gems, jade, Fischer-Book, Brazil, Natural history, Tropical medicine

A landmark seventeenth-century natural history of Brazil, produced from observations made during the Dutch occupation of northeastern Brazil. Piso treats medicine, diseases, and useful natural products, while Marcgraf provides systematic descriptions of the region’s plants, animals, geography, and other natural phenomena, with editorial contributions by Johannes de Laet. Richly illustrated, the work was one of the earliest comprehensive scientific accounts of South American nature. Of particular gemological interest is p. 271, where precious stones and mineral materials occurring in Brazil are discussed, providing an important early European record of Brazilian gem resources.