On Minerals

...is laughed at and sprinkled with water over herbs and trees, it is reported to multiply fruit. They also report that it facilitates the beginnings and ends of business matters.

Cornelian

Cornelian original: "Corneleus", or what some call cornēleu, is a stone of a flesh-like color—that is, red—and it looks like the washings of meat original: "lotura carnis," referring to the pale pinkish water left after rinsing raw meat. This is found very frequently near the Rhine river, and it is a deep red, having almost the color of vermilion original: "minu," or red lead. When polished, it shines greatly. It has been proven by experience that it stems blood, especially the menstrual flow and hemorrhoids. It is also said to soothe anger.

Chrysoprase

Chrysoprase original: "Crisopassus" is a stone coming from India, and it is rarely found, which is why it is considered precious. In color, it is as if it were coagulated from the juice of a pear original: "succo piri"; other medieval sources often compare this stone to the juice of a leek (porri), having golden specks within it. Because of these specks, it receives its name, for chrysos means "gold" in Greek. It bears a great resemblance to chrysolite.

Chrysolite

Chrysolite original: "Crisolitus" is a stone whose color has a faint, bright greenness in which, when held to the eye of the sun, it sparkles like a golden star. It is not rare and is said to come from Ethiopia. It has been proven by experience that it strengthens the spiritual powers the spiritualia, referring to the vital spirits or the respiratory organs; for this reason, when ground up, it is given to asthmatics. It is also reported that if it is bored through, the hole filled with donkey hair, and bound to the left arm, it drives away terrors and melancholic passions. This is mentioned in the context of "physical bindings" amulets or charms worn on the body. Also, when set in gold and worn, they say it drives away phantasms; it is even held to repel folly and bring forth wisdom.

Crystal

Crystal original: "Cristallus" is a stone which is sometimes formed by the force of cold, as Aristotle says, and sometimes in the earth, as we have often experienced in Germany, where many find it. Both ways of its generation will be easily manifest from what was said above. This stone, when cold and held against the "eye of the sun," emits fire referring to a crystal's ability to act as a burning lens, but if it is warm it cannot do this; we gave the reason for this in the book On the Causes of the Properties of the Elements and Planets. It is also said to quench thirst when placed under the tongue. It has been proven that when ground and mixed with honey and taken by women, it fills the breasts with milk. Chrysolite gem is a gem of a golden color, and in the morning hours, it is most beautiful to the sight. In other hours, however, it is different. It is destroyed and driven away by fire, and as some say, it becomes inflamed; therefore, it is said to "fear the fire." Some say there is another kind of this stone incorporated into a base substance, but this is not true; rather, this is golden marcasite, which is a sort of middle ground between metals and stones, as we shall show in what follows. They say a third kind of this stone is a color between blue and red; generally, this stone is said to cure the itch and ulcers when ground up. When carried in the hand, it has the power to mitigate the heat of a fever.

Chrysopagion

Chrysopagion is a gem coming from Ethiopia. This is said to shine in the darkness and to vanish when light comes upon it, such that it retains only a dull color in the dark, and a sort of faint, excellent golden color. In this stone, a shift of indeterminate color occurs according to the difference between light and shadow, much like in a rainbow, decaying wood original: "putrefacta," referring to the bioluminescence of fungi on rotting wood, or a glow-worm original: "noctiluca". Concerning all these things, we shall give a perfect and complete explanation in the book On the Soul.

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¶ Chapter Four: Concerning the names of stones beginning with the fourth letter, which is D.

Dyacodos

It is said Though the initial is an 'H', the word is almost certainly 'Fertur' (It is said), a common verb starting sections in this work. that a certain stone is called the "demon's stone," being two-colored like the eyes of a demon, which is called iris. They say this should be brought to those with fevers, and that it drives away poisons and makes one safe and victorious. It is also called dianon, which in Greek signifies "intellect" original: "intellectus" or a "bright sparkling star." Dyacodos is a pale stone said to be somewhat similar to beryl. It is said to excite phantoms to such an extent that mages use it the most; however, when applied to a dead person, it loses its power to such a degree that it is said to shrink back from death. The reasoning for these things can be found in the books of the mages Hermes, Ptolemy, Thabit, and Ben Corat likely referring to Thabit ibn Qurra, a 9th-century mathematician and astronomer, which is not our present intention to discuss.

Dionysia

Dionysia original: "Dionisia" is a black stone like iron, sparkling with red drops, and it smells of wine. From the mere scent of it, drunkenness is driven away, which appears miraculous to many. The reason for this is that wine causes drunkenness not by its smell but by its vapor, which obstructs the senses; however, the stone's scent is simple, opening and expelling the wine's vapor.

Draconites

Draconites (or Dragon-stone) is a stone extracted from the head of a dragon, and it is brought from the East where the great dragons are found. Its power is more effective—just like the toad-stone—when it is extracted from a living, still-quivering dragon. Men lie in wait for sleeping dragons, and suddenly cutting the head of the still-quivering dragon, they pluck out the stone. For the actions of the soul contribute much to these superfluities that are generated in animals; the corruption of death alters them, either because they die from corrupted humors in a natural death, or because they lay dead and corrupted after being killed. I myself, in the regions of Germany, in Swabia original: "suenia", saw a stone upon which more than five hundred serpents had gathered in a certain meadow between mountains. When the lord of that land was passing through, his knights unsheathed their swords and cut the serpents into many pieces. At the bottom, however, a certain large serpent lay cut into many parts, and beneath the head of the serpent, a stone was found. It was a black stone shaped like a truncated pyramid, not translucent, with a pale color around its edge, having a very beautiful serpent depicted upon it. This stone, along with the head of the same serpent, was presented to me by the wife of that nobleman, and I kept it. It is said to drive away poison, especially those from the bites of venomous animals; they also say it makes the wearer victorious.

¶ Chapter Five: Concerning those beginning with the letter E.

Ethices commonly known as Aetites or Eagle-stone is the best of gems, of a purple-red color. It is called adlaus by some and erodialis by others, because eagles original: "aquile," also "aetis" place this stone in their nests next to their eggs. We have already experienced this through our senses in Cologne, where eagles produced offspring for many years in a certain garden. This stone is found, according to many of its kind, near the shores of the ocean, where also...