gems, jade, Fischer-Book

A collected edition of the works of Isidore of Seville (c. 560–636), the influential early medieval scholar and archbishop of Seville. Of particular importance to the history of gemology is his Etymologiae (or Origines), an encyclopedic compilation of knowledge derived largely from classical and late-antique sources. Book XVI, De lapidibus et metallis(On Stones and Metals), discusses minerals, metals and numerous precious stones, including emerald, beryl, sapphire, amethyst, jasper, diamond and pearls, giving their names, supposed origins, physical characteristics and traditional properties. Isidore’s writings became an important conduit through which classical lapidary knowledge was transmitted to medieval Europe and strongly influenced subsequent medieval encyclopedias and lapidaries.