Gemstones of the World

Imbued with religious and supernatural significance, gemstones have been a source of fascination for humankind since the earliest ages. They are worn as adornment, exchanged as valuable commodities, and regarded as purveyors of health, good fortune, and status. Any story of human development—be it of religion, art, culture, trade, commerce, or the rise of scientific knowledge—will inevitably touch, at some point, on humanity’s relationship with gems. From the times of antiquity through the ...