Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good effort
Review: All in all, I liked this book. It had good references, good explanations, and nice pictures. However, it worried me that some of the definitions were rather vague. For instance, at least half the stones had "healing" as one of their properties. Still, a good beginner's reference written in the no-nonsesne Cunningham style.

Rating:
Summary: still the best gem and metal magick book i ever read..
Review: and i own half a dozen. enough said..

Rating:
Summary: could be alot better
Review: Another scott cunningham typical book. The author attempts to create a book about crystal and metal practice but it is a very fluffy bunny wiccan format, usual for him. The author explains overbaringly so about ethics and morality and gives rules on how one is "allowed" to use stones. The author also claims that in certain configurations like a necklace stones are more powerfull than seperate peices. He further explains that polished stoned are more powerfull than stones in the rough, IS HE SERIOUS? I would tend to believe that using a stone in its natural state is far better than a man tumbled and polished stone. Anyways if your looking for a good book on stones read LOVE IS IN THE EARTH by MELODY. Its a far better work. Also if I might add, its a good idea to just stay clear of scott cunningham books all together.

Rating:
Summary: One for the library, but not the only one
Review: Cunningham is widely respected by most pagan types, and deservedly so. Most of his reference books are thorough and authoritative. His gemstone book, however has some drawbacks. The photos in the book are poor: They aren't very representative of the specimens a collector or practitioner is likely to encounter. Also, there is a limit to the thoroughness of his entries on each mineral. This book is a decent introduction to crystals and gemstones. However, for those serious about the practice of magick involving gems, THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE ONLY BOOK IN YOUR COLLECTION.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Starting Point
Review: Cunningham's lists & bibliography are great! However, like some reviewers have pointed out, there are many stones that have become better known since this book was printed. The stone association info for Uranus, Neptune & Pluto is sparse. Yes, I realize that the ancients couldn't see/use them- but WE do. My favorite part of the book is his suggestion for creating a Major Arcana only gemstone tarot. Another good text only reference is by DJ Conway "Crystal Enchantments" ~ those of you wanting a photo reference, check out the DK Eyewitness Handbooks.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Starting Point
Review: Cunningham's lists/tables & bibliography are great! However, like some reviewers have pointed out, there are many stones that have become better known since this book was printed. My favorite part of the book is his suggestion for creating a Major Arcana only gemstone tarot. Another good text only reference is by DJ Conway "Crystal Enchantments"
NOTE: the new release 2002 2nd Edition ISBN: 0875421261 has an inserted color photo section.

Rating:
Summary: Very Nice
Review: Cunningham, as usual, has provided a resourceful book that can provide the user with a lot on information about many different stones/metals. I use it almost exclusively for all my stone work. The only problem I found with it is the fact that there are very few pictures, and the few that are available are in the center of the book and tend to be teh most common stones. I suggest also purchasing a feild guide/reference book that would show pictures to go along with the excellent purpose descriptions Cunningham has given.

Rating:
Summary: Very Nice
Review: Cunningham, as usual, has provided a resourceful book that can provide the user with a lot on information about many different stones/metals. I use it almost exclusively for all my stone work. The only problem I found with it is the fact that there are very few pictures, and the few that are available are in the center of the book and tend to be teh most common stones. I suggest also purchasing a feild guide/reference book that would show pictures to go along with the excellent purpose descriptions Cunningham has given.

Rating:
Summary: What i expected
Review: I have a lot of Cunninghams guides and books... it has the same setup as herbs and oils and incense... easy to find the info you need and skip what you dont want.... a must have for anyone using gem magick.

Rating:
Summary: Love it!
Review: I have never seen another single source with this much information on the topic of crystals, gems and metals in one place. It's simply amazing. The only source book for this topic you'll ever need. Cunningham is amazing when it comes to this kind of stuff. I highly recommend it.