gems, ancient lapidaries, beryl, emerald, emerald lore

Schreiner examines the symbolic meanings and supposed virtutes of the emerald in classical, biblical, patristic, and medieval traditions, concentrating on an apparent contradiction in its symbolism: the stone could be associated both with Venus, erotic love, and sexuality and with virginity, chastity, and the Virgin Mary. He traces these divergent meanings through lapidaries, theological and literary sources, showing how the emerald’s greenness, beauty, purity, and traditionally attributed powers allowed it to acquire different and sometimes opposing allegorical meanings. Particular attention is given to Christian reinterpretations of earlier traditions, in which the emerald became an emblem of chastity and virginity while older associations with Venus continued to survive. The article illustrates how medieval understandings of gemstones combined inherited natural history, lapidary lore, theology, and symbolism rather than assigning stones a single fixed meaning.