gems, jade, Fischer-Book, mineralogy, early mineralogy

A comprehensive mineralogical handbook presenting Breithaupt’s classification and description of minerals according to their physical properties, crystallography, composition, and occurrence. The work reflects the mid-nineteenth-century development of systematic mineralogy and provides descriptions of numerous mineral species and varieties, including many materials of gemological interest. It is particularly useful for tracing historical mineral names, classifications, physical-property data, and the changing distinction between mineral species and ornamental stones.