Glorfindel's stone

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Forgive me if this has been asked before, but I've yet to explore all of this site. In the Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn finds a "single pale-green jewel." He identifies it as a beryl (ie: an emerald), but emeralds are not pale green. In general stone-lore, beryls are historically elf-stones and are associated with the merry folk of the wood. However (this is where my question comes into play) a peridot IS a pale green jewel. In basic stone-lore, peridots were always used to ward off terrors of the night, and wraiths. The stone was placed on the bridge after Glorfindel dispelled the Nazgul, thus causing me to believe that the stone was, in fact, a peridot, and that Aragorn wrongly identified it. Is my conclusion correct, or have I missed an important fact?

[the phantom]

Interesting theory. I suppose it could have been a peridot, but that still doesn't make Aragorn wrong.

Emeralds are green, it's just that they're usually darker. Also, a peridot is sometimes called an "evening emerald". See this link... http://www.jewelrymall.com/stones/emerald.html

[ February 13, 2003: Message edited by: the phantom ]

[burrahobbit]

Beryl is not the same as emerald.

[DaughterofVana]

As much as I would like to agree with Burra...

beryl

\Ber"yl\ (b[e^]r"[i^]l), n. [F. b['e]ryl, OF. beril, L. beryllus, Gr. bh`ryllos, prob. fr. Skr. vai[dsdot][=u]rya. Cf. Brilliant.] (Min.) A mineral of great hardness, and, when transparent, of much beauty. It occurs in hexagonal prisms, commonly of a green or bluish green color, but also yellow, pink, and white. It is a silicate of aluminium and glucinum (beryllium). The aquamarine is a transparent, sea-green variety used as a gem. The emerald is another variety highly prized in jewelry, and distinguished by its deep color, which is probably due to the presence of a little oxide of chromium.


Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

My New World Dictionary of the American Language says that, too, though it's a Second Edition from 1974! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

-'Vana

[the phantom]

Burra's right. Emerald is NOT the same thing as beryl.

An emerald is a type of beryl.

So if the book says Aragorn found a beryl, he didn't necessarily find an emerald. Perhaps he found a heliodor, a greenish-yellow variety of beryl.

[ February 13, 2003: Message edited by: the phantom ]

[DaughterofVana]

Darn your fancy logic! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

-'Vana

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I thank you all. I had forgotten about heliador when I posted my query. My point has been opposed and thoroughly defeated, but you must admit that my conclusion of peridot was a good one, given the circumstances of my mind when I wrote this. So Aragorn did find a beryl. It was indeed an elf-stone, but it would have perfect if I had been correct about my wraith-warding peridot ideas. I apologize for making it seem as if a beryl and an emerald are one and the same- I know otherwise and I would have clarified had I not been ousted from my work before I was finished. Thanks once again.

[burrahobbit]

I found a site that doesn't have a ton of people arguing over who's gonna marry Orlando Bloom!

Omigod where?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

*Cough-cough* I erm... meant this one. That is until, sadly, I was half-proven wrong. I checked out the Newbies section (being somewhat of one myself) and I happened to come across someone with the Use-name of 'Orli Bloom is Hot' who mentioned something about "hi... I'm new here... Orlando Bloom is so hot, isn't he?" Alas, I knew it was too good to be true. But some kind soul supplied the person with links to Legolas threads so-as they would not clutter up the rest of them. Oh well... the forum is way better than the rest I've been on!

[burrahobbit]

Cheers, buddy.

[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

Not to take away from Bloom-lover bashing, or to really push the original subject, but did people of the Third Age, regardless of how great elves and men and hobbits were, recognize the difference between a peridot and a heliador, or the color peridot on a stone? (With the exception of course, of the Naugrim). I mean, I guess it depends on the discovery of a genuine difference (besides cuts and elemental composition) between the two stones.

[Tarthang]

In response to Dol Goldur's querry, I would hazard that the few remaining Elvish smith's of Eregion could distinguish between the various types of Beryl (who else would've had the skill to reforge Narsil). And of course any jeweller, simply because they tend to have some expertise in minerology. Otherwise, I doubt that anyone other than the Naugrim would know any better.

[ February 15, 2003: Message edited by: Tarthang ]

[ February 15, 2003: Message edited by: Tarthang ]

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Now Keeper... you offend me. Acting as if my theory is insubstantial! Although your point of there being a distinct lack of minerologists in the Third Age holds true, the fact that Elves and Wizards are both masters of lore leads me to believe that there must be a few who are capable of identifying various minerals and their "uses". The simple fact that peridots, emeralds, and heliadors are much different shades of green makes me think that Elves, and Aragorn, whose sight is far keener than our own would be able to see the subtle differences. And we weren't Bloom-bashing, per se, we were just bashing those who cannot see past his good looks to the masterpiece in which he was involved!