gems, jade, Fischer-Book

Der auffrichtige Jubelier is an anonymous early eighteenth-century German handbook for jewelers dealing with precious stones, pearls, and the practical knowledge required in the jewelry trade. It discusses the principal varieties of gems, their characteristics, qualities, defects, and values, together with methods used to distinguish genuine stones from imitations and altered materials. The work also addresses aspects of buying, selling, and evaluating jewels, reflecting the practical concerns of contemporary merchants and craftsmen rather than purely mineralogical classification. It is of particular interest to the history of gemology because it documents the empirical methods, terminology, valuation practices, and commercial knowledge employed by German-speaking jewelers in the early eighteenth century.