gems, Arabic mineralogy

A celebrated thirteenth-century Arabic cosmography by Zakariyyā ibn Muḥammad al-Qazwīnī (1203–1283), ʿAjāʾib al-makhlūqāt wa-gharāʾib al-mawjūdāt surveys the wonders of the universe and the natural world. The work is divided broadly between celestial and terrestrial creation, treating the heavens, stars and planets, the elements and meteorological phenomena, geography, seas and islands, and the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms. Of particular interest to gemology is its treatment of the mineral kingdom, which places stones and minerals within a comprehensive account of nature. Drawing upon earlier Islamic scientific, geographical, and literary traditions, al-Qazwīnī combines natural history with accounts of extraordinary phenomena and legendary creatures. The work became one of the most popular cosmographies of the Islamic world and survives in numerous Arabic manuscripts as well as Persian and Turkish translations, many extensively illustrated.