(Born: Antwerp, Belgium, 1582; Died: Antwerp, Belgium, 15 December 1649) Belgian.

Laet was born into a wealthy family and he therefore received a good education including languages. He published important early descriptions of the New World, as well as Spain, Italy, and Persia. He became one of the directors of the famous Compagnie des Indes (Dutch West-Indes Company).

Biographical references: Aa, Biographisch Woordenboek, 1852-78. • BAB: 385, 171-194. • Jacobs, J.A., "Johannes de Laet en de Nieuwe Wereld", Jaarboek van het Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, 50, (1996), 108-30. • Poggendorff: 1, col. 1341. • WBI.

De Gemmis et Lapidibus, 1647

1. Latin, 1647.
Ioannis de Laet | Antvverpiani | De | Gemmis | Et | Lapidibus | Libri Duo. | Quibus præmittitur | Theophrasti | Liber de Lapidibus | Græce & Latine | Cum | Brevibus Annotationibus. | [ornament] | Lugduni Batavorum. | Ex Officina Ioannis Maire. | Anno {\scapsrm{c}}I[Backwards C] I[Backwards C] {\scapsrm{c xlvii}}.

8°: *-***⁸ ****³ A-N⁸ O⁴; [54], 1-210, [6] p., woodcut illus. Printer's device on title. Page size: 176 x 100 mm.

Contents: [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank. [5 pgs], "Index Capitum."; [1 pg], "Errata."; [46 pgs], "Theophrasti | De | Lapidibus."; 1-96, "Liber Primus | De | Gemmis Pellucidis | Et Semipellucidis."; 97-210, "Liber Secudus | De | Lapidibus."; [6 pgs], "Index | Præcipuarum Rerum Quæ In His Libris | Tractantur."

Rare. Laet's book on stones, gems and shells, illustrated in the liber secundus with woodcuts, among them several handsome ones of shells. Included in Greek with Latin translation by Daniele Furlano, is Theoprastus' treatise on stones. Furlano's translation had appeared in the collect edition (Hanau, 1605), but was revised, with additions for this Leyden 1647 edition.

Bibliographical references: Adams, Origin and Nature of Ore Deposits, 1934: 162-3. • LKG: XVI 203. • Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 3747.

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