gems, jade, Fischer-Book

Johann Heinrich Zedler’s Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon aller Wissenschafften und Künste is one of the largest encyclopedias published in 18th-century Europe, ultimately comprising 64 main volumes and four supplements. Its alphabetically arranged articles encompass history, geography, biography, theology, medicine, natural history, commerce, crafts, and the sciences, synthesizing information from a wide range of earlier authorities. Of particular interest to gemologists are its numerous entries on precious stones, minerals, their supposed medicinal properties, and lapidary terminology. The entry “Jade” (Vol. 14, 1735, pp. 123–124) reflects contemporary European understanding of jade and its properties and uses, while “Pierre divine” (Vol. 11, 1735, p. 912) documents the medicinal stone associated with early modern therapeutic traditions. The encyclopedia is consequently a valuable source for tracing 18th-century European gemstone nomenclature, mineralogical knowledge, and surviving beliefs concerning the medical virtues of stones.