear of thieves 3. milky appearance inside-harmful for progeny 4. flimsy inside the substance of the gem-brings injuries 5. dents or pits-bring bad luck and poverty 6. visible stains or black spots-gives sorrow 7. asymmetrical shape-brings bad luck 8. a hole, slit, or cavity inside the gem-brings poverty and bad luck 9. fibers in the texture-create problems in the family 10. roughness in touch-brings ill luck 11. dry-looking, because of the lack of fire and water-brings disease 12. mixed color, brownish color, or dark yellow-brings suffering 13 grainy surface-brings bad luck 14 red spots-bring poverty and destroy wealth 15 black spots-bring sorrow and destroy pets and cattle 16 white spots-shorten life span IDENTIFICATION OF A REAL YELLOW SAPPHIRE 1. When placed on a white cloth and exposed to sunlight, it gives yellow hue to the spot where the light is reflected. 2. If kept in milk for twenty-four hours it does not change color. 3. It cures poisonous insect bites immediately if rubbed on the afflicted area. 4. All other gems of the same color and appearance have lower specific gravity, are less hard, and have a different refractive index than the yellow sapphire. 5. It increases in brilliance when rubbed on a touchstone. 6. The lustre of a synthetic gem resembles the lustre of glass. 7. A synthetic gem becomes warm soon when placed on the eyelids. 8. The milky spots in a synthetic gem are dry and without brilliance, whereas in a real gem these milky spots are rich in flicker and lustre and have the gleam of fresh cow's milk. CLASSIFICATION OF YELLOW SAPPHIRES 1. Brahmin: White-colored-best suited for spiritually inclined learned people 2. Kshatriya: Rose-colored and pink-tinted gems-best suited for rulers 3. Vaishya: Yellow- or golden coloured gems-best suited for merchant class 4. Shudra: Dark green variety-best suited for serving class. So have a look above at the flaws etc. If the gem has any of these don't bother, best to try and find a clean upratna instead........ BTW I suggest that anyone who is interested in purchasing gems should buy this book. Nothing wrong with a little self research, personally I have a small 14X eye loupe, I examine every gem I buy or have, and compare with the flaws I know of if they contain any then it's best to reject them.............. Thanks Rajinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2005 Report Share Posted May 12, 2005 Hi Gang, Sri Rajinderji has made a good point. In Sanskrit, "Pushparaag" always referred to yellow sapphire. The Hindi word, "Pukh raaj" is also supposed to mean yellow sapphire, and that is how it is known in the trade, such as in Jaipur or Kambaat. But somehow it has become confused with Yellow Topaz, which is what most people in India use for Jupiter. In 1974, after spending 7 years learning Sanskrit, my karma drove me from Vrindavan to Hyderabad. A "secret" Ruby mine had been uncovered, it was being developed with the Hyderabad family by my old California friend whom I hadn't seen in 7 years (the ashram where I spent 7 years in Vrindavan had NO westerners but me. No one spoke English except the Guru. So I had to learn Bengali to converse in the ashram, and also learn Hindi to converse OUTside the ashram, as well as learn Sanskrit so I could enter the heart of the mysteries. Anyway I'm telling this just to entertain you. At the mine, outside Hyderabad, AP, I was deputed to Bombay with 5 KG of rough rubies and told to enter the market using my Hindi and sell the rough. That is another story. It was then that I started buying Hindi and English books on gems, and the few books there were all spoke about what is (since 1982) known as "Planetary Gemology". One book was named "Rasi-or-ratna", another book was Graha-gochar jyotish, and (in Eng., "The occult powers of gems" by Scherman, and there was one author, late Raaj Roop Tank of Jaipur, that also explained Planetary Gemology basics in his book named "Indian Gemology" published in 1971. In 1974 I went to Jaipur to study under Sri Raaj Roop Tank and was able to do so. He was very kind and I could say a lot about that, but keeping to the point, I asked him why yellow corundum was called "Pukh raaj" when it is always called "Pushparaag" in all the Sanskrit texts. He told me that "Pukh raaj" was Hindi name, representing - what should be yellow sapphire - but in fact almost 90% of common Indian only ever heard of the name "Pukh Raaj" to mean the yellow gem, the Guru ratna, which in fact they are all using "yellow topaz" because yellow sapphire comes from outside India, and is very costly. And it had become so ingrained that even in Jaipur market when ever they are selling yellow topaz (and they are always selling topaz) that it was called as Pukh Raaj and this is how the Indians called it. So I asked how does the common man know about yellow sapphire? He said in fact the people don't know the difference... it's all topaz, and it's called "Pukh Raaj" and that's life in India. He also explained that gems needed to be flawless to work good, and yellow corundum in flawless quality could cost a small fortune if not a big one. So it was simply cost prohibitive in India (then) and yellow topaz was in fact being sold to the public as "Pukh Raaj. Common Indian has never heard the word "Pushaparaaj" unless they would have studied gemology IN Sanskrit... which is hardly the case. What the Bombay, Jaipur, Kambaat markets all have in common is selling yellow topaz to the public as the gem for Jupiter named Pukh Raaj. And this is the fact of he matter. Sri Tank ji told me that only the poor people believed in Planetary Gemology, and yellow sapphire is VERY expensive, so golden topaz had become "Pukh Raaj" or Guru Ratna. He said the rich Indian's who could easily afford the best of gems, they were hardly interested. So it is with the masses of India that it is normal to sell topaz as yellow sapphire named in Hindi as Pukh Raaj. So in common usage the truth has become nontruth. In fact Pukh Raaj is Hindi, denoting the mega expensive yellow sapphire that no common Indian (or Westerner) has ever heard of, but in fact BEING yellow topaz. There is no lie because the common man has never heard of Yellow Sapphire, and being poor they get what then can afford, i.e. yellow topaz. There is no harm in selling Topaz for Jupiter and that's the market reality, at least in 1974. Personally from every Indian (in India) who has shown me their "Guru Ratna" I have never once seen precious yellow sapphire, it's always topaz (at best) or citrine quartz (at worst). Well, there are a few exceptions, such as my Indian clients who are well off. Of course this is based on my limited experience... Sukriya!!! Richard Richard Shaw-Brown, PG Designer & Gemologist http://www.richardshawbrown.com http://www.astralgemstonetalismans.com http://www.themisunderstood.com http://www.hrisikesh.com http://www.hrisikesh.net http://www.agt-gems.com ______________________ Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger./download/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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