George Frederick Kunz

author

George Frederick Kunz

1856–1932

A self-taught mineralogist who helped turn gemstones into a serious American field of study, he spent decades shaping how people understood precious stones. His work linked science, museums, and the jewelry world in a way that still feels surprisingly modern.

5 Audiobooks

The Book of the Pearl The history, art, science, and industry of the queen of gems

The Book of the Pearl The history, art, science, and industry of the queen of gems

by George Frederick Kunz, Charles Hugh Stevenson

The Curious Lore of Precious Stones Being a description of their sentiments and folk lore, superstitions, symbolism, mysticism, use in medicine, protection, prevention, religion, and divination. Crystal gazing, birth-stones, lucky stones and talismans, astral, zodiacal, and planetary

The Curious Lore of Precious Stones Being a description of their sentiments and folk lore, superstitions, symbolism, mysticism, use in medicine, protection, prevention, religion, and divination. Crystal gazing, birth-stones, lucky stones and talismans, astral, zodiacal, and planetary

by George Frederick Kunz

Rings for the finger : from the earliest known times to the present, with full descriptions of the origin, early making, materials, the archæology, history, for affection, for love, for engagement, for wedding, commemorative, mourning, etc.

Rings for the finger : from the earliest known times to the present, with full descriptions of the origin, early making, materials, the archæology, history, for affection, for love, for engagement, for wedding, commemorative, mourning, etc.

by George Frederick Kunz

The magic of jewels and charms

The magic of jewels and charms

by George Frederick Kunz

Shakespeare and Precious Stones Treating of the Known References of Precious Stones in Shakespeare's Works, with Comments as to the Origin of His Material, the Knowledge of the Poet Concerning Precious Stones, and References as to Where the Precious Stones of His Time Came from

Shakespeare and Precious Stones Treating of the Known References of Precious Stones in Shakespeare's Works, with Comments as to the Origin of His Material, the Knowledge of the Poet Concerning Precious Stones, and References as to Where the Precious Stones of His Time Came from

by George Frederick Kunz

About the author

Born in New York City in 1856, George Frederick Kunz developed an early fascination with minerals and built his expertise largely through his own collecting and study. That passion carried him into a remarkable career as a gem expert for Tiffany & Co., where he began working in 1879 and later became a vice president.

Kunz became widely known as an authority on gems, minerals, and precious stones. He helped assemble important gem collections, including the Morgan-Tiffany collection for the American Museum of Natural History, and his papers are preserved by the Smithsonian. His influence was so lasting that the gemstone kunzite was named in his honor.

He died in 1932, but his legacy reaches beyond jewelry. Kunz helped popularize gemology in the United States and brought together commerce, collecting, and scientific curiosity in a way that made rare stones meaningful to both experts and the public.