Guest guest Posted May 12, 2005 Report Share Posted May 12, 2005 Dear Aum & Rudraksha Gang, Raaj Roop Tank showed me some of his personal valuable gems, but at that time (1974) he didn't have his special collection together yet. He told me about a jeweler friend in Ajmer who had a complete collection of Asta Moti (Naga mani, oyster pearl, Bamboo pearl, boar head pearl, etc.). I never got to meet that man but now I am putting together my own collection of Asta moti. I have bamboo pearl (Venu-mani), naga mani, elephant pearl (Gaja mani), boar head pearl, etc. The only one that may prove ellusive is the Sky or Cloud pearl, but 7 out of 8 is a pretty good museum. Best regards of all Rudraksha lovers, Y/s, Richard --- Aum Ganesh <aumganesh wrote: > Richardji, I heard the late Sri Sri Raaj Roop Tank of Jaipur had a > wonderful private collection of precious ratna, somewhat like a > kinda Aladdin's Cave (so to speak). You were highly blessed to have > been accepted under his tutelage! and you are right about > Pushaparaaj and yellow topaz or yellow citrine. Couldn't agree more. > > > , Richard Shaw > Brown <rsbj66> wrote: > > 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! 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