More than a century ago, in 1913, George F. Kunz published his book, "The Curious Lore of Precious Stones"". The book became a definitive source for all the legends, stories, and mystical significance attached to gemstones. For the past one hundred years, authors have used this work as a source of research and knowledge. Kunz's book is a beautifully written masterpiece, carefully crafted for the readers of his time, and is well worth the time to read."
However, more than one hundred years have past since George wrote his book, and the world has changed just a bit. In this age of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the concentration span of the average reader has been reduced to 140 characters of text, and the more pictures, the better. Keeping that in mind, we have rewritten Mr. Kunz's authoritative work for the internet audience. We took out lots of "extra"" words, translated some that most people have never heard, and added lots of fun illustrations and photos. We hope that we can bring this important work to a larger audience, and keep it from fading away into history. So here it is:"
The love of gemstones is deeply engrained within all of us, not only because of their color and sparkle, but also because of their lasting durability. The rich colors of a field of flowers last only weeks before they disappear for another year. The glorious hues of a sunset peeking from behind puffy clouds, last for only minutes before being swallowed by the night. But the colors of a precious stone are the same today as they were thousands of years ago, and will stay that way for thousands of years to come. In a world of constant change, the permanence of a gemstone can be appreciated and valued like no other object.
Precious gemstones have been revered and used throughout the world for thousands of years, and for many different purposes. They have also carried many superstitions with them since the very beginning, when they were first discovered by early man. While there is no scientific knowledge or proof of any of the "powers"" that these gems are said to contain, many people still believe that these powers are real, and insist that the gems improve their lives."
Even though modern science will tell us that these notions are absurd, and could not possibly true, there is still something to be said for the ability of gems to make us feel better. It could just be the joy of owning a beautiful object, or the pleasure we receive when seeing the sparkle and play of colors that a gem contains. Or maybe, just believing that a gem will make us feel better, is good enough for it to actually work. Whatever the reason, it is in our nature to be attracted to these shiny colorful rocks, and this attraction has been around for as long as we have been here.
