Next to Pliny the Elder, Albertus Magnus is the most often referenced authority on the virtues of plants and stones.

An example of an early work on gemology. This is an interesting text as it illustrates the beginning of the shift from traditional folk belief to a more modern scientific view concerning stones. It has several chapters of interest, including famous stones and a small section of folklore.

Originally written in the 16th century by Anselmus de Boodt, this work became the definitive volume on the study of gems and minerals for several centuries afterwards.

This is one of the earliest desk references for modern jewelers. It is important not only for the author’s contributions to the study of precious stones but also because it explains some of the variances individuals come across in interpreting older texts.

This text is the source of many of the quotes found in modern books on the metaphysical properties of stones. It is included here because it is so often referenced. However, it should be noted that much of Fernie’s information was “borrowed” from other earlier texts, and that his other book on herbs was found to contain information that could not be substantiated. Nevertheless, it is an interesting read, and includes several mythological stones that do not actually exist and therefore were excluded from most modern works, making this one of the few remaining sources of information on these ancient myths.

This is an interesting work detailing the legends surrounding various precious stones, as well as detailed descriptions of said stones.