The Historical Commerce of Jewels and the Influence of the Crusades

The Crusades had a great influence on art and luxury by the introduction from the East of many precious objects. The Roman style of ornamenting jewellery gave way to the Gothic, showing all the richness borrowed from Saracenic art. The amount of precious stones, spoils of the Crusades, was enormous. The immense wealth amassed by King Tancred is stated by an old German historian, quoted by Scheidius, to have been almost fabulous. When after his death, the Emperor Henry entered the palace, he found the chairs and tables made of purest gold, besides one hundred and fifty mules' loads of gold, silver, and precious stones.

When Richard I. took Cyprus, among the treasures were large quantities of precious stones and golden cups, together with "sellis aureis frenis et calcaribus," showing the luxury of the Moslems.

In the thirteenth century the commerce of precious stones was almost exclusively in the hands of the Jews, but it was difficult to prevent fraud. A vast number of false jewels were manufactured in Europe, especially at Paris, where severe laws were made against such counterfeits. Among other regulations, "the jeweller was not to dye the amethyst, or other false stones, nor mount them in gold leaf nor other colour, nor mix them with rubies, emeralds, or other precious stones, excepting as a crystal simply without mounting or dyeing."

The workman was not to mount together Scottish pearls and those of the East. Except in works for the Church, he was not, even for trifling objects, to mingle coloured glass, or false, with precious stones, nor mount in gold and silver fraudulent gems, except for the king, the queen, and their children.