FOR IELTS - SAMPLE TEST 3 - READING 2

 A GEM OF STORY

People have been adorning themselves with jewels for thousands of years, and to this day, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, pearls, and the like are still making their way down catwalks, into the hippest fashion magazines, and onto the clothes and accessories of the rich and famous. Gems, however, are more than just a fashion statement and an object of beauty; they are surrounded by myths, healing powers, and emotions. Indeed behind every precious stone, there is a gem of a story, none of which are more intriguing than those of the green minerals emerald and jade, and the greenish-blue turquoise. Zimbabwe boasts the oldest emeralds, which are estimated to have started growing more than 2.6 billion years ago, while those found in Pakistan are much younger, dating back a mere 9 million years. However, atop the 'A List' for the world's best emeralds is Colombia. Emeralds have been a part of numerous cultures and religions over the past few thousand years. The Aztecs and Incas of South America regarded it as a holy stone. The green of the emerald is the holy color of Islam, with many states of the Arab League possessing the color on their flags. The green of the emerald is also the most natural and elemental color of Catholic Church ceremonies. In India, the holy scriptures of the Vedas spoke of the healing powers of the emerald. In 1695, the 'Mogul Emerald' of India, one of the world's largest emeralds was discovered. One side was inscribed with prayers and the other was engraved with floral ornaments. It was auctioned by Christie's London in 2001 to an anonymous buyer for US$2.2 million.

The treasure chests of maharajas and maharanis were often filled with emeralds, but they were not the only monarchs to take a liking to this precious stone. Egyptian pharaohs exhausted the Cleopatra Mines of the Red Sea. Emperor Jehangir had a cup made purely of emerald. Empress Farah had her diadem adorned with the stones. Turkish sultans also had their jewelry, writing implements, and daggers decorated lavishly with emeralds. Nowadays top quality, fine emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds of the same weight. Jade also shares a long and esteemed history stretching back 7,000 years. In prehistoric times, the stone was admired more for its toughness and therefore became a very practical material for making tools and weapons. Even to this day, the Maoris of New Zealand still carve weapons and cult instruments out of jade. The Chinese as early as 3000 BC saw it as having greater value than gold and diamonds. The Mayans, Aztecs, and Olmecs of Central America in the pre-Colombian period also shared the same view. Jade has been most widely used in Chinese culture. Apart from weapons and cult figures, it has also been used to furnish the graves of the imperial family. Nowadays it finds itself more often in the form of a pendant, necklace, or bracelet or collected as an antique. One of the main reasons jade has become popular in the East is the powers it's said to possess. In present times, it symbolizes the good, the beautiful, and the precious while in the past it embodied the Confucian virtues of wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty, and courage. It has also been symbolic of female eroticism throughout history. The Egyptians saw jade as the stone of love, inner peace and harmony and balance while other cultures honored it for bringing luck or giving protection. Gem therapists use the stone to create joy and vivacity. The story of Turquoise is somewhat more consistent across cultures and time. It was known as a holy stone that had the power to shield its wearers from evil. Egyptians would wear turquoise around their neck to ward off unnatural death. In fact, it was said that turquoise could even predict if a moment of peril was forthcoming, and would change its color to warn its wearer of it. These days, advances in science tell us that this is not actually true. Actually, the color change is due to a number of scientific factors including the influence of light, cosmetic products, dust, or even the pH level of the wearer's skin. Turbans would also be decorated with turquoise encircled by a border of pearls to safeguard the wearer from the 'evil eye'. Talismans, objects such as daggers, scimitars, and horse bridles used for similar protective purposes, were also decorated accordingly. The Aztecs of Mexico believed the stone was holy, as their ceremonial masks were lined with this jewel and the Indians of North America believed that, because of its color, it provided a direct link between the sky and the lakes.

These days it is more popular to refer to turquoise as a good luck charm. In the past, it may have been used to prevent horse riders from accidentally falling off; it is now popular with industries such as aviation to ensure a safe journey.

Gem therapists look at turquoise as having the power to solve problems for those with a negative outlook on life, lending self-confidence to those with a subdued personality, and bringing faithfulness and reliability to friendships.