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The Cultural Significance Of Precious Stones In Early Modern England, Cassandra Auble
The Cultural Significance Of Precious Stones In Early Modern England, Cassandra Auble
Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Sixteenth and seventeenth century sources reveal that precious stones served a number of important functions in Elizabethan and early Stuart society. The beauty and rarity of certain precious stones made them ideal additions to fashion and dress of the day. These stones also served political purposes when flaunted as examples of a country’s wealth, bestowed as favors, or even worn as a show of royal support. Lapidaries and medical texts advised readers to use stones in myriad ways ranging from the subtle and common, to the bizarre and mystical.
Stones and gems are excellent tools for studying diverse aspects of …