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| The Curious Lore of Precious Stones | 
 enlarge | Author: George Frederick Kunz
Publisher: Dover Publications
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy Used: $0.32
You Save: $16.63 (98%)
New (18) Used (56) Collectible (1) from $0.32
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 282401
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 406
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1
ISBN: 0486222276
Dewey Decimal Number: 398.365
EAN: 9780486222271
ASIN: 0486222276
Publication Date: June 1, 1971
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Cover wear and may contain some marks or writing. Keen Northwest ships in 2 business days or less. Refunds for any reason if item returned within 30 days of shipment.
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Product Description
Foremost gemologist presents definitive study of the magical abilities and strange characteristics of precious stones. Wide range of sources — Greek, Latin documents, medieval lapidaries, Eddas, Egyptian writings, Oriental gem books, the Bible — reveal magic, occult, medicinal and religious uses of dozens of gems. 65 plates, 8 in color.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 A timeless classic devoted to gemstone lore. May 22, 1999
48 out of 50 found this review helpful
Geoge Frederick Kunz's contribution as a gemmologisy at the beginning of the century earned him universal fame and respect, even to the point that one the most popular stones in modern energy work is named after him: Kunzite. Dover has published a reprint of his 1913 monument to the "hidden" side of gems: The Curious Lore of Precious Stones. This 400 page volume contains a wealth of material based on medieval lapidary tomes, history, folklore,the Bible, the Eddas, archeological findings, and oral traditions still alive at the time of Kunz's writing. The casual or serious reader cannot help but be impressed by the depth of understanding Kunz deplayed in page after page of riches associated with all aspects of gems and their uses. Thank you, Dover, for allowing us access to this remarkable book.
The Curious Lore of Precious Stones; March 31, 2002
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
I bought this book because I enjoy buying gemstones and rocks and just for fun I wanted to know more about the traditional properties that were associated with them. This book written in 1912 and was last reprinted in 1971. Author, George Frederick Kunz, was no doubt the leading expert of his time. The book is full of all kinds of information, from every religion and culture, and was very well researched. He quotes literature from ancient times through what was known up to his time. His writing style is also consistent with his times, so modern readers may find it a little stiff. There are newer lapidaries available...this is a good and entertaining reference.
Keep going back June 15, 2001
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
I keep going back to this to research this stone or that one. Mr. Kunz is a bit on the dry side, but his information is superlative. Many of the pagan books of today don't give enough resources... Mr. Kunz does. I realize he is not a pagan author, but this is a useful resource for pagans interested in stone work. Here is where Scott Cunningham got much of his lore!
 3 stars for being an interesting read...but... June 29, 2003
8 out of 19 found this review helpful
If you want something to help you buy jewelry more intelligently, or buy loose stones and have them made into your own designs, also here at Amazon try : Gemstones of the World (Schumann) *and* Jewelry & Gems, The Buying Guide (Matlins & Bonanno) -- they supplement each other well. As for this book : Kunz is a historic name well-known to gem and jewelry lovers, and I hoped there might be some helpful info -- or perhaps some fascinating gem exploration/ discovery tales -- here along with the 'lore.' None that I've found so far, though. Well, at least the 'lore' did provide me with some reasonably interesting chatter when folks ask about my jewelry or I notice theirs.
Excellent book, bad quality photo reproducing February 6, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The book itself is excellent, an important reference study and a very amusing book for the lover of gems. The author is a leading American scholar in his time, this one is his best: informative with sound statements and principal references. When you read it, you can touch the atmosphere of the great collections arranged by him and the greatest library on precious and semiprecious stones, which he had.
The only disadventage of this edition is the very poor photo reproducing of the original photos. The book contains many rare photos, but the reproducing is so bad, that they make you furious, if you see them.
So, 5 stars to the book itself and zero for the photo reproduction.
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