This edition of Marbode’s treatise, called a “lapidary,” was published in 1511. Originally written as a 742-line poem, it is a list of 60 gemstones arranged in alphabetical order, and is on display at the GIA’s museum as part of an exhibition.

Tweet

Comments

Save E-mail

Send this URL to a friend:

* - Denotes a required field.
Your Name*
Your Email Address*
Friend's Name*
Friend's Email Address*
Subject*
Message*

Print

Carlsbad, Calif.--The GIA’s latest museum exhibit, “Tablet to Tablet: Treasured Pages from Past to Present,” showcases more than 26,000 pages from rare books on gems, minerals and natural science dating back to the 15th century, and is on display at the institute’s museum here.

The exhibit follows the longtime development of gemology, crystallography, jewelry manufacturing and design, valuation of gemstones and precious metals, diamond mining and additional topics.

GIA’s “From Tablet to Tablet” exhibit will feature rare books, minerals, crystals and period artifacts dating to various times throughout the history of mining and gemology.

The oldest book on view in the collection is a 1496 edition of Pliny’s Natural History, which includes information dating back to 77 A.D. Records kept by Pliny, who died during the first recorded eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, serve as the foundation of ancient gemology.

One-of-a-kind works that will be displayed include original renderings of jewelers’ designs, a handwritten book from 1840 about minerals from Great Britain, and self-published book containing original artwork created for the Mineralogical Record.

“Visitors are amazed at how fascinating rare books are when combined with gems, jewels and images that reveal their stories,” Dona Dirlam, director of GIA’s Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center, said. “The museum and library have assembled the best of the best from our archives.”

The exhibit will be open to the public until early summer 2012, and additional information can be found on the GIA website here.