al-Jamahir fi Marifat al-Jawahir

al-Jamahir fi Ma'rifat al-Jawahir (The Sum of Knowledge on Precious Stones) is a comprehensive treatise on mineralogy, gemstones, and metals written by the polymath al-Biruni (d. 440 AH / 1048 CE) Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…+1.

Composition and Dedication

Al-Biruni composed the work late in his life, dedicating it to the Ghaznavid sultan Shihab al-Dawla Abu al-Fath Mawdud ibn Mas'ud al-Ghaznawi (r. 412–441 AH), who was the last sovereign with whom al-Biruni had formal courtly ties Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…+1. It represents the culmination of al-Biruni's scientific observations, travels, and accumulated learning across diverse disciplines Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L….

Structure and Contents

The book consists of an opening introduction (fatiha), two chapters (faslan) containing fifteen thematic interludes (tarwihat) between them, and two major discourses (maqalatan) Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…:

• First Discourse (al-Maqala al-Ula): Dedicated to precious stones, gemstones, and related minerals (al-jawahir wa-ashbahuha wa-tawabi'uha wa-al-ahjar al-karima) Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L….
• Second Discourse (al-Maqala al-Thaniya): Dedicated to metals, artificial alloys, and manufactured compounds (al-filizzat wa-al-shabah al-ma'mulat wa-al-mamzujat bi-al-san'a) Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L….

Methodology and Scope

In his examination of individual substances, al-Biruni routinely introduces a mineral by citing relevant Quranic verses, followed by its names in non-Arabic languages and its designations and attributes among Arabic lexicographers and jewelers Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…+1. He subjected linguistic claims to critical scrutiny, tracing etymologies and pointing out errors in earlier lexicographical works Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L….

On the physical side, he documented the physical properties, colors, varieties, mining locations, extraction methods, factors affecting durability, and specific gravities of various gems and metals Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…. Al-Biruni determined specific gravity experimentally using a vessel with an overflow spout to measure the volume of displaced water, tabulating precise hydrostatically determined weights for eighteen elements and compounds relative to gold and sapphire Majallat al-Risala+1.

Beyond its empirical measurements, the text functions as an encyclopedic repository of cultural knowledge, incorporating historical accounts, folklore, legal rulings, and poetic quotations Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…+1. It preserves over 360 lines of Arabic verse—including rare poetry not found in extant diwans—and two Persian verses, one by al-Ghada'iri and another by Mansur Mawrid Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…. Al-Biruni's digressive method (istitrad) in the work reflects the literary influence of al-Jahiz's Kitab al-Hayawan (The Book of Living Beings), which he read and cited Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L….

Editions and Studies

The work was first edited by the German Orientalist Fritz Krenkow using a manuscript preserved in El Escorial and published by the Da'irat al-Ma'arif al-Uthmaniyya in Hyderabad in 1355 AH (c. 1936 CE) Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…+1. A later edition prepared by Yusuf al-Hadi was published in Tehran in 1995 CE Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…. Modern scholars have examined the work from economic, scientific, and literary perspectives in specialized journal studies Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L….