Carbuncle: The Gem of Inflammation

For personal summer enjoyment, I am currently reading the book, Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner. My interest in spices is in relation to commodity monies. Mr. Turner's book is a meandering read, not a bad thing, but has proved to be slow going for me. It is dense but a delight for those who appreciate details. He has researched so thoroughly his subject matter, that I feel he might have been compelled to pack it ALL in. I do believe he could have gotten at least three books out of his commendable research (if not more).

On page 86, Turner includes a passage written by Saint Jerome (ca. 347-419/420) that refers to trade in India. "Here are found carbuncles, emeralds, and shining pearls, for which desire burns int he breasts of noblewomen..."

Due to my summer class on the history of jewelry, I already knew what a carbuncle was in reference to gems. It is a red cabochon, normally a garnet but sometimes a ruby. A carbuncle is polished but not faceted. The literal translation is "little coal" or "cinder" thus the relation to red stones. Webster's online dictionary has a thorough definition which includes the word's usage associated with an angry red boil. Flashy! This may explain the term falling out of favor in the fashion world. A gem that is also an unpleasant skin condition would be a tough sell.

Below is a nice example from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. It is a Sarmatian diadem from the 1st century AD.

I have run across more than one online source, such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, that suggests a carbuncle is specifically an almandine garnet, but this is its contemporary definition. General consensus of its ancient usage was any red gem cabochon. The below picture is from minerals.net and Gemhut.It does look as though it might need a medicated salve, doesn't it? As far as gems go, garnet cabochons are still reasonably priced. I got my current stash from a Dallas gem show, but Fire Mountain Gems has a nice supply. I recently used a couple in my Dollar Earrings I set and was pleased with the results. They look almost black in the picture, but in reality are a deep red.

My other current work can be found on Crafthaus.