GEMSTONES – An Atlas of Gemstones
Dedicated to Branoalcollo, brilliant gem and “semilla de oro”.
Curatorial Text
Since ancient times, and across every culture, gemstones have been held in the highest esteem.
Throughout history, they have represented the ultimate form of ornament, adorning domestic objects, dresses and weapons alike. The most exquisite weapons were set with precious stones, expressing the wealth and power of a sovereign or a people, as well as the elegance and prestige of those who possessed them. As early as the 5th century BC, the Greeks created gold ornaments embellished with gemstones and cameos. During the Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages, pearl necklaces and large brooches were especially prized. In the Renaissance, both men and women of high rank wore gold chains, jewelled necklaces and exquisite pendants, often designed and crafted by the most celebrated artists of their time.
The history of gemstones has always been accompanied by magical, medicinal, apotropaic and symbolic meanings. Their virtues have been handed down through the centuries, becoming intertwined with folklore and legend. In the stories that have come down to us, gemstones were essential ingredients in both medicinal and magical potions. Even today, they retain their reputation as precious talismans or as catalysts of fortunate and unfortunate destinies. This cultural legacy is, in my view, far more significant than their purely decorative function.
Countless theories concerning the virtues of gemstones were developed and meticulously recorded by great thinkers of the ancient world, including Democritus (460–370 BC), Theophrastus (372–285 BC) and Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79).
The doctrines concerning the healing properties of stones flourished throughout the Middle Ages in the form of the so-called lapidaries, detailed treatises devoted to the virtues of gemstones. It was believed that these properties could be enhanced by the natural markings found within the stones themselves, or by symbolic engravings carved by human hands to strengthen their hidden powers.
According to ancient beliefs, like revealed like. Gemstones were said to help seers locate other hidden deposits of precious stones. The search for buried treasures relied on empirical practices such as dowsing and other methods based on supposed vibrational correspondences.
Throughout the centuries, countless medicinal properties were attributed to precious stones: the diamond was believed to neutralise poisons and expose marital infidelity; the amethyst protected against drunkenness—so much so that bishops wore amethyst rings to preserve sobriety and composure; heliotrope was thought to stop nosebleeds…
What, then, are gemstones?
Most of them are silicates, generally stable and highly resistant minerals; others are oxides of different chemical elements. Only one gemstone in the world is composed of a single chemical element: diamond, which is made entirely of carbon.
There are also many gemstones that are not distinct minerals in themselves, but rather precious varieties of more common minerals. Aquamarine, emerald and heliodor, for example, are all varieties of beryl, yet since antiquity they have been recognised as individual gemstones, each preserving its own historical identity.
Some gemstones belong instead to the category of mineraloids and cannot strictly be defined as true minerals. Opal, amber and moldavite all fall into this category, as does glass.
Pearls, finally, cannot even be considered mineraloids, since they are the result of an organic process that takes place within certain molluscs. They are composite materials consisting primarily of the mineral aragonite and the protein conchiolin. Ancient traditions even recount the existence of mysterious stones extracted from the head of the toad: the legendary bufonite, believed to be a powerful antidote against poisons.
What, then, unites realities so different, with mineral, chemical or organic origins?
Their hybrid nature, capable of intertwining the mineral and the animal worlds, matter and imagination, within an impossible taxonomy that escapes any definitive classification.
My Atlas is not a publication about the symbolism of gemstones.
Rather, it is a collection of micro-histories dedicated to the forms of knowledge that different cultures have projected onto gemstones: a precious imaginary heritage that has reached us through the centuries and has become part of our shared cultural memory.
We are not simply recounting what emerald, ruby or aquamarine may have meant throughout history. We are exploring how humanity has imagined knowledge through gemstones, a journey that inevitably passes through colour and its symbolic universe.
In my collectible artworks, I have chosen to revisit this universe of ancient symbols through a contemporary visual language, not without a subtle sense of humour. Each gemstone becomes the threshold to a mythical imaginary of infinite layers: never exhaustive, never definitive. A mirror of our beliefs, our fears, and of the extraordinary vitality that these symbols continue to preserve today.
This is the true thesis of An Atlas of Gemstones.
CORAL
GEMSTONES – An Atlas of Gemstones
Between the animal and the mineral, coral inhabits the imaginal.
Curatorial Text
Unlike most gemstones, coral does not belong to the mineral kingdom. It is a living colony that, over time, acquires the appearance of stone. It is precisely this ambiguous nature—simultaneously animal, architectural and mineral—that lies at the heart of this work.
Rather than depicting coral, Claudia Bonollo translates its vital principle into colour. Red becomes a living matter in continuous transformation, while the small star-like forms evoke the polyps that build the colony, oscillating between cells, flowers, marine organisms and constellations.
For centuries, coral has occupied a singular place in the human imagination. It has been regarded as the Stone of Blood, a talisman, a sacred organism and a bridge between worlds. This artwork does not illustrate those beliefs; it reactivates them, transforming coral into an imaginal organism where biology, colour and cultural memory coexist.
Like every work in An Atlas of Gemstones, Coral explores not the gemstone itself, but the forms of knowledge that humanity has imagined through it.
To discover more about the research behind GEMSTONES – An Atlas of Gemstones, visit:
https://claudiabonollo.com/research/gemstones/
Artwork Details
Artist
Claudia Bonollo
Collection
GEMSTONES
Series
An Atlas of Gemstones
Title
Coral
Medium
Digital artwork mounted on 4 mm mirror acrylic with an integrated rear wooden mounting frame, ready to hang.
The hidden rear support creates a floating effect while ensuring easy and secure installation.
Edition
Limited Edition of 7 + 2 Artist’s Proofs
Dimensions
30 × 30 cm
Other dimensions available on request.
Year
2020–2026
Included with the Artwork
- Mirror acrylic artwork, 30 × 30 cm, with integrated rear wooden mounting frame
- Signed Certificate of Authenticity
- Printed publication:
An Atlas of Gemstones – History · Symbols · Colour
Production
Each artwork is individually produced, inspected and signed by the artist in Madrid.
Please allow approximately two weeks for production before shipping.
Care
To preserve the quality of the artwork, avoid direct sunlight, excessive humidity and abrasive cleaning products. Clean gently with a soft, dry microfibre cloth.
Shipping
Shipping costs are calculated according to destination. Please contact us for a personalised shipping quote.
Worldwide shipping available.
Packaging
Professionally packaged for international transport.
Each artwork is carefully packed using museum-quality protective materials to ensure it arrives in perfect condition.
Acquisition
Each artwork is available in a limited edition and may be produced in different dimensions.
You may also choose from the selection of gemstones available in An Atlas of Gemstones.
For availability, pricing, custom formats or shipping enquiries, please contact the artist directly at info@claudiabonollo.com.
Created in Madrid · Crafted for collectors.
An Atlas of Gemstones
Alphabetical Index
- Agate
- Amber
- Amethyst
- Aquamarine
- Coral
- Diamond
- Emerald
- Jasper
- Jade
- Lapis Lazuli
- Lodestone
- Malachite
- Onyx (Chalcedony)
- Opal
- Ophite
- Pearl
- Rose Quartz
- Ruby (Carbuncle)
- Sapphire
- Sardonyx
- Selenite
- Topaz
- Turquoise