How Gem Superstitions Get Started
The use of gemstones for medicinal purposes can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians. “In early Egyptian times the chemical constituents of the stones were more rationally considered than at a later period in Europe” (Kunz, 367). As time went on, the chemical properties of the stones became less and less important while the color and quality of the stone became more important to those looking to use them as medicine. It was even thought that certain engravings on the stones done under the right constellation would increase the effectiveness of the stone, which illustrates just how superstitious the field of gemological medicine had become. As time went on, ancient knowledge in this area became muddled and attributes of one stone were given attributes of another (partly due to commercial interests) to the point where by medieval times supposed remedies were prized based upon their rarity and color alone.
An example of this can be found in the case of the blue sapphire's supposed ability to cure maladies of the eye. This occurred due to a misinterpretation of earlier Egyptian remedies for eye infections. In this particular instance, the Egyptian cure involved using an oxide of copper known as lapis Armenus (which really does have astringent properties) and was replaced by Egyptians at a later time with lapis lazuli (since both shared the same colors) as an ingredient in eye balm. As time passed, lapis lazuli was misinterpreted as sapphire, and since both were the same color it was thought to be effective as well.
