I love this book. I was so surprised at the contents of each stone section within this book. It even offers the meanings of the stoens when they apear in your dreams. The lore and hystory of the stones gives me the greatest joy to read. This is a deffinate for anyone interested in stones, whether you are healing or casting magick.
I only knew stones through their scientific aspects- my husband is a jeweler. My research for alternate birthstones led me all over the net until I found this book. Not only does it give countries of origin, history, dream interpretations, & magickal uses; it has a section on stone divination (sometimes known as lithomancy) and basic meditations/rituals. There are extensive tables & keyword listings as well as an EXCELLENT bibliography. There are no photos or chemical compositions, but I already owned DK Eyewitness Handbooks that cover them well.