Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones

Inspired by the ancient tradition of Babylonian lapidaries, this is a beautifully designed collection of true stories about seventy-five different stones that have influenced our shared history.

The earliest surviving rock art was painted in iron-red hematite ground into powder. Romans carved goblets out of amethyst, an ancient antidote for drunkenness, so they could drink wine without getting too inebriated. Michelangelo searched Tuscan quarries for the marble that would yield his sculptures. Catherine the Great wore the wealth of Russia stitched in gemstones onto the front of her bodices. Today, we wear diamond engagement rings because the medieval Italians believed the stone helped to maintain marital harmony.

Through the realms of art, myth, geology, philosophy and power, the story of humanity can be told through the minerals and materials that have allowed us to evolve and create. From the Taiwanese national treasure known as the Meat Shaped Stone-carved from jasper to look like braised pork belly-to the Rosetta stone, from Malta's prehistoric "fat lady" temples made from globigerina limestone to the rose quartz crystals still believed to have healing powers, The Lapidarium is a jewel box of seventy-five far-flung stones and the human stories that accompany them. Tale by tale, it adds up into an unexpected history of civilization.