Beliefs about Toadstones
- Fossils associated with jewels set inside the heads of toads
- Toadstones believed to be antidotes for poison and used in epilepsy treatment
- Toadstones were adorned in jewelry for their magical abilities
- Toadstones were removed from live toads and could be done on a red cloth
- Toadstones varied in size and color, most effective against poison when worn against the skin
Allusions in Literature
- Toadstone alluded to in Shakespeare's 'As You Like It'
- Toadstone mentioned in James Branch Cabell's 'Balthazar's Daughter' and its play adaptation
- Duke Senior compares adversity to a toad with a precious jewel in its head
Toadstones in Jewelry
- Some toadstones used in jewelry, including on a crown at Aachen Cathedral
- Toadstone rings found in the Ashmolean Museum and the British Museum
Related Concepts
- Bezoar
- Biomineralization
References
- 'Fossils: myths, mystery and magic' - Independent UK
- 'A Lapidary, Or, the History of Pretious Stones' - Thomas Nicols
- 'Naturall Philosophy: or a Description of the Vvorld, and of the Severall Creatures Therein Contained' - Adolf Wilhelm Scribonius
- 'A Thousand Notable Things, of Sundry Sortes: Whereof Some Are Wonderfull, Some Straunge, Some Pleasant, Diuers Necessary, a Great Sort Profitable, and Many Very Precious' - Lupton Thomas
- 'Medieval Jewellery in Europe 1100-1500' - Marian Campbell
Toadstone Data Sources
| Reference | URL |
|---|---|
| Glossary | https://harryandcojewellery.com.au/blogs/glossary/toadstone |
| Wikipedia | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toadstone |
| Wikidata | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3002139 |
| Knowledge Graph | https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0bv92h |