ALDROVANDI (ALDOVANDUS), Ulisse. [Opera omnia].
Bologna, 1599-1668. 13 volumes. Folio (35 x 24 cm). With an engraved title page to each volume, an engraved full-page portrait of Aldrovandi in 3 volumes and several thousand woodcut illustrations in the text, mostly after designs by J. Ligozzi and many full-page. Blind-tooled vellum (ca. 1645 & ca. 1670), with a large centrepiece on each board (the 11 volumes dated 1599-1642 from a single block; the 2 volumes dated 1648 & 1667 from a different block), the spines uniformly gold-tooled in the 18th-century. Full description

BERQUEN, Robert de. Les merveilles des Indes Orientales et Occidentales, ou Nouveau traitté des pierres precieuses & perles, ...
Paris, Christophe Lambin, 1661. 4to. With an engraved portrait of Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans facing the dedication. Contemporary gold-tooled, tanned sheepskin, gold-tooled sides. [12], 112 pp. Full description

KUNZ, George Frederick and Charles Hugh STEVENSON. The book of the pearl. The history, art, science, and industry of the queen of gems
New York, The Century Co., 1908. 4to. Colour frontispiece, 99 plates including 17 in color and one engraved, Citron crushed levant gilt, title in six compartments with five raised bands and gold tooling and gilt lettering, board edges and turn-ins gilt. [XIX], 548 pp. Full description

MARBODE (MARBODIUS) of Rennes. De gemmarum lapidumq[ue] pretiosorum formis, naturis, atq[ue] viribus eruditu[m] cu[m] primis opusculu[m], ... scholiis q[uo]q[ue] illustratu[m] p[er] Alardu[m] Aemstelredamu[m].
Cologne, Hero Alopecius [Fuchs], 1539. 8vo. With a woodcut illustration on the title-page, representing a Jewish priest behind a board with the names of 12 stones which represent the 12 tribes of Israel. 17th-century gold-tooled red morocco, richly gold-tooled spinel, gold-tooled fillets and small cornerpieces on both boards, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins. 124, [2] ll. Full description

MAZZOTTA, Benedetto. De triplici philosophia naturali, astrologica, et minerali. In quibus differit cohaerenter de elementis, & variis mixtorum proprietatibus. ... Opus theol. philos. medicis, chymicis, & astrologis jucundum, ac simul utile.
Bologna, Giovanni Bapttista Ferroni, 1653. 4to. With an engraved heraldic and allegorical frontispiece drawn and engraved by Bartolomeo Coriolano with the arms of the dedicatee Hipolyto Cattaneo, a full-page engraving (with 7 figures) on an integral leaf, and 2 engraved illustrations and 2 woodcut diagrams in the text. Contemporary boards covered with a vellum leaf from a 16th-century(?) plain-chant manuscript antiphonary. Frontispiece plus [10], [2 blank], 148, “252” [= 272] pp. Full description

NICOLS, Thomas. Beschreibung der Steine sowohl Edel als Gemeine. Darinnen derer Gestalt, Kräffte, Tugenden, Medicin, Eigenschafften, Preiss und Werth auf das Deutliches gezeiget wird. Samt beygesetzten Warnungen sich fuer derer Verfaelschung wohl zu hueten wegen seiner Fuertrefflichkeit.
Culmbach, for Nathanael Lumscher, by Friedrich Elias Dietzel, 1734. 8vo. Modern beige sheepskin. 16, 274, [14] pp. Full description

NICOLS, Thomas. Edelgestein-Büchlein, oder Beschreibung der Edelgesteine. Derer Gestalt, Kräffte und Tugenden, Eigenschafften, Preis und Werth. Samt bengefügten Warnungen für Betrug an alle diejenigen, so mit Edelsteinenen handeln und umbgehen ... Übersetzet und herausgegeben von Johann Langen.
Hamburg, Johann Naumans and Georg Wolff, 1675. 8vo. Contemporary vellum. [16], 249, [7] pp. Full description

PAULUS OF AEGINA (edited by Otto BRUNFELS and Wilhelm KOPP). Pharmaca simplicia, Orthone Brunfelsio interprete.
Including: De ratione victus Gukielmo Copo Basiliensi interprete.
(Colophon:) Strasbourg, Georg Ulricher, September 1531.
With:
(2) VALLA, Giorgio. De simplicium natura liber unus.
Strasbourg, Heinrich Sybold, (colophon:) August 1528.
(3) ODO OF MEUNG (misattributed to Aemilius MACER). De herbarum virtutibus, cum Joannis Atrociani co[m]mentariis, ...
Including: STRABO, Walafrid. Ad haec. Strabi Galli Poetae et theologi clarissimi, hortulus vernantissimus.
Freiburg im Breisgau, (colophon:) Johann Faber, 1530.
(4) MARBOD OF ANJOU (with notes and additions by Georg PICTORIUS). De lapidibus pretiosis encheridion, cum scholiis Pictorii Villingensis. Eiusdem Pictorii De lapide molari carmen.
[Freiburg im Breisgau, Johan Faber], 1531. 4 editions containing 6 works, in 1 volume. 8vo (16.5 x 11 cm). Ad 1: with a finely executed woodcut on the title page repeated on the verso of the otherwise blank last leaf, about 20 woodcut initials with pictorial decoration plus about 20 repeats and a vine-leaf ornament. Set in an Aldine-style italic with preliminaries in Venetian-style roman and a few words of Greek. Ad 2: with the title in a woodcut architectural frame, and a vine-leaf ornament. Set in a Venetian-style roman type with frequent Greek printed in the fore edge margins. Ad 3: with a space left for a manuscript initial at the opening of the main text, with a printed guide letter (not filled in). Set in an Aldine-style italic type with incidental Venetian-style roman and a few words of Greek. Ad 4: with a woodcut initial with pictorial decoration. Set in an Aldine-style italic. Blind-tooled pigskin (Freiburg or vicinity? ca. 1570?) over tapered wooden boards. With 2 engraved brass fastenings and a 19th-century paper spine label. [12], 86, [1 blank], [1]; [104]; [4], 108; 55, [1] ll. Full description

PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius. Opus divinum, cui titulus historiae naturalis, multoqua[m] antehac unqua[m] prodiit in luce[m] castigatius, una cu[m] annotationibus Hermanolai Barbari ...
Paris, Jean Petit (colophon: Nicolaus Sauetier), 1526. 2 parts in 1 volume (bound in reverse order). Folio. With title-page to the main work (bound second) printed in red and black and title-page to the index (bound first), each in a four-piece woodcut border. Contemporary or near contemporary calf, with the boards richly blind-tooled in a panel design; rebacked with part of the original backstrip laid down. [188], [34], "CCCCCXXXVI" [= CCCCCXXXVIII] pp. Full description

PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius. Naturalis historiae opus ...
(Colophon: Cologne, Eucharius Cervicornus, 1524.) Folio. With both title-page and part-title in a decorated woodcut border in four pieces. Calf (ca. 1700?), with gold-tooled spine; rebacked with original backstrip laid down. [16], 311, [60] ll. Full description