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Anselme-Boece de BOODT (ou BOOT)

Le Parfaict joaillier, ou Histoire des pierreries, où sont amplement descrites leur naissance, juste prix, moyen de les cognoitre, & se garder des contrefaites, facultez medecinales, & proprietez curieuses

Chez Jean-Antoine Huguetan, à Lyon 1644, in-8 (11x17,5cm), (1f. tit.) (5p. épit.) (3p. préf.) (4p. avert.) (3p.) (12p. cata.) (3p. priv.) 746pp. (pp. 95 - 96 répétées) ; (17f. tab.) (1f. errata), relié.

BOODT (BOOT) Anselme-Boece de
Le Parfaict Joaillier, ou Histoire des pierreries, où sont amplement descrites leur naissance, juste prix, moyen de les cognoitre, & se garder des contrefaites, facultez medecinales, & proprietez curieuses
Chez Jean-Antoine Huguetan, Lyon 1644, in-8 (11 x 17,5 cm), (1 f.) (5 p.) (3 pp.) (4 p.) (3 p.) (12 p.) (3 pp.) 746 pp (pp 95 – 96 repeted); (17 f.) (1f. errata), contemporary morocco
First edition of the French translation, translated by François Bachou from the Gemmarum et lapidarum historia (1609) of the Flemish doctor and naturalist Anselm de Boodt. The work has 45 woodcut illustrations in text and retains the two folding plates showing the “Division of Precious & Common Stones.” Retaining also the errata leaf, often missing.
Contemporary red morocco. Richly gilt spine in five compartments, evidently 18th century title-piece in light brown morocco. Triple gilt fillet frame to covers and gilt fleurons to corners. Gilt dentelle surrounding the inside of covers, all edges gilt.
Headpiece slightly rubbed, three corners a little bumped. One miniscule wormhole touching outside margin of one edge of first few gatherings, a few pages spotted, a very good copy.
A major, pioneering and decisive work of gemology and mineralogy. First published right at the beginning of the 17th century, in 1609, it is both treatise and manual. Anselm de Boodt describes and writes about no fewer than 106 minerals and gems, and proposes a system of classification for them (hardness, composition, color, clarity). He relies not only on Classical sources (Pliny's Natural History, the Materia Medica of Dioscorides, Galen's Simple Medicines and Alberto Magno's De Mineralibus), but also the fruit of Renaissance research (by Césalpin, Gessner, Scaliger, and so on), and spends some time explaining the virtues of each stone, be they medical, magical, or other...One will also find in this remarkable work practical information on the size of stones and how to spot fakes, a summary of mineralogical knowledge at the time, and an inventory of mineral substances used in healing (with a justification for their use). There are, in addition, useful tips for jewelers, naturalists and doctors. A useful index of all the stones covered is provided at the beginning of the work.   

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