created 2025-05-13, & modified, =this.modified
Lapidary Medicine is the belief that gemstones have healing properties (akin to medicinal powers of plants). The books which provided information about these semi-precious and precious stones and their applications were called lapidaries. (from Latin, stone cutter - working with precious stones.)
The most common application was open backed jewelry.
In ”The boke of secretes of Albertus Magnus of the vertues of herbes, stones, and certayne beasts : also, a boke of the same author, of the maruaylous thinges of the world, and of certaine effectes caused of certaine beastes” it is suggested that the jewel held against the skin imparts medicinal powers.
I note this section on invisibility,
If thou wilt be made Invisible Take the Stone which is called Opthalmeus and wrap it in the leaf of the Laurel or Bay-tree and it is called Lapis Othalmicus, whose color is not named for it is many colours and is of such vertue that it blindeth the fight of them that stand about.
