The Toad Stone A Rather Unlikely Gem PDF

Jewellery History Today
Issue 8 · Spring 2010

ISSN 2041-704
The magazine of The Society of Jewellery Historians

The Toadstone – a rather unlikely jewel
By Christopher J. Duffin
Fabled as being formed in the heads of old toads, this gem has a complex associated folklore.
In reality, it is a fossilised fish tooth. The dome-like, hemispherical structure is an ideal shape
for a cabochon suitable for setting in rings or amulets.
‘No need to ask if the crown was means of discriminating true specimens the most part, these are the teeth of
set with precious stones. Topaz from fakes. This means of procurement is the predominantly late Jurassic fish,
and toadstones were set in the beautifully illustrated in a woodcut from Lepidotus maximus, found throughout
diamante along with other various Johannes De Cuba’s ‘Hortus Sanitatis’, north west Europe; spectacular fully
stones, amongst which the ugliest 1473 (cover). Anselm Boetius de Boodt articulated fishes have been recovered
one was the most famous.’ (1609), in true scientific manner, set from the lithographic limestones of
out to test this hypothesis. Seating an southern Germany. Figure 2 shows one
Ugly, it might be, but when Huon de Méry, old toad on a red cloth as specified, and such specimen. Isolated toadstones
a monk of St. Germain des Prés (now watching the creature all night, he was could have been collected as chance finds
in Paris), wrote these words in his ‘The disappointed when no stone was ejected from marls, clays and limestones, while
Tournament of Antichrist’ around 1226, however, and ‘became convinced all the articulated dentitions could yield up to
the toadstone enjoyed a popularity that tales concerning this stone were merely one hundred specimens, many of which
was to extend well into late Renaissance fond imaginings’4. would have been large enough to set in
times. In 1648, for example, Herrick Thomas Lupton had another approach. rings.
described the walls of Oberon’s Palace In 1627 he suggested burying the dead
as being ‘enchequered with brownest toad in an ants’ nest, having first placed Uses of the stone
Toadstones’, whilst Rabelais cited a the animal into an earthenware pot. The The use of the toadstone is an excellent
thumb ring which consisted of ‘a thick ants would then eat the flesh of the toad, example of similia similibus curantur –
broad silver hoop, wherein was set a good leaving the skeleton and, of course, the ‘like cures like’. Frogs and toads produce
large toad-stone’ in his Pantagruel (1532- toadstone, for later collection5. toxins from specialised glands located
1535). beneath the skin. The stones supposedly
True identity derived from these animals were therefore
The Legend Conrad Gesner gave the first pictorial employed to treat all manner of poisons
The 2nd century Kyranides cites the representation of toadstones in his De by sympathetic magic7. Albertus Magnus
belief that an ‘earth toad’ possesses a Rerum Fossilium, Lapidum et Gemmarum
stone ‘in the marrow of its head’ 1. This of 1565, the same year as his death from
recalls the soliloquy of Duke Frederick the plague. The first person to appreciate
in Shakespeare’s ‘As You like It’: ‘The the true nature of the toadstone was the
toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a Sicilian painter, Agostino Scilla (1629-
precious jewel in his head.’ According to 1700). He found small fossilised fish
Kyranides, the stone was to be collected teeth, referred to locally as ‘Occhi di
whilst the moon was waning, and kept on serpe’ or ‘serpent’s eyes’ in the Tertiary
a linen cloth for forty days. rocks on Malta and noted their similarity
Around 1262, Albertus Magnus, to the crushing teeth of the Wolf Fish,
the Dominican friar from Cologne, Anarhichas lupus. At 2m long, this is
recommended collection whilst the animal the largest of the living blennies. To
was ‘still alive and quivering’2. The English emphasise the similarity and defend his
cleric, Edward Topsell, indicated in 1658 thesis that these were fossilised teeth,
that the living toad should be placed rather than ‘sports of nature’, Scilla
upon a sheet of red cloth. On coughing illustrated the modern and fossil remains
up the stone, the specimen should be next to each other in the same plate (fig
secreted into a pot through a hole in the 1)6.
Extant toadstone rings contain gems Fig 1. Teeth of the extant Atlantic Wolf
cloth, before the toad could gulp it back Fish, Anarhichas lupus, Linnaeus, 1758.
down again3. Indeed, the fact that a that are brownish grey in colour and Reproduced from Scilla (1724, pl. II). Fig V
toad might lunge toward the stone was a measure up to 1.5cm in diameter. For in the plate depicts toadstones.’
Jewellery History Today · Spring 2010 3

recommended swallowing unmounted unmounted specimens form part of the
stones ‘to cleanse the bowels of filth and Cheapside Hoard (Museum of London).
excrements’; the specimen could then Whilst a single bezel is the norm, one
later be retrieved – a unique example of specimen in the Ashmolean Museum
a recyclable medicine! Set in rings, the (F.691, Fortnum Collection) has a double
toadstone was believed to actively sweat in bezel. The toadstone is usually the only
the presence of poison, which, if in contact gem in the piece, but in a specimen at
with the skin, might also be accompanied Salisbury, it is flanked by a pair of smaller
by a burning sensation. Bites of snakes, pieces of red coral. The bezel is usually
insects, spiders and rats could all be healed rubbed-over so as to clasp the stone, with
by touching the stone against the place of a simple decoration surrounding it (fig 3).
injury. Internal poisons due to humoral The back of the bezel may be either open
imbalance could also be treated with or closed. In one spectacular specimen
toadstones; it is recorded as being useful (AF.1023, British Museum), the gold
in cases of tumours, biliousness, fevers, bezel and hoop are heavily chased, with a
sores, tuberculosis (scrofula), diarrhoea, lombardic inscription against paroxysmal
epilepsy and even plague. Sir Walter Scott fits inscribed on the inner surface of the
(1771-1832) records that his mother’s hoop. Rather more unusual occurrences of Fig 3. 15th century silver gilt toadstone ring
specimen, now displayed at Abbotsford the gem include ‘a toad stone in a silver (AF.1025) in the collection of the British Museum.
House, was often borrowed in order to offer shield’ left on the death in 1364 of Jean Copyright Trustees of the British Museum.
protection for newborn children and their le Bon, King of France, and specimens
mothers from the power of the fairies. used in the base of a terra sigillata contra- fishes, and is co-author of the forthcoming
veleno cup. A 16th century locket found in Palaeozoic sharks volume of the Handbook
Specimens a graveyard at Devizes, Wiltshire, consists of Palaeoichthyology to be published by
The toadstone was obviously a highly of two toadstones placed back to back and Dr Freidrich Pfeil Verlag. He is currently
prized gem. Listed in inventories for, bound by a silver hoop; the keyhole passes researching the folklore of fossils,
amongst others, Jean, Duc de Berry (1340- through one of the stones. particularly their use in folk medicine from
1416); Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy All in all, a toadstone was a valuable classical to early modern times. Working
(1396-1467); and Louis, Count of Anjou asset, combining a gem that could be as a school teacher, he is Head of Biology,
(1339-1384), it is also amongst the mounted with the minimum of preparation Head of Critical Thinking, and Deputy Head
goods specified in a number of wills. The with many supposed medical benefits. of Sixth Form at Streatham and Clapham
Middlesex Session Rolls record burglaries High School.
in 1652 and 1653 in which gold toadstone Following a geology degree, Dr Chris Duffin
rings, valued at 15 shillings apiece, were gained a PhD in Vertebrate Palaeontology
amongst the booty. and Comparative Anatomy at University EVANS, Joan. (1922) Magical Jewels
Many specimens, set in either silver College London in 1980. He has published of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
or gold mounts, are known to be extant over 100 palaeontological papers and particularly in England. Clarendon Press,
in museum collections, and a number of contributions to books, mostly on fossil Oxford, p.19.
2 WYKOFF, Dorothy. (1967) Albertus
Magnus Book of Minerals. Clarendon Press,
Oxford, p.76.
3 TOPSELL, Edward. (1658) The History
of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents. E.
Cotes, London, p.727.
4KUNZ, George F. (1915) The Magic
of Jewels and Charms. Lippincott,
Philadelphia, p.162.
5 LUPTON, Thomas. (1627) A thousand
Notable things of sundrie sortes. London,
174 pp.
6 SCILLA, Agostino. (1670) La Vana
Speculazione Disingannata Senso. Lettera
Risponsiva Circa i Corpi Marini, che
Petrificati si trovano in varij luoghi terrestri.
Andrea Collichea, Napoli, 163 pp, 28 pls.
7 DUFFIN, Christopher J. (2008) : Fossils
Fig 2. Lepidotus maximus (SMF P 325) from the Plattenkalk (Tithonian, Late Jurassic)
of Langenaltheim, Germany. Whole specimen in right lateral view. (Courtesy of the as drugs : pharmaceutical palaeontology.
Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt/Main). Ferrantia, 54 : 1-83.
4 Jewellery History Today · Spring 2010

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Jewellery History Today

Issue 8 · Spring 2010

The magazine of The Society of Jewellery Historians

Jewellery History Today · Spring 2010 3

4 Jewellery History Today · Spring 2010

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