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Established in 1947, Lapidary Journal has been the authority on what's current in the gem and jewelry world for over half a century. The vast library of issues that have been created over the years is like a diary -- a record to what was going on in the industry at any given moment. Just as it's fun to read old entries in your personal journal, we at Lapidary Journal thought it would be a good time to begin reminiscing on topics past, to see what has changed over time and what has remained the same. Starting with the June 1954 issue, each month we will take a look back to an issue 50 years old. If readers are interested in receiving photocopies of these or any past articles, please send us an e-mail with the subject line of "reprints." The November/December 1955 issue was 6-1/2" x 9-3/4", unlike today's dimensions of 8-1/4" x 10-3/4". It was not until 1960 that the size changed for the first time. It was a bi-monthly magazine and the newsstand price was $0.50 per copy. Madonna in Agate The mysterious and "miraculous" slice of translucent white and golden agate pictured in the December 1955 issue of Lapidary Journal conjured much comment because of its naturally occurring image of the Madonna. Harmon Blethen purchased the agate from the late Fred G. Brandt who had originally come across it in a lot of agate slabs from Ralph E. Mueller & Son in Phoenix, AZ. At the time "Madonna in Agate" was written, Mueller stated that the agate came from some of the first Mexican material he'd ever handled. Three slabs had been sawed from the agate, and one slab he sold to someone in Laramie, WY. The rest of the rock was sold to the late Dave Harris of El Paso, who was famous for his colored slides of agates. The Lapidary Journal staff inquires in the article if anyone had the one slice and the rest of the rock. Who knows where these pieces could be today, 50 years later? Maybe one day, the owner of the adjoining slice will show up. The "holy" agate was first publicly exhibited at the show of the Santa Clara Gem & Mineral Society in San Jose, CA. in September, 1955, which just held its 50th anniversary show. Apparently, 12 priests from San Francisco came to the 1955 show to examine this slab of agate.
According to research by Eddie and others, in addition to the visual elements of sight, there are two other components of vision. The first, memory, is our ability to recall specific visual shapes and cues. The second, mind-set, which is important in the creation of illusions, means that our visions are greatly influenced by what we want to see. Whatever the explanation is, though, there have been hundreds of these naturally appearing and "miraculous" images over time. One example happened on Dec. 17, 1996, when an image of what appeared to be the Virgin Mary appeared on the windows of a building in Clearwater, FL. By the next spring, over 500,000 believers and the curious have visited the 60 foot-tall oily image. Glass experts surmised that the image was formed by sprinkler water and wind; others believe the stain to be created by the corrosion of the metallic elements in the glass. Other examples of visions include a cloud shaped like Diana, Princess of Wales, Jesus holding a lamb in the trunk of a tree, a cinnamon bun baked by a coffeehouse called Bongo Java reminiscent of Mother Teresa, and a grilled cheese sandwich with the image of the Virgin Mary. That particular grilled cheese sandwich sold for $28,000 on eBay®. Most recently, a vision that appeared to be the Virgin Mary came in the form of a water stain underneath a California underpass. There are countless other examples of simulacrum that have the faithful believing in divine prophecy, and the skeptics debating their principles. We can only wonder if the Blethen family kept the piece of agate mounted in
a shadow box. Perhaps the stone took the route of the grilled cheese sandwich
and was sold on eBay® More highlights from our archives coming next month from the December 1955 Lapidary Journal. |
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Naturally occurring images of the Madonna or Virgin Mary are rare, and what
causes these images is said to be miracles by many believers. Others say images
like the one in the agate are just a coincidence, such as Laurie Eddie of the
Australian Skeptics, an organization that investigates pseudoscience and the
paranormal. According to Eddie's article Yankalilla "Miracle" this
sort of occurrence is called sylvan simulacra, a common type of visual illusion
where an abstract pattern produces the impression to people viewing it of some
recognizable shape. Eddie, who has written for Investigator Magazineand Australian
Science Magazine, suggests that there are two types of simulacrum.
The first is called chiaroscuro simulacrum, where abstract patterns of light
and shadow combine to produce a recognizable shape. The other is where naturally
occurring objects, such as rocks, have weathered and taken on a recognizable
shape, such as the outline of an animal or a face. It is Eddie's belief
that "it was the presence of simulacrum that first triggered a belief in
nature spirits." There is also much research that the mind produces these
images from early memories, and that the mind "makes up" what it wants
to see.
