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What if a ruby holds not just colour, but centuries of hopes, fears and meanings?
In The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones, Isidore Kozminsky gathers old accounts of gemstones and the powers people believed they held. A ruby or an emerald becomes more than an ornament. Through history, folklore and the science of his day, he explores how people read stones as signs.
Kozminsky writes as a student of astrology, numbers and occult symbolism. His gems belong to a wider order of planets and zodiac signs, while their wearers seek luck, protection and health. Read these accounts as a history of beliefs, not proof of healing powers, and discover the stories people attach to precious things.
What you’ll discover
- Stones as signs Explore traditions in which a gem carries meaning far beyond its beauty or rarity.
- Jewels and the heavens Follow Kozminsky's account of the connections astrology draws between precious stones, planets and zodiac signs.
- Charms against harm Discover how people wear stones as amulets in hopes of protection, luck and health.
- Voices from earlier centuries Meet ideas gathered from earlier writers, many ancient, about the powers attributed to gems.
- Where magic meets science Consider a study that places folklore beside the science of its day.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who love gemstones, astrology, symbolism and old legends, and anyone who enjoys travelers' tales and the stories behind famous jewels.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Stones belong to a heavenly network
- Two stones mark the soul's passage
- The breastplate becomes a stone zodiac
- Legends give gems will and power
- Sacred stones connect people with divinity
- Each gem carries its own lore
- A stone's fortune depends on harmony
- Change links nature with alchemy
- Myth helps build the whole system
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The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones
by Isidore Kozminsky · 1922
Twelve stones on a High Priest's breastplate match the zodiac in this 1922 guide to the hidden powers of gems.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
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In short
Why would a priest wear twelve stones, each cut with the name of a tribe, and why would the stars matter to a jeweler? Isidore Kozminsky answers in The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones, finished in Melbourne in January 1922.
The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones at a glance
- Reading time
- About 6 h 50 min5 h 25 min fast, 8 h 5 min slow
- Length
- 97,100 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1922by Isidore Kozminsky
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Stones and stars answer each other by sympathy
Kozminsky opens with a bold claim. The ancient masters believed that attractions and oppositions linked atoms, stones, plants, animals and people in one network. Heavenly bodies send influences, and certain earthly substances respond to them.
From this grew the old philosophy of lucky stones and planetary gems. He treats it as an organized science, built by patient observation over ages. He cites the book of Enoch, where the angel Azazzel teaches people about stones. He cites Baron Reichenbach's experiments and reports strange effects from diamonds, emeralds and lodestones on magnetic sleepers.
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Details
- First published
- 1922
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Kozminsky, Isidore. The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-magic-and-science-of-jewels-and-stones.
Kozminsky, I. (2026). The magic and science of jewels and stones. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-magic-and-science-of-jewels-and-stones (Original work published 1922)
Kozminsky, Isidore. The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-magic-and-science-of-jewels-and-stones.
@book{kozminsky2026magic,
author = {Kozminsky, Isidore},
title = {The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-magic-and-science-of-jewels-and-stones},
note = {First published 1922}
}
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What is The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones about?
It is a guide to the lore of gems. Kozminsky links stones to planets and zodiac signs, explains the breastplate of the High Priest, and describes the virtues, legends and famous examples of dozens of gems from agate to zircon.
What are the twelve stones of the breastplate in this book?
Kozminsky identifies them as red hematite, emerald, marble, chrysoprase, sardonyx, jasper, opal, banded agate, amethyst, serpentine, lapis lazuli and crystal, and he matches each to a zodiac sign and a tribe of Israel.
When was The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones written?
The author dated his preface January 1922 in Melbourne, Australia. The book mixes ancient sources, travelers' reports and scientific notes of its day, and it presents its subject as a blend of old philosophy and science.
The author
Isidore Kozminsky
Australian occult writer
Isidore Kozminsky wrote this book in Melbourne, Australia, and dated its preface January 1922. He drew on astrology, the Bible, classical writers and collectors, and thanked many Australian friends and a collector of opals. He also refers to his own books on numbers and on zodiacal symbolism, which show his lifelong interest in the old sciences.
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