The European Crusades, which started at the begining of the 1100's A.D., spelt the beginning of a renaissance for all that shimmered and shone in Europe. Much earlier, towards the end of the 400's A.D. the Western Roman Empire had collapsed, and Europe had fallen to the barbarians. However, in the Near East Roman culture survived within the Byzantine Empire. Under the Byzantines, words and languages bequeathed by the previous Greek and Roman cultures were continued. Similarly art and culture prospered, especially the skills of the jewellers and lapidaries.

As a result of the aquired wealth from Eastern lands, illuminary treatise were written by European monks of the Benedictine and Franciscan orders called ‘Lapidaries’. These books were written with the intention of documenting and educating aristocracy, doctors and religious men on the newly imported philosophies, academics and materials won from the crusades. One such book was ‘De Lapidibus’ written by Marbodei, or Marbode of Rennes, a Franciscan monk who lived during the 10th and 11th Centuries. In the 'Gemmis' (Gems) section of the book, Marbode extols the magical virtues of gemstones and their curative properties. One gem he wrote on was the ‘Crisolite’, or 'Golden Stone' as it is also known: “Crisolite: to exert its full power, tis required to be set in gold; worn in this way it dispels the vague terrors of the night. If, however, it were to be used as a protection from the wiles of evil spirits, the stone had to be pierced and strung on the hair of an ass and then attached to the left arm.”

Scholars such as Marbode and Thanon also attested to the 'Golden Stone's' medicinal properties. Medieval scholars, especially doctors, are often misrepresented as having an insane lust for bloodletting, supposedly believing parasites such as leeches could cure all ailments from headaches to hepatitis. In fact, they were much closer to the alternative healing of today, using naturally occurring elements such as plants and crystals. Gemstones were particularly revered as a source of healing, with powdered Peridot being used to cure ailments such as asthma, and Peridot crystals being used to lessen the thirst of someone seized by fever. The latter is actually true, as the presence of an object placed under the tongue activates the saliva glands.