#qarth

all the colors that had been missing from vaes tolorro had found their way to qarth

After identifying Pearl and Jade Emperors, it is time to talk about Tourmaline, Onyx, and Topaz Emperors and try to find out who they were 🤔

Tourmaline

is a crystalline silicate mineral group in which boron is compunded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium,  lithium, or potassium. This gemstone comes in a wide variety of colors.

The name is derived from the Sinhelese tōramalli which refers to the  carnelian  gemstones.

Tourmaline was sometimes called the "Ceylonese Magnet" because it could attract and then repel hot ashes due to its pyroelectric properties.

Tourmalines were used by chemists in the 19th century to polarize light by shining rays onto a cut and polished surface of the gem.

I don't know how true my interpretation is but Tourmaline feels like the reign of Urrigon, and Peremore's interest for knowledge and alchemy, so tourmaline symbolises foundation of the Citadel for me.

In asoiaf main series Tourmaline makes its appearence in Qarth, as one of the three fractions that rule the city, Tourmaline Brotherhood gives Daenerys her crown, the semi precious stone is also mentioned when Daenerys dreams of gemstone emperors, Xaro gifts Daenerys thousand knights of of jade and beryl and onyx and tourmaline, of amber and opal and amethyst, and lastly among Illyrio's rings "onyx and opal, tiger's eye and tourmaline, ruby, amethyst, sapphire, emerald, jet and jade, a black diamond, and a green pearl"

But we also have to look at Carnelian as well, which is a stone mentioned once in asoiaf in Arys Oakheart chapter.

Carnelian

Although now the more common term, "carnelian" is a 16th-century corruption of the 14th-century word "cornelian". Cornelian, cognate with similar words in several Romance languages, comes from the Mediaeval Latin corneolus, itself derived from the Latin word cornum, the cornel cherry, whose translucent red fruits resemble the stone. The Oxford English Dictionary calls "carnelian" a perversion of "cornelian," by subsequent analogy with the Latin word caro, carnis ("flesh"). Similar to Carnelian is the gemstone sard which comes from Persian and means yellowish red, but another derivation is from the Greek σάρξ (sarx, "flesh"); compare the surer etymology of onyx, which comes from Greek ὄνυξ (onyx, "claw, fingernail").

And you know what's more exciting? Topaz is thought to be related to the Sanskrit word तपस् "tapas", meaning "heat" or "fire".

Flesh, claw, fire - they are like a three headed dragon 👀

Onyx

Onyx is a typically black-and-white banded variety of agate, a silicate mineral. The bands can also be monochromatic with alternating light and dark bands. Sardonyx is a variety with red to brown bands alternated with black or white bands. The name "onyx" is also frequently used for level-banded (parallel-banded) agates, but in proper usage it refers to color pattern not band structure. Onyx, as a descriptive term, has also been incorrectly applied to parallel-banded varieties of alabaster, marble, calcite, obsidian, and opal.

Onyx in main series have many connections, eyes of Khal Drogo, Alleras the Sphinx, and Ser Alliser Thorne are described as onyx, dragon bones are described as black as onyx, Daenerys' crown has dragons made from ivory, jade, and onyx, the Seven have altars inlaid with mother-of-pearl and onyx and lapis lazuli, and eyes of malachite, onyx, and yellow jade , the Pureborns have thrones studded with amber, onyx, lapis, and jade, the scarab used during Daenerys' assassination attempt in Qarth a scarab is described as carved from emerald and onyx, the box is inlaid mother of pearl with chalcedony, jasper, and lastly the wedding chalice gifted by Mace Tyrell have the sigils of the great houses: ruby lion, emerald rose, onyx stag, silver trout, blue jade falcon, opal sun, and pearl direwolf on the seven faces.

Through Joffrey says the Pearl direwolf should be replaced by a squid, which is funny because Pearl Emperor is related to Ironborn.

I think onyx is related to Dorne but I don't have an exact house or character in mind.

Topaz

Topaz is a silicate mineral made of aluminum and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F, OH)2. It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural state is colorless, though trace element impurities can make it pale blue or golden-brown to yellow-orange. Topaz is often treated with heat or radiation to make it a deep blue, reddish-orange, pale green, pink, or purple.

The word "topaz" is usually believed to be derived (via Old French: Topace and Latin: Topazius) from the Gerek  Τοπάζιος  (Topázios) or Τοπάζιον (Topázion), from Τοπαζος. This is the ancient name of St. John's Island in the Red Sea which was difficult to find and from which a yellow stone (now believed to be chrysolite: yellowish olivine) was mined in ancient times. The name topaz was first applied to the mineral now known by that name in 1737. Ancient Sri Lanka (Tamraparni) exported topazes to Greece and ancient Egypt, which led to the etymologically related names of the island by Alexander Polyhistor (Topazius) and the early Egyptians (Topapwene) – "land of the Topaz". Pliny said that Topazos is a legendary island in the Red Sea and the mineral "topaz" was first mined there. Alternatively, the word topaz may be related to the Sanskrit word तपस् "tapas", meaning "heat" or "fire".

Though the word topaz was used to refer chrysoberyl and peridot in old times, both of these stones are greenish in colour, chrysoberyl was thought to enhance life, and beauty, while peridot could etymologically refer to a type of Opal, which is the successor of Topaz Emperor.

Topaz is mentioned once in main books, Stannis has a belt of yellow topaz and garnet. With the fire and legendary island connection, topaz could be related to faith of R'llhor in some way.

dany in a clash of kings

Sep 15-20 Lokrum, Croatia 2025

Lokrum, also famously known as Qarth in Game Of Thrones, is an incredible island just a small ferry ride from Old Town in Dubrovnik. Little did we know it was a nature gem and home to a ton of peacocks, but it was also one of the coolest island I've been to. They used to say the island was cursed because the old monks cursed the invading, "he who tries to claim Lokrum for himself alone shall be cursed!" And I support them wholeheartedly HAHA. This gem belongs to all, to behold and enjoy. Maybe mostly to the peacocks, who takes up all the space, and rightfully so, hahaha!

To be fair, three important people traveled quite a distance to personally escort her to Qarth and she is welcomed in a triumphant fashion with gongs and flowers - they gave her reason to hope there would be material support for her quest - to be, presumably, repaid one way or the other upon success. That's not in and of itself outlandish, though the example of the exile prince Jalabhar Xho in KL already hints to the reader how this usually goes. (Not to mention Viserys himself.)

She's just a (dangerous, powerful) kid, of course she thinks it might be that easy.