Cutting Diamonds and Other Gems
How the lapidary turns a dull pebble into a blazing brilliant.
This site is the complete 1909 book A Book of Precious Stones by Julius Wodiska, page by page as originally printed — period spelling, remedies and opinions included. About this edition →
A Book of
Precious Stones
The identification of gems and gem minerals, and an account of their scientific, commercial, artistic, and historical aspects
The Five Precious Stones
Diamond
The premier gem of the world, from the blue ground of Kimberley to the cutting of the great Cullinan.
Emerald
The green aristocrat of the beryl family, rarer in perfection than almost any other stone.
Pearl
The aristocrat of gems — social insignia of rank from the Ptolemies to the present day.
Ruby
Fine rubies are scarcer than fine diamonds; the best come from one small territory in upper Burma.
Sapphire
The stone of April, symbol of constancy — corundum in every colour that is not red.
The Semi-Precious Stones
Amethyst
The purple quartz of Bacchus, once prized above all for its scarcity.
Coral
Built by tiny architects of the sea and worked in the shops of Italy.
Garnet
Almandite, pyrope, rhodolite — a whole family of stones behind one name.
Opal
No gem is more individual: a play of rainbow colours in a milky stone.
Topaz
Yellow by reputation, yet found colourless, blue, and pink.
Turquoise
The sky-blue gem of the Persians and of the Aztecs.
Cat's-Eye
Chatoyant stones with a moving line of light — cymophane, quartz, and tiger-eye.
Chrysoprase
The golden-leek green hornstone beloved of Frederick the Great.
Jade
The Yu stone of China: jadeite and nephrite, tough beyond all others.
Moonstone
A soft floating light like moonshine, from the gem gravels of Ceylon.
Peridot
Chrysolite, olivine, peridot — three names for one puzzling green stone.
Kunzite
America's new gem, a lilac spodumene that glows under radium.
Tourmaline
A stone of many colours, dug from the granite of Maine and California.
Amber
Fossil resin of ancient forests, cast up by the Baltic Sea.
Bloodstone
Green jasper flecked with red, the March stone of courage.
Moss Agate
Chalcedony holding miniature forests and landscapes.
Onyx & Sardonyx
The layered stones of the cameo-cutter's art.
Occasional Stones
An alphabet of minerals that appear in the shops from time to time.
The Lapidary’s Art & Trade
Imitations, Improvements, and Reconstruction
Paste, doublets, and scientific rubies — and how the jeweller detects them.
Our Diamond Cutters and Their Trade Union
Amsterdam's guild and the American union of a jealously guarded trade.
Jewelry in the Arts and Crafts Movement
The revival of handwrought jewelry in America's schools and societies.
Lore & Legend
Folk-Lore
Birthstones, Bible gems, talismans, and superstitions.
Favourite Gems of Distinguished People
Diamonds of kings, popes, and emperors.
Gem Minerals and Gems in Museum Collections
Where to see the great collections, and what to learn from them.
The Strange Virtues of Stones
The stone that causes nightmares, the gem that glows under radium, the curse started by a novel — the book’s oddest claims, collected.
Parlour Games
Birthstone Finder
April was sapphire and June was agate — find your stone by the 1909 list.
Which Gem Are You?
Seven questions, eight gems, one verdict — judged by the standards of 1909.
The 1909 Gem Quiz
Ten questions from the book’s pages — then challenge a friend to beat your score.
Spot the Fake
Doublets, paste, and fish-scale pearls: deliver your verdict on eight cases.
Surprise Me
Open the book to a page at random — eighty chapters of gems, frauds, and folk-lore.