The curious lore of precious stones : being a description of their sentiments and folk lore, superstitions, symbolism, mysticism, use in medicine, protection, prevention, religion, and divination, crystal gazing, birthstones, lucky stones and talismans, astral, zodiacal and planetary / by George Frederick Kunz, with 86 illustrations in color, doubletone and line.

  • Kunz, George Frederick, 1856-1932.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The curious lore of precious stones : being a description of their sentiments and folk lore, superstitions, symbolism, mysticism, use in medicine, protection, prevention, religion, and divination, crystal gazing, birthstones, lucky stones and talismans, astral, zodiacal and planetary / by George Frederick Kunz, with 86 illustrations in color, doubletone and line. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    stone was believed to make the thief invisible, and thus possessed a virtue often attributed to the opal. A strange story regarding a magic stone reputed to have been worn by Alexander the Great is related by Albertus Magnus. According to this recital, Alexander, in his battles, wore a “prase” in his girdle. On his re- turn from his Indian campaign, wishing one day to bathe in the Euphrates, he laid aside his girdle, and a serpent bit oil the stone and then dropped it into the river.^'^ Even Albertus, who is far from critical, admits that the story seems like a fable, and it probably belongs to a comparatively late period. As the term “prase” is used very loosely by early writers, this “victory stone” may have been an emerald or possibly jade. Coral The appreciation of coral as an ornament, or for amulets, seems to presuppose a certain development of civilization, for savage tribes greatly prefer glass orna- ments. Many attempts have been made to introduce coral beads instead of glass beads among such’ tribes, but with no success, as the cheaper, but brighter, glass always commands a higher price.^® To still tempests and traverse broad rivers in safety was the privilege of one who bore either red or white coral with him. That this also stanched the flow of blood from a wound, cured madness, and gave ^wisdom, was said to have been experimentally proved.®^ “ Alberti Magni, “ Opera Omnia,” ed. Borgnet, Parisiis, 1890, vol. V, p. 43. De mineralibus, lib. ii, tract. 2. “ Bauer, “ Edelsteinkunde,” Leipzig, 1909, p. 750. ” Albertus Magnus, “ Le Grand Albert des secretz des vertus des Herbes, Pierres et Bestes. Et aultre livre des Merveilles du Monde, d’aulcuns effetz causez daulcunes bestes,” Turin, Bernard du mont du Chat (c. 1515). Liv. ii, fol. 9 recto.