Home » categories » rare book library » Dieulafait. Diamonds and Precious Stones.
This chapter is tagged (labeled) with: 

Front Page, Preface, Illustrations

Front Page, Preface, Illustrations Page of 296 Front Page, Preface, Illustrations Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
PREFACE.
It would be easy for any one who had sufficiently pre­pared himself by previous study to write a purely scientific work on the subject of precious stones; but this is not the intention of the present writer, who aims at interesting a wider class of readers than a work of the kind indicated would reach. .
In addition to the strictly scientific information to be given regarding precious stones, there are connected with them a great many facts not less interesting, and equally important for the public to know. To these we have devoted several sections of the following work.
In our times precious stones are used almost ex­clusively for the purpose of ornament, but in former times the case was very different. By reference to the authors of antiquity, as well as to those of the middle ages and the Renaissance, we have shown the important part that they then played, and what ideas prevailed regarding them.
From the thousands of fables and superstitions of which precious stones have been the subject, we have selected a certain number. In doing so we have dis­regarded those calculated only to interest the curious,
Front Page, Preface, Illustrations Page of 296 Front Page, Preface, Illustrations
Suggested Illustrations
Other Chapters you may find useful
Other Books on this topic
bullet Tag
This Page