gems, gemology, lapidary

Abraham Gemma’s Gemma magica oder magisches Edelgestein is a late 17th-century German lapidary devoted to the natural, medicinal, occult, and magical properties traditionally attributed to precious stones. The work discusses various gems and minerals, their supposed virtues and effects, and their uses as remedies, amulets, and talismans, drawing upon classical, medieval, and early modern lapidary traditions. It reflects a period in which empirical observations of gemstones coexisted with astrology, sympathetic magic, medicine, and beliefs concerning their supernatural powers. The work is of particular interest to historians of gemology as evidence for the persistence of traditional gem lore in early modern Europe and for the changing relationship between mineralogy, medicine, magic, and the emerging experimental sciences.