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 Final PDF to printer

Paige Baltzan
Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

Business Driven
Information Systems
SEVENTH EDITION

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SUPPORTING OPERATIONS: INFORMATION MIS STORING DATA USING A RELATIONAL DATABASE

INFRASTRUCTURE 187 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 234
Backup and Recovery Plan 188 Storing Data Elements in Entities and Attributes 235
Disaster Recovery Plan 189 Creating Relationships through Keys 236
Business Continuity Plan 191 Coca-Cola Relational Database Example 237
SUPPORTING CHANGE: AGILE MIS INFRASTRUCTURE 192 USING A RELATIONAL DATABASE FOR BUSINESS
Accessibility 193 ADVANTAGES 239
Availability 194 Increased Flexibility 239
Maintainability 195 Increased Scalability and Performance 239
Portability 195 Reduced Data Redundancy 240
Reliability 195 Increased Data Integrity (Quality) 240
Scalability 195 Increased Data Security 240
Usability 197 Section 6.2 Data Warehouse and Blockchain 241
Section 5.2 Building Sustainable MIS Infrastructures 197 BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE 241
MIS AND THE ENVIRONMENT 197 The Problem: Data Rich, Information Poor 242
Increased Electronic Waste 198 The Solution: Data Aggregation 242
Increased Energy Consumption 199 DATA WAREHOUSE 244
Increased Carbon Emissions 199 Data Analysis 246
SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT: SUSTAINABLE MIS Data Lake 247
INFRASTRUCTURE 200 Data Cleansing or Scrubbing 248
Grid Computing 200 Data Visualization 250
Virtualized Computing 204 BLOCKCHAIN: DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING 253
Cloud Computing 208 How Blockchains Work 255
Public Cloud 213 Blockchain Advantages 257
Private Cloud 213 Learning Outcome Review 259
Community Cloud 213 Key Terms 260
Hybrid Cloud 214 Review Questions 260
UTILITY COMPUTING 214 Closing Case One 261
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) 215 Closing Case Two 263
Software as a Service (SaaS) 215 Critical Business Thinking 266
Platform as a Service (PaaS) 216 Apply Your Knowledge Business Projects 268
Learning Outcome Review 216 AYK Application Projects 271
Key Terms 218
Review Questions 218 CH A P T ER 7
Closing Case One 219 Networks: Mobile Business 272
Closing Case Two 219
opening case study: Disr upting the Tax i :
Critical Business Thinking 220
Uber 273
Apply Your Knowledge Business Projects 223
AYK Application Projects 226 Section 7.1 Connectivity: The Wireless World 275
OVERVIEW OF A CONNECTED WORLD 275
CH APTE R 6 WIRELESS NETWORKS 276
Data: Business Intelligence 227 WIRELESS NETWORK CATEGORIES 278
Personal Area Networks 278
opening case study: B i t c oi n 228 Wireless LANs 278
Section 6.1 Data, Information, and Databases 229 Wireless MANs 280
DATA QUALITY 229 Wireless WAN—Cellular Communication System 280
Data Type: Transactional and Analytical 229 Wireless WAN—Satellite Communication System 283
Data Timeliness 230 PROTECTING WIRELESS NETWORKS 284
Data Quality 231 Section 7.2 Mobility: The Business Value
Data Governance 234 of a Wireless World 286

viii Contents

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MOBILE ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT 286 Customer Service and Operational CRM 336
Mobile Device Management 287 Analytical CRM 337
Mobile Application Management 288 ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING 339
Mobile Information Management 290 The Evolution of ERP 343
BUSINESS APPLICATIONS OF WIRELESS Core ERP Components 345
TECHNOLOGIES 292 Extended ERP Components 346
Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) 292 Measuring ERP Success 347
Global Positioning System (GPS) 294 ORGANIZATIONAL INTEGRATION WITH ERP 348
Geographic Information System (GIS) 295 On-Premise ERP 348
Learning Outcome Review 297 Cloud ERP 349
Key Terms 298 Hybrid ERP 352
Review Questions 299 Learning Outcome Review 354
Closing Case One 299 Key Terms 355
Closing Case Two 300 Review Questions 356
Critical Business Thinking 301 Closing Case One 356
Apply Your Knowledge Business Projects 302 Closing Case Two 358
AYK Application Projects 306 Critical Business Thinking 359
Apply Your Knowledge Business Projects 362
AYK Application Projects 366

mo d ule 3 CH A P T ER 9
Systems Development and Project Management:
E n te r pr is e M IS 307 Corporate Responsibility 367

CH APT ER 8 opening case study: Let My Peop l e

Enterprise Applications: Business Go Sur fing: The Education of
Communications 308 a Reluctant Businessman 3 6 8
Section 9.1 Developing Enterprise Applications 370
opening case study: B l oc kc hain Disr upting
THE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE (SDLC) 370
t h e Suppl y Cha i n 30 9 Phase 1: Planning 370
Section 8.1 Supply Chain Management 311 Phase 2: Analysis 372
BUILDING A CONNECTED CORPORATION Phase 3: Design 374
THROUGH INTEGRATIONS 311 Phase 4: Development 375
Integration Tools 312 Phase 5: Testing 377
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 313 Phase 6: Implementation 377
Blockchain Revamping the Supply Chain 317 Phase 7: Maintenance 378
TECHNOLOGIES REINVENTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN 319 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY:
3D Printing Supports Procurement 321 THE WATERFALL 380
RFID Supports Logistics 323 AGILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Drones Support Logistics 325 METHODOLOGIES 381
Robotics Supports Materials Management 325 Rapid Application Development (RAD) Methodology 382
Section 8.2 Customer Relationship Management Extreme Programming Methodology 382
and Enterprise Resource Planning 327 Rational Unified Process (RUP) Methodology 383
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT 327 Scrum Methodology 383
Evolution of CRM 329 Section 9.2 Project Management 384
The Power of the Customer 331 USING PROJECT MANAGEMENT TO DELIVER
Measuring CRM Success 331 SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS 384
OPERATIONAL AND ANALYTICAL CRM 331 Unclear or Missing Business Requirements 385
Marketing and Operational CRM 333 Skipped Phases 385
Sales and Operational CRM 334 Changing Technology 386

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The Cost of Finding Errors in the SDLC 386 PROTOCOLS B.6

Balance of the Triple Constraint 387 Ethernet B.6
PRIMARY PROJECT PLANNING DIAGRAMS 388 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol B.7
OUTSOURCING PROJECTS 392 MEDIA B.8
Outsourcing Benefits 394 Wire Media B.8
Outsourcing Challenges 395 Wireless Media B.9
Learning Outcome Review 397 Key Terms B.10
Key Terms 398 Apply Your Knowledge B.10
Review Questions 399
Closing Case One 399 A P P EN DIX C
Closing Case Two 401 Designing Databases C.1
Critical Business Thinking 402 INTRODUCTION C.1
Apply Your Knowledge Business Projects 404 THE RELATIONAL DATABASE MODEL C.1
AYK Application Projects 408 Entities and Attributes C.2
Type of Attributes C.2
Business Rules C.3
DOCUMENTING ENTITY-RELATIONSHIP
DIAGRAMS C.3
ap p end ic e s Basic Entity Relationships C.4
Relationship Cardinality C.6
RELATIONAL DATA MODEL AND THE DATABASE C.7
APPE ND I X A From Entities to Tables C.7
Hardware and Software Basics A.1 Logically Relating Tables C.8
INTRODUCTION A.1 Key Terms C.9
HARDWARE BASICS A.1 Apply Your Knowledge C.9
Central Processing Unit A.2
Primary Storage A.3 A P P EN DIX D
Secondary Storage A.5 Emerging Trends and Technologies D.1
Input Devices A.7 INTRODUCTION D.1
Output Devices A.8 TRENDS SHAPING OUR FUTURE D.2
Communication Devices A.9 The World’s Population Will Double in the Next 40 Years D.2
COMPUTER CATEGORIES A.10 People in Developed Countries Are Living Longer D.3
SOFTWARE BASICS A.10 The Growth in Information Industries Is Creating a
System Software A.12 Knowledge-Dependent Global Society D.3
Application Software A.13 The Global Economy Is Becoming More
Distributing Application Software A.13 Integrated D.4
Key Terms A.14 The Economy and Society Are Dominated by
Apply Your Knowledge A.14 Technology D.4
Pace of Technological Innovation Is Increasing D.4
APPE ND I X B Time Is Becoming One of the World’s Most Precious
Networks and Telecommunications B.1 Commodities D.5
INTRODUCTION B.1 TECHNOLOGIES SHAPING OUR FUTURE D.5
NETWORK BASICS B.1 The Digital Mesh D.5
ARCHITECTURE B.3 Smart Machines D.6
Peer-to-Peer Networks B.3 The New IT Reality D.6
Client/Server Networks B.4 Key Terms D.7
TOPOLOGY B.5 Apply Your Knowledge D.7

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APPENDIX E BENEFITS OF A CONNECTED WORLD E.10

Connectivity: The Business Value of a Key Terms E.12
Networked World E.1 Apply Your Knowledge E.12
OVERVIEW OF A CONNECTED WORLD E.1
Network Categories E.1 Apply Your Knowledge AYK.1
Network Providers E.2 Glossary G.1
Network Access Technologies E.4
Network Protocols E.6 Notes N.1
Network Convergence E.8 Index I.1

Contents xi

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FOR INSTRUCTORS

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FOR STUDENTS

Effective, efficient studying.

Connect helps you be more productive with your study time and get better grades using tools like
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 Final PDF to printer

P R E FAC E
Business Driven Information Systems discusses various business initiatives first and how tech-
nology supports those initiatives second. The premise for this unique approach is that business
initiatives should drive technology choices. Every discussion first addresses the business needs
and then addresses the technology that supports those needs. This text provides the foundation
that will enable students to achieve excellence in business, whether they major in ­operations
management, manufacturing, sales, marketing, finance, human resources, accounting, or
­virtually any other business discipline. Business Driven Information Systems is designed to give
students the ability to understand how information technology can be a point of strength for
an organization.
Common business goals associated with information technology projects include reducing
costs, improving productivity, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty, creating ­competitive
advantages, streamlining supply chains, supporting global expansion, and so on. Achieving
these results is not easy. Implementing a new accounting system or marketing plan is not likely
to ­generate long-term growth or reduce costs across an entire organization. Businesses must
undertake enterprisewide initiatives to achieve broad general business goals such as reducing
costs. Information technology plays a critical role in deploying such initiatives by facilitating
­communication and increasing business intelligence. Any individual anticipating a successful
career in business, whether it is in accounting, finance, human resources, or operations man-
agement, must understand the basics of information technology that can be found in this text.
We have found tremendous success teaching MIS courses by demonstrating the correla-
tion between business and IT. Students who understand the tight correlation between business
and IT understand the power of this course. Students learn 10 percent of what they read,­
80 percent of what they personally experience, and 90 percent of what they teach others.
The business driven approach brings the difficult and often intangible MIS concepts to the
student’s level and applies them using a hands-on approach to reinforce the concepts. Teaching
MIS with a business driven focus helps:
■ Add credibility to IT.
■ Open students’ eyes to IT opportunities.
■ Attract majors.
■ Engage students.

FORMAT, FEATURES, AND HIGHLIGHTS

Business Driven Information Systems is state of the art in its discussions, presents concepts
in an easy-to-understand format, and allows students to be active participants in learning.
The dynamic nature of information technology requires all students—more specifically, busi-
ness students—to be aware of both current and emerging technologies. Students are facing
complex subjects and need a clear, concise explanation to be able to understand and use the
concepts throughout their careers. By engaging students with numerous case studies, exercises,
projects, and questions that enforce concepts, Business Driven Information Systems creates a
unique learning experience for both faculty and students.
■ Audience. Business Driven Information Systems is designed for use in undergraduate or
­introductory MBA courses in management information systems, which are required in
many business administration or management programs as part of the common body of
knowledge for all business majors.
■ Logical Layout. Students and faculty will find the text well organized, with the topics flow-
ing logically from one chapter to the next. The definition of each term is provided before it
is covered in the chapter, and an extensive glossary is included at the back of the text. Each
chapter offers a comprehensive opening case study, learning outcomes, closing case studies,
key terms, and critical business thinking questions.

xiv Preface

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■ Thorough Explanations. Complete coverage is provided for each topic that is introduced.
Explanations are written so that students can understand the ideas presented and relate
them to other concepts.
■ Solid Theoretical Base. The text relies on current theory and practice of information ­systems
as they relate to the business environment. Current academic and professional journals
cited throughout the text are found in the Notes at the end of the book—a road map for
­additional, pertinent readings that can be the basis for learning beyond the scope of the
chapters or plug-ins.
■ Material to Encourage Discussion. All chapters contain a diverse selection of case studies
and individual and group problem-solving activities as they relate to the use of ­information
technology in business. Two comprehensive cases at the end of each chapter reinforce
­content. These cases encourage students to consider what concepts have been presented
and then apply those concepts to a situation they might find in an organization. Different
people in an organization can view the same facts from different points of view, and the
cases will force students to consider some of those views.
■ Flexibility in Teaching and Learning. Although most textbooks that are text-only leave ­faculty
on their own when it comes to choosing cases, Business Driven Information Systems goes
much further. Several options are provided to faculty with case selections from a ­variety of
sources, including CIO, Harvard Business Journal, Wired, Forbes, and Time, to name just a
few. Therefore, faculty can use the text alone, the text and a complete selection of cases, or
anything in between.
■ Integrative Themes. Several integrative themes recur throughout the text, which adds
­integration to the material. Among these themes are value-added techniques and
­methodologies, ethics and social responsibility, globalization, and competitive advantage.
Such topics are essential to gaining a full understanding of the strategies that a business
must recognize, formulate, and in turn implement. In addition to addressing these in the
chapter material, many illustrations are provided for their relevance to business practice.

Preface xv

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WA L K T H R O U G H

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes. These outcomes focus on what First Pages

students should learn and be able to answer upon
­completion of the chapter.

section 3.1 Web 1.0: Ebusiness

LEARNING OUTCOMES

3.1 Compare disruptive and sustaining technologies and explain how the Internet and WWW caused
business disruption.
3.2 Describe ebusiness and its associated advantages.
3.3 Compare the four ebusiness models.
3.4 Describe the six ebusiness tools for connecting and communicating.

DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY LO 3.1: Compare disruptive and

sustaining technologies and explain
Polaroid, founded in 1937, produced the first instant camera in the late 1940s. The how the Internet and WWW caused
Polaroid camera, whose pictures developed themselves, was one of the most exciting tech- business disruption.
nological advances the photography industry had ever seen. The company eventually went
public, becoming one of Wall Street’s most prominent enterprises, with its stock trading
above $60 per share in 1997. In 2002, the stock dropped to 8 cents, and the company declared
bankruptcy.2
How could a company such as Polaroid, which had innovative technology and a captive cus-
tomer base, go bankrupt? Perhaps company executives failed to use Porter’s Five Forces Model
to analyze the threat of substitute products or services. If they had, would they have noticed the
two threats—one-hour film processing and digital cameras—which eventually stole Polaroid’s
market share? Would they have understood that their customers, people who want instant
access to their pictures, would be the first to try these alternatives? Could the company have
found a way to compete with one-hour film processing and the digital camera to save Polaroid?
Many organizations face the same dilemma as Polaroid: what’s best for the current business
might not be what’s best for it in the long term. Some observers of our business environment
have an ominous vision of the future—digital Darwinism. Digital Darwinism implies that orga-
nizations that cannot adapt to the new demands placed on them for surviving in the informa-
tion age are doomed to extinction.

Disruptive versus Sustaining Technology

A disruptive technology is a new way of doing things that initially does not meet the needs of
existing customers. Disruptive technologies tend to open new markets and destroy old ones.
A sustaining technology, on the other hand, produces an improved product customers are eager
xvi Walkthrough
to buy, such as a faster car or larger hard drive. Sustaining technologies tend to provide us with
better, faster, and cheaper products in established markets. Incumbent companies most often
lead sustaining technology to market, but they virtually never lead in markets opened by disrup-
tive technologies.3
baL62480_fm_i-xxx.indd xvi Disruptive technologies typically enter the low end of the marketplace and eventually 12/06/19 08:19 PM
evolve to displace high-end competitors and their reigning technologies. Sony is a perfect
 Final PDF to printer

Chapter Opening Case Study

Chapter Opening Case Study. To enhance student interest, each chapter begins with
an opening case study that highlights an organization that has been time-tested and
­value-proven in the business world. This feature serves to fortify concepts with r­ elevant
examples of outstanding companies. Discussion of the case is threaded throughout
the chapter. First Pages

opening case study

jgorzynik/Shutterstock Ryan McVay/Getty Images Taner Muhlis Karaguzel/ SeventyFour/Shutterstock

Shutterstock

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Backdoor to

Reengineering Reality
The fourth industrial revolution is here and is going to exponentially change how we live,
work, and interact. The fourth industrial revolution is disrupting almost every industry glob-
ally and creating massive change at unprecedented speeds. Professor Klaus Schwab,
founder and executive chair of the World Economic Forum’s latest book, The Fourth
Industrial Revolution, describes a world where physical, digital, and biological spheres
merge. This revolution refers to how new technologies like artificial intelligence, autono-
mous vehicles, voice recognition, and the Internet of Things are blending our digital and
physical worlds. You can expect to see changes in the ways individuals, businesses, and
governments operate, ultimately leading to transformations similar to what we witnessed
in the first three industrial revolutions. Let’s take a quick look at the first three industrial
revolutions before we jump into the fourth.

■ The First Industrial Revolution (1760–1860): Began in Britain with the invention of
the steam engine allowing businesses to fully harness the power of steam. This lead to
the creation of factories along with dramatically improved manufacturing processes.
■ The Second Industrial Revolution (1860–1960): Mass production in the steal, oil, and
electricity industries drove the invention of the light-bulb, telephone, and internal com-
bustion engine.
■ The Third Industrial Revolution (1960–2006): The beginning of the digital era saw
the invention of the semiconductor chip, Internet, and personal computer. This is also
referred to as the “Digital Revolution.”
■ The Fourth Industrial Revolution (2006–present): Represents the blending of the
digital, physical, and biological worlds with the rate of change at hyper-velocity speed.

The fourth industrial revolution is expected to make the first three industrial revolutions
look like child’s play impacting every single discipline, industry, and economy. In this revolu-
tion we will design and engineer the world around us by manipulating the very atoms and
molecules that construct our reality. Atoms and molecules are the “digital” code of the real
world and we are just learning how to hack this code and change reality. Gene editing,
nanotechnology, and synthetic biology will reprogram DNA, build human robots and space
crafts, and even change the food we consume. The fourth industrial revolution offers a giant
leap forward for productivity generating numerous opportunities. Among the simplest is

Business Driven MIS Module 1 3

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Walkthrough xvii

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Projects and Case Studies

Case Studies. This text is packed with 27 case studies illustrating how a variety of prominent organizations First
and Pages
­businesses have successfully implemented many of this text’s concepts. All cases are timely and promote c­ ritical
­thinking. Company profiles are especially appealing and relevant to your students, helping to stir classroom
­discussion and interest.
stores, airlines, and personal computers. Prepare a presentation for the class on the ways that
MIS is being used to help the differentiating company compete against the low-cost provider.
Before you begin, spend some class time to make sure each team selects a different industry if
at all possible.

13. IoT Time Management

Apply Your Knowledge. At the end of each There chapter,
is no you
doubtwill find
about several
it, poor Apply Your
time management Knowledge
is one projects
of the leading causes ofthat
failure among
students. Without being able to manage due dates, deliverables, work, and of course life,
­challenge students to bring the skills they have learned from the chapter to real business problems. There are also
students find themselves sinking instead of swimming in the vast college pool. You have decided
33 Apply Your Knowledge projects on the Connect
that enoughsiteis that accompanies
enough and you and a fewthisfriends
text.are
These
goingprojects ask students
to take advantage to to
of technology
create an innovative new IoT device to solve this monumental problem. In a group, brainstorm
use IT tools such as Excel, Access, and Dreamweaver to solve business problems. These projects help to develop the
your new time management IoT device and then apply Porter’s Five Forces model. Use the model
application and problem-solving skills of yourto students
determine the through challenging
chances of and
success for your newcreative
product. business-driven scenarios.

A P P LY Y O U R K N O W L E D G E B U S I N E S S P R O J E C T S

P ROJECT I Upward Managing Your Boss

Business leaders need to be comfortable with data, MIS, and analytics for the following (primary)
reasons:
■ The sheer magnitude of the dollars spent on MIS and analytics must be managed to ensure
business value.
■ Research has consistently shown that when top managers are active in supporting these
initiatives, they realize a number of benefits, such as gaining a competitive advantage, streamlin-
ing business processes, and even transforming entire industries.
■ When business leaders are not involved in these initiatives, systems fail, revenue is lost,
and entire companies can even fail because of poorly managed systems.
How do companies get managers involved in MIS and analytics? One of the biggest positive
factors is managers’ personal experience with MIS and analytics along with education, including
university classes such as this one. Once managers understand the positive benefits through
experience and education, they are more likely to lead their companies in achieving business success.
Your boss does not understand the value of data, MIS, and analytics. In fact, he does not even
believe data is required to run a business. Create a 3-minute persuasive presentation demonstrating
the relationship between data, MIS, and analytics. Be sure to explain how data is collected from MIS
systems and how it is transformed into information and business intelligence and how analytics can
be applied to make better decision making. Be creative and have fun!

P ROJECT II What Are You Waiting For? Start Your Own Business!
Not long ago, people would call college kids who started businesses quaint. Now they call them the
boss. For almost a decade, Inc. magazine has been watching college start-ups and posting a list of
the nation’s top start-ups taking campuses by storm. Helped in part by low-cost technologies and
an increased prevalence of entrepreneurship training at the university level, college students—and
indeed those even younger—are making solid strides at founding companies. And they’re not just
launching local pizza shops and fashion boutiques. They are starting up businesses that could scale
into much bigger companies and may already cater to a national audience.
Research Inc. magazine at www.inc.com and find the year’s current Coolest College Startup listing.
Choose one of the businesses and perform a Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Be sure to highlight each
force, including switching costs, product differentiation, and loyalty programs.

xviii 44
Walkthrough Chapter 1 Management Information Systems: Business Driven MIS

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 ■ Threat of new entrants is high when it is easy for new competitors to enter a market and low when
there are significant entry barriers to entering a market. Final PDF to printer
■ Rivalry among existing competitors is high when competition is fierce in a market and low when
competition is more complacent. First Pages

Learning Outcome 1.6: Compare Porter’s three generic strategies.

Organizations typically follow one of Porter’s three generic strategies when entering a new market:
(1) broad cost leadership, (2) broad differentiation,
Rivalry among existing
and (3) focused strategy.Threat
Supplier power 28
Broadof strategies reach a
new entrants 29
large market segment. Focused
competitors 29 strategies target a niche
Supply chain 28market. Focused strategies concentrate
Threat of substitute products on
or
either cost leadership
Servicesor18differentiation. Support value activities 32 services 28
Stakeholder 23 Switching costs 28 Unstructured data 9
Static report 10 Value chain analysis 32
Learning Outcome 1.7: Demonstrate howSWOT
Structured data 7
analysis 25
a company
System 18
can add value by using Porter’s
Variable 11
value chain analysis.
Snapshot 9 Systems thinking 19

To identify competitive advantages, Michael Porter created value chain analysis, which views a firm as
a series of business processes, each of which adds value to the product or service. The goal of value
chain analysis is to identify processes in which the firm can add value for the customer and create
REVIEW QUESTIONS
a competitive advantage for itself, with a cost advantage or product differentiation. The value chain

End-of-Chapter Elements
groups a firm’s activities into two categories—primary value activities and support value activities.
Primary value activities
1. Whatacquire
is data andrawwhymaterials andtomanufacture,
is it important a business? deliver, market, sell, and provide
after-sales services. Support
2. How can a value
manager activities,
turn data along the top of the value chain in the figure, include
into information?

Each chapter contains complete pedagogicalfirm infrastructure,

support human
in 3.theWhat
Not surprisingly, these
formis theresource
of: management,
relationship technologybusiness
between data, information, development, and
intelligence, and procurement.
knowledge?
4. Whysupport the primary
is it important value activities.
for a company to operate cross-functionally?
5. Why would a company want to have a CIO, CPO, and CSO?
6. Explain MIS and the role it plays in a company and global business.
7. Do you agree that MIS is essential for businesses operating in the information age? Why or why
K E Y T E R M not?
S
Key Terms. With page 8. Why is it important for a business major to understand MIS?
9. What type of career are you planning to pursue? How will your specific career use data,
numbers ­referencing Algorithm 13 Chiefintelligence,
information, business technology and
officer
knowledge? Knowledge assets 14
Analytics 12 10. Explain systems thinking(CTO)and22how it supports business operations.
Knowledge facilitator 15
where they are Anomaly detection 13 Chief user experience Knowledge worker 14
Big data 7 11. What business strategies would you use if you were developing a competitive advantage for a
officer 22 Loyalty program 28
­discussed in the text. Business analytics 12
company?
Competitive advantage 23 Machine-generated data 7
12. Explain
Business intelligence (BI) 11 Porter’s Five Forces Model and the
Competitive intelligence 24 role it plays in decision making. unstructured
Machine-generated
Business process 13. 32 How could a company Data use
7 loyalty programs to influence buyerdata 9 How could a company
power?
Business strategy 23 use switching costs Data
to democratization
lock in customers 18 and suppliers? Machine-to-machine
Business unit 15 14. What are Porter’sData threescientist 12
generic strategies (M2M) 6want to follow only one?
and why would a company
Buyer power 27 Descriptive analytics 12 MIS skills gap 23
15. How can a company use Porter’s value chain analysis to measure customer satisfaction?
Chief automation officer 22 Dynamic report 10 Management information systems
Chief data officer (CDO) 21 Entry barrier 29 (MIS) 20
Chief intellectual property Fact 5 Outlier 13
officer 22 Feedback 19 Porter’s Five Forces Model 27
Two Closing Case Studies. Chief information officer
(CIO) 20
C L O S I N G CFirst-mover
A S E Oadvantage
Goods 18
NE 24 Porter’s three generic
strategies 31
Reinforcing important concepts Chief knowledge officer Human-generated data 7 Predictive analytics 12
(CKO) 22 Human-generated unstructured Prescriptive analytics 13
with prominent examples from Chief privacy officer
Do You Trust Your dataData?
9 Primary value activities 32
(CPO) 22 Information 10 Product differentiation 30
businesses and organizations. Chief security officer Information
Data is the new oil. Data age 5 decisions. As a manager
drives fact-based Productionyou 18
are going to rely on data
(CSO) 22 to drive your businessInternet of Things (IoT) 5 making a criticalProductivity 18decision on bad data?
Discussion questions follow Chief sustainabilityHave
officer
you 22
ever stopped
decisions.
Knowledge
Can you imagine
14 if you trust your data? What
to ask yourself Report
business
10
will happen if you make a business
each case study. decision on incorrect, inaccurate, or low-quality data? Obviously, chances are high you will make the
wrong decision, and that is the primary risk when using data to drive your decisions. First
Here Pages
are a few
examples of organizations that fell into the trap of making important decisions on incorrect data.Business Driven MIS Module 1 37

■ Fidelity: A missing negative sign on a dividend report cost this financial company $2.6 billion.
■ Harvard: Two professors reached an incorrect conclusion with an average formula that failed to
pull all of the data.
3. Demonstrate baL62480_ch01_001-048.indd
how data from an IoT device
37 can be transformed into information and business 09/28/19 06:46 PM
38 intelligence.
Chapter 1 Management Information Systems: Business Driven MIS

4. Propose a plan for how a start-up company can use IoT device data to make better business
Critical Business Thinking. The best way to learn MIS is to apply it to scenarios and real-world business
decisions.
dilemmas. These projects require students to apply critical thinking skills and chapter concepts to analyze
5. Argue for or against the following statement: “The Internet of Things is just a passing fad and will
be gone within a decade.”
baL62480_ch01_001-048.indd 38 08/27/19 04:23 PM

the problems and make recommended business decisions.

CRITICAL BUSINESS THINKING

1. Working for the Best

Each year, Fortune magazine creates a list of the top 100 companies to work for. Find the most
recent list. What types of data do you think Fortune analyzed to determine the company ranking?
What issues could occur if the analysis of the data was inaccurate? What types of information
can you gain by analyzing the list? Create five questions a student performing a job search could
answer by analyzing this list.

2. View from a Flat World

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, stated that 20 years ago, most people would rather have been a
B student in New York City than a genius in China because the opportunities available to students
in developed countries were limitless. Today, many argue that the opposite is now true due to
technological advances making it easier to succeed as a genius in China than a B student in
New York. As a group, discuss whether you agree or disagree with Gates’s statement.

3. The Internet of Everything Is Everywhere

IoT is transforming our world into a living information system as we control our intelligent lighting from
our smart phone to a daily health check from our smart toilet. Of course, with all great technological
advances come unexpected risks, and you have to be prepared to encounter various security issues
with IoT. Just imagine if your devices were hacked by someone who now can shut off your water,
take control of your car, or unlock the doors of your home from thousands of miles away. We are just
beginning to understand the security issues associated with IoT and M2M, and you can be sure that
sensitive data leakage from your IoT device is something you will most likely encounter in your life.
In a group, identify a few IoT devices you are using today. These can include fitness trackers
that report to your iPhone, sports equipment that provides immediate feedback to an app, or even
smart vacuum cleaners. If you are not using any IoT devices today, brainstorm a few you might
purchase in the future. How could a criminal or hacker use your IoT to steal your sensitive data?
Walkthrough xix
What potential problems or issues could you experience from these types of data thefts? What
might be some of the signs that someone had accessed your IoT data illegally? What could you do
to protect the data in your device?

4. Systems Thinking
Systems thinking argues that seeing the whole as greater than the sum of its parts can lead to
unpredictable and surprising innovations and adaptations. Identify your course registration
baL62480_fm_i-xxx.indd xix process. Determine the inputs, process, and outputs for the process. Identify the feedback. 12/06/19 08:19 PM
How can viewing the systems as a whole help you identify new ways to ensure course scheduling
 Final PDF to printer

About the Plug-Ins

Located in the Connect product that accompanies this text, the overall goal of the plug-ins is to provide an
alternative for faculty who find themselves in the situation of having to purchase an extra book to support
Microsoft Office 2010, 2013, or 2016. The plug-ins presented here offer integration with the core chapters
and provide critical knowledge using essential business applications, such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft
Access, Dreamweaver, and Microsoft Project. Each plug-in uses hands-on tutorials for comprehension and
mastery.

End-of-Plug-In Elements

Each plug-in contains complete pedagogical support in the form of:

Plug-In Summary. Revisits the plug-in highlights in summary format.
Making Business Decisions. Small scenario-driven projects that help students focus individually on
­decision making as they relate to the topical elements in the chapters.

xx Walkthrough

baL62480_fm_i-xxx.indd xx 12/06/19 08:19 PM

 Final PDF to printer

Support and Supplemental Material

All of the supplemental material supporting Business Driven Information Systems was developed by the author to ensure that
you receive accurate, high-quality, and in-depth content. Included is a complete set of materials that will assist students and
faculty in accomplishing course objectives.

Test Bank. This computerized package allows instructors to custom design, save, and generate tests. The test program permits
instructors to edit, add, or delete questions from the test banks; analyze test results; and organize a database of tests and
­students’ results.

Instructor’s Manual (IM). The IM, written by the author, includes suggestions for designing the course and presenting the
material. Each chapter is supported by answers to end-of-chapter questions and problems and suggestions concerning the
discussion topics and cases.

PowerPoint Presentations. A set of PowerPoint slides, created by the author, accompanies each chapter and features bulleted
items that provide a lecture outline, plus key figures and tables from the text, and detailed teaching notes on each slide.

Image Library. Text figures and tables, as permission allows, are provided in a format by which they can be imported into
PowerPoint for class lectures.

Project Files. The author has provided files for all projects that need further support, such as data files.

Assurance of Learning Ready

Many educational institutions today are focused on the notion of assurance of learning, an important element
of some accreditation standards. Business Driven Information Systems is designed specifically to support your
­assurance of learning initiatives with a simple, yet powerful solution.
Each test bank question for Business Driven Information Systems maps to a specific chapter learning outcome/
objective listed in the text. You can use our test bank software, EZ Test and EZ Test Online, or Connect MIS to query
easily for learning outcomes/objectives that directly relate to the learning objectives for your course. You can then
use the reporting features of EZ Test to aggregate student results in similar fashion, making the collection and
­presentation of assurance of learning data simple and easy.

AACSB Statement
The McGraw-Hill Companies is a proud corporate member of AACSB International. Understanding the i­mportance
and value of AACSB accreditation, Business Driven Information Systems recognizes the curricula guidelines
detailed in the AACSB standards for business accreditation by connecting selected questions in the test bank to the
six ­general knowledge and skill guidelines in the AACSB standards.
The statements contained in Business Driven Information Systems are provided only as a guide for the users of
this textbook. The AACSB leaves content coverage and assessment within the purview of individual schools, the
­mission of the school, and the faculty. Although Business Driven Information Systems and the teaching ­package
make no claim of any specific AACSB qualification or evaluation, within Business Driven Information Systems
we have labeled selected questions according to the six general knowledge and skills areas.

Walkthrough xxi

baL62480_fm_i-xxx.indd xxi 12/06/19 08:19 PM

 Final PDF to printer

McGraw-Hill Customer Care Contact Information

At McGraw-Hill, we understand that getting the most from new technology can be challenging. That’s why our
­services don’t stop after you purchase our products. You can email our product specialists 24 hours a day to get
product training online. Or you can search our knowledge bank of Frequently Asked Questions on our support
website. For Customer Support, call 800-331-5094 or visit www.mhhe.com/support where you can look for your
question on our FAQ, or you can email a question directly to customer support. One of our technical support analysts
will be able to assist you in a timely fashion.

xxii Walkthrough

baL62480_fm_i-xxx.indd xxii 12/06/19 08:19 PM

 Final PDF to printer

First Pages

Apply Your Knowledge AP P LY YO UR K N OW LEDGE

Business Driven
Apply Your Information
Knowledge Systems
Project contains 33 projects that focus on student application of core concepts
Overview
and tools. These projects can be found on the Connect site.

Project Page
Number Project Name Project Type Plug-In Focus Area Project Level Skill Set Number
1 Financial Excel T2 Personal Introductory Formulas AYK.3
Destiny Budget
2 Cash Flow Excel T2 Cash Flow Introductory Formulas AYK.3
3 Technology Excel T1, T2 Hardware and Introductory Formulas AYK.3
Budget Software
4 Tracking Excel T2 Employee Introductory Formulas AYK.3
Donations Relationships
5 Convert Excel T2 Global Introductory Formulas AYK.4
Currency Commerce
6 Cost Excel T2 Total Cost of Introductory Formulas AYK.4
Comparison Ownership
7 Time Excel or Project T12 Project Introductory Gantt Charts AYK.5
Management Management
8 Maximize Profit Excel T2, T4 Strategic Intermediate Formulas or AYK.5
Analysis Solver
9 Security Analysis Excel T3 Filtering Data Intermediate Conditional AYK.6
Formatting,
Autofilter,
Subtotal
10 Gathering Data Excel T3 Data Analysis Intermediate Conditional AYK.6
Formatting
11 Scanner System Excel T2 Strategic Intermediate Formulas AYK.7
Analysis
12 Competitive Excel T2 Profit Intermediate Formulas AYK.7
Pricing Maximization
13 Adequate Excel T2 Break-Even Intermediate Formulas AYK.7
Acquisitions Analysis
14 Customer Excel T3 CRM Intermediate PivotTable AYK.8
Relations
15 Assessing Excel T3 Data Analysis Intermediate PivotTable AYK.8
the Value of
Information
16 Growth, Trends, Excel T2, T3 Data Advanced Average, AYK.9
and Forecasts Forecasting Trend, Growth
17 Shipping Excel T4 SCM Advanced Solver AYK.10
Costs
18 Formatting Excel T3 Data Analysis Advanced If, LookUp AYK.11
Grades
(continued)
(continued)

Apply Your Knowledge AYK.1

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baL62480_AYK_AYK1-AYK22.indd AYK.1 10/10/19 12:14 PM

baL62480_fm_i-xxx.indd xxiii 12/06/19 08:19 PM
 Final PDF to printer

First Pages

Project Page
Number Project Name Project Type Plug-In Focus Area Project Level Skill Set Number
19 Moving Excel T2, T3 SCM Advanced Absolute AYK.11
Dilemma vs. Relative
Values
20 Operational Excel T3 SCM Advanced PivotTable AYK.12
Efficiencies
21 Too Much Excel T3 CRM Advanced PivotTable AYK.12
Information
22 Turnover Rates Excel T3 Data Mining Advanced PivotTable AYK.13
23 Vital Excel T3 Data Mining Advanced PivotTable AYK.13
Information
24 Breaking Even Excel T4 Business Advanced Goal Seek AYK.14
Analysis
25 Profit Scenario Excel T4 Sales Analysis Advanced Scenario AYK.14
Manager
26 Electronic HTML T9, T10, Electronic Introductory Structural AYK.14
Résumés T11 Personal Tags
Marketing
27 Gathering Dreamweaver T9, T10, Data Intermediate Organization of AYK.15
Feedback T11 Collection Information
28 Daily Invoice Access T5, T6, Business Introductory Entities, AYK.15
T7, T8 Analysis Relationships,
and
Databases
29 Billing Data Access T5, T6, Business Introductory Entities, AYK.17
T7, T8 Intelligence Relationships,
and
Databases
30 Inventory Data Access T5, T6, SCM Intermediate Entities, AYK.18
T7, T8 Relationships,
and
Databases
31 Call Center Access T5, T6, CRM Intermediate Entities, AYK.19
T7, T8 Relationships,
and
Databases
32 Sales Pipeline Access T5, T6, Business Advanced Entities, AYK.20
T7, T8 Intelligence Relationships,
and
Databases
33 Online Access T5, T6, Ecommerce Advanced Entities, AYK.20
Classified Ads T7, T8 Relationships,
and
Databases

xxiv Walkthrough

NOTE: Many of the Excel projects support multiple data files. Therefore, the naming convention that
you see in the text may not be the same as what you see in a data folder. As an example, in the text, we
reference data files as AYK1_Data.xlsx; however, you may see a file named AYK1_Data_Version_1.xlsx or
AYK1_Data_Version_2.xlsx.
baL62480_fm_i-xxx.indd xxiv 12/06/19 08:19 PM

AYK.2 Apply Your Knowledge

 Final PDF to printer

SIMnet Online is McGraw-Hill’s leading solution for learning Microsoft Office skills and beyond! SIMnet is our online
training and assessment solution for Microsoft Office skills, computing concepts, Internet Explorer, and Windows
­content. With no downloads for installation and completely online (requires Adobe Flash Player), SIMnet is accessible
for today’s students through multiple browsers and is easy to use for all. Its consistent user interface and functionality
will help save you time and help you be more successful in your course.

Moreover, SIMnet offers you lifelong learning. Our codes never expire and the online program is designed with
­Self-Study and SIMsearch features to help you immediately learn isolated Microsoft Office skills on demand. It’s more
than a resource; it’s a tool you can use throughout your entire time at your higher education institution.

Finally, you will see powerful, measurable results with SIMnet Online. See results immediately in the student
­gradebook and generate custom training lessons after an exam to help you determine exactly which content areas
you still need to study.

SIMnet Online is your solution for mastering Microsoft Office skills!

SIMnet: Keep IT SIMple!

To learn more, visit www.simnetkeepitsimple.com

Walkthrough xxv

baL62480_fm_i-xxx.indd xxv 12/06/19 08:19 PM

Other documents randomly have
different content
of hope and indulges in rosy views of life. Reality, on the other hand,
may be likened to a crisp winter’s morning when one is filled with
exhilaration, conscious of the tingle of the cold, but comfortable in
the knowledge of wearing a tightly-buttoned garment which will
afford protection should the elements become disturbing.
Superstition, lastly, can be said to resemble a dark, cold, misty night,
when the moon is throwing malevolent shadows which are weird
and distorted, while the cold seems to seize one by the throat and
arouse a passionate desire to free one’s self from its grip in some
way, to change a horrible nightmare into a pleasant dream.
In the early part of the last century a series of very interesting
experiments designed to demonstrate the effects produced upon a
sensitive subject by the touch of precious stones and minerals, were
made in the case of the “Seeress of Prevorst,” Frederike Hauffe (b.
1801), a woman believed to possess remarkable clairvoyant
powers.6 When pieces of granite, porphyry, or flint were placed in
her hand, she was not affected in any way. The finest qualities of
fluorspar, on the other hand, had a marked action, relaxing the
muscles, causing diarrhœa, and producing a sour taste in the
mouth; occasionally a somnambulistic state was induced. This latter
condition was also produced by Iceland spar and by the sapphire.
While the substances so far noted depressed the vital energy,
sulphate of barium stimulated the muscles, produced an agreeable
warmth of the body, and made the subject feel as though she could
fly through the air. If the application of this material was long
continued, the pleasurable sensation found expression in laughter. In
the case of witherite, a carbonate of barium, this effect was
produced to an even greater degree, for if water in which this
mineral had been dipped were swallowed, spasms of laughter
resulted.
Rock-crystal also was found to possess a strongly stimulating
influence, for if put in the hand, it aroused the subject from a half-
slumber, and if placed on the pit of the stomach, it had the power to
awaken the seeress from a somnambulistic trance, while at the same
time an aromatic odor was diffused around. When, however, the
application was continued for some time, the muscles stiffened, until
finally an epileptic state ensued. Indeed, the rigidity produced was
so great that the limbs resisted all attempts to bend them. The same
effect, but in a much less degree, was caused by glass, even by
looking at it, or by the tones emitted by a glass object when struck.
All colorless silicates, the diamond, and even gypsum, had a similar
effect, as did also heliotrope and basalt, either of which caused a
bitter taste in the mouth.
The most powerful action was that exerted by hematite, the oxide
of iron in this substance inducing a kind of paralysis, with a
sensation of inner chill; this condition could only be relieved by the
application of a piece of witherite. Octahedrons of magnetite
(loadstone) caused a sensation of heaviness and convulsive
movements of the limbs, even when the material, wrapped up in
paper, was brought near the subject. Spinel, in whose composition
oxide of chromium enters, caused the same symptoms as loadstone,
except that in this case the force seemed to exert itself from the
hand upward along the arm, while with the loadstone the action was
downward along the arm to the hand, owing to the attractive quality
of this magnetic iron. Ruby called forth a sensation of coldness in
the tongue, and rendered this member so heavy that only incoherent
sounds could be emitted; the fingers and toes also became cold, and
the body was agitated by a violent shivering; but to all these bad
symptoms succeeded a sense of elasticity and well-being, not,
however, without a vague fear that the stone might cause a renewal
of the physical depression. When chrysoprase was used, chills and
shivering resulted, beginning at the breast and spreading thence
over the whole body.
 ROCK-CRYSTAL AMULET SET IN SILVER.
Bohemian, tenth century. Field Museum of Natural History.

ROCK-CRYSTAL PLACQUE, ANCIENT MEXICAN.

Field Museum Collection, Chicago.

We have touched upon the hypnotic influence exercised by gems,

but there can be no doubt that the subject has not been as carefully
studied as it deserves to be. That the hypnotic state can be induced
by gazing fixedly upon a bright object held just above the eyes is a
well-known fact, but quite probably a similar though not so
pronounced effect results from gazing on a bright object just before
the gazer’s eyes. In the case of colored precious stones, the effects
of the various color-rays combine with the light effects and
strengthen the impression upon the optic nerve. All this, however,
concerns only the purely physical impression, but we know that very
often the hypnotic state is produced by a mental impression, by the
belief, or the fear, that the state will supervene. With precious stones
as hypnotizing agents, the mental impression is widely different, for
here the physical impression is heightened by the consciousness of
the value and rarity of the material. The fascination that a fine set of
jewels, with all their sparkle and color, exercises upon the mind of a
woman who sees them in their glorious radiance on the neck, the
arms, and the head of another woman, is not only due to the beauty
of the spectacle, but is largely owing to the consciousness that they
are rare and valuable objects and are perhaps eloquent witnesses of
the power of love. A dash of envy sometimes serves to render the
emotion more complex.
The names of precious stones and semi-precious stones are
frequently used as adjectives, and when so employed convey
something more to the mind than do the corresponding adjectives of
color. We may instance the following expressions: the “Emerald Isle”
and “emerald meadows”; “sapphire seas” and “sapphire eyes”; “ruby
wine,” “ruby lips,” and, in Shakespeare, “the natural ruby of your
cheeks”; “coral lips” and “coral ears”; “pearly teeth” and “pearly
skin”; “turquoise skies”; “amethystine locks” and, in Roman times,
“amber hair.” In all these cases the name of the precious mineral is
really used as a superlative of the adjective, suggesting the choicest
variety of the color or shade. The phrases “hard as adamant” and
“clear as crystal” show a similar use of the name of a precious or
ornamental stone to express the highest grade of a given quality.
Before the introduction of the “point” system in typography three
of the grades of type bore the names of precious stones,—namely,
“diamond type,” “agate type,” and “emerald type”; this latter
designation is employed only in England, where “agate type” is
called “ruby type.” Another size was denominated “pearl type.”
A fanciful tale written not long ago treats of the practical
inconveniences which would result, could such metaphorical
expressions find a realization in fact.7 At the birth-feast of a certain
princess, one of the fairies was not invited; she, nevertheless, made
her appearance. After the other fairies had endowed the child with
many good qualities, the neglected fairy said, “I will give her vanity,
and her vanity shall change her beauty to the things it is said to
resemble.” However, a friendly fairy came to the rescue, saying, “I
will give her unselfishness, and by it she shall turn her beauty back
to what she wishes it to be.”
The result can easily be imagined. As the little princess grew up,
those who wished to flatter her vanity spoke of her “teeth of pearl,”
of her “golden hair,” of her “coral lips,” and of her “sapphire eyes.”
Upon this her teeth changed to pearls, her hair to spun gold, her lips
to coral, and her eyes to two magnificent sapphires. However,
beautiful as these were, they did not grant the power of sight, so
that the unhappy princess became blind. Not long after this a
revolution deprived the king and queen of their throne and they
were reduced to great poverty. In these straits the daughter
sacrificed her “gold-hair” to relieve their wants, and immediately the
spell was dissolved and she regained all her natural beauty.
Shelley, who saw the world illumined by the rainbow hues of
poetic fancy, wrote of “diamond eyes,” “an emerald sky,” “the
emerald heaven of trees,” “the sapphire ocean,” “sapphire-tinted
skies,” “the sapphire floods of interstellar air,” and “the chrysolite of
sunrise.” For some reason, he does not use the ruby, a favorite stone
with many poets, and psychologists might find in this a proof that
red appeals less strongly to the idealist than do the other colors.
The principal literary sources for the talismanic and therapeutic
virtues attributed to ornamental stones may be divided into several
groups, at first more or less independent of each other, but
combined to a greater or lesser extent by later writers. Pliny gives,
sometimes rather grudgingly, a number of superstitions current in
his time, but the Alexandrian literature of the second, third, and
fourth Christian centuries provides a much richer field for these
superstitions, as shown in the Orphic poem “Lithica,” the
“Cyrianides,” attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, the little treatise
“On Rivers,” which bore the name of Plutarch, and last, but not
least, in the work by Damigeron, which purported to be written by
an Arab king named Evax, and sent by him to Tiberius or Nero. The
influence exerted by the legends surrounding the stones of the high
priest’s breastplate, and those chosen as foundation stones for the
New Jerusalem, will be treated of elsewhere.
In the seventh, eighth, and ninth centuries, a new literature on
this subject made its appearance, probably in Asia Minor. Some of
the works were originally written in Syriac and later translated into
Arabic. Others were composed in the latter language. This source
was drawn upon for the production of the Lapidarium of Alfonso X,
of Castile. This compilation, although dating in its present Spanish
form from the thirteenth century, is based upon a much older
original in “Chaldee” (Syriac?). There can be little doubt that many
Hindu superstitions, no longer preserved for us in the literature of
India, are reproduced in these Syrio-Arabic works, wherein we have
also much that is of Alexandrian origin. This indeed is easily
explained by history, for the Arabs, through their widely extended
conquests, were led to absorb and amalgamate the data they
secured, directly or indirectly, from the East and the West.
While this literature was developing in the Mohammedan world,
the tradition of Pliny and Solinus was transmitted to the Christian
world of the seventh and succeeding centuries by Isidorus of Seville.
This brings us to the remarkable poetical treatise on the virtues of
precious stones by Marbodus, Bishop of Rennes, a work written at
the end of the eleventh century, and often quoted as that of Evax;
indeed, it purports to be by him and really contains a good part of
the material composing the treatise of Damigeron or Evax. At the
same time Marbodus drew freely upon Pliny, either directly or
through Isidorus. For the Middle Ages this poem of Marbodus,
already translated into Old French in the twelfth century, became
known as the “Lapidario” par excellence, and furnished a great part
of their material to medieval authors on this subject. Soon, however,
extracts from the Arabic sources became available, and the whole
mass of heterogeneous material was worked over and recombined in
a variety of ways.

Title page of the first edition of the poetical treatise on precious stones
by Marbodus, Bishop of Rennes, printed in Friburg, 1531.

This complex origin of the traditions explains their almost

incomprehensible contradictions regarding the virtues assigned to
the different stones, and also the fact that the qualities of one stone
are frequently attributed to another one, so that, in the later works
on this subject, it becomes quite impossible to present a satisfactory
view of the distinguishing qualities and virtues of the separate
stones. The habit of copying, without discrimination or criticism,
whatever came to hand, and the aim to utilize as much of the
borrowed material as possible, is scarcely less a characteristic of the
seventeenth and eighteenth century writers than it is of those of a
later date. This is in part an excusable and even an unavoidable
defect, but it should be minimized as much as possible.

Title page of the first edition of the Greek treatise by St. Epiphanius on
the Gems of the Breastplate, with a Latin version. Edited and issued at
Zürich in 1566 (1565) by Conrad Gesner.

The treatise known under the title “Cyrianides” was, as we have

noted, a product of the Alexandrian school. It was asserted to be the
work of Hermes Trismegistus, the name given by the Greeks to the
Egyptian god Thoth. Here we have a specimen of the species of
magic known as litteromancy, or divination by means of the letters
of the alphabet, since a stone, a bird, a plant, and a fish, each
beginning with the same letter and signifying the four elements, are
given for each of the twenty-four letters of the Greek alphabet.
These four objects were to be grouped together to form a talisman,
the bird being usually engraved on the stone, while a portion of the
fish and of the plant was placed in the bezel of the ring in which the
stone was to be set.8 Another, almost contemporary work, is the
exceedingly curious and interesting treatise by St. Epiphanius,
Bishop of Constantia, on the twelve gems on the “Breastplate of
Judgment” of the high priest (Ex., xxviii, 15-21). This unique
production is in the form of a letter addressed to Diodorus, Bishop of
Tyre, and it is peculiarly valuable as the first of a long series of
attempts to elucidate the question as to the identity of the twelve
stones. The special virtues of each stone are also given, and this
treatise may be regarded as the prototype of all the Christian
writings on the symbolism of stones.
A most interesting medieval treatise on the virtues of precious
stones forms part of the De rerum natura of Thomas de Cantimpré
(1201-1270), who was a pupil of Albertus Magnus and composed his
work between 1230 and 1244. The Latin text has never been
printed, but the book was translated into German by Konrad von
Megenberg about 1350. Strange to say, the translator did not know
the name of the writer and supposed when he began to translate
the book that it was by Albertus Magnus. In many cases Thomas de
Cantimpré merely copies the statements of older authors, but
occasionally he gives us new material, or at least a new version of
his originals.
 Title page of one of the earliest treatises on precious stones published
in England.

The renowned medieval philosopher and theologian, Albertus

Magnus (1193-1280), for a short time Bishop of Ratisbon, and who
later taught theology in the University of Paris and had the great St.
Thomas Aquinas for a pupil, was not altogether free from the
superstitious notions of his time, traces of which appear in certain of
his numerous writings. Many years after his death some of this
material was extracted from his works and, amplified by additions
from other sources, was published under the title “Secrets des vertus
des Herbes, Pierres et Bestes.” Of this there are two versions, one
being an epitome of the other and termed respectively “Le Grand
Albert” and “Le Petit Albert.” These little books were often reprinted
and widely circulated, and eventually enjoyed great popularity
among the French peasants. Indeed, even to the present day they
may still be met with in out-of-the-way parts of rural France.
Among literary deceptions one of the boldest was that practised in
the early part of the seventeenth century by Ludovico Dolce. This
writer made, in 1565, a literal translation into Italian of the
“Speculum lapidum” of Camillo Leonardo, printed in Venice in 1502,
and he had the courage to issue it as his own work, under the title
“Trattato delle gemme chè produce la natura.” In view of the general
familiarity with Latin among the better classes at that period, and
the numerous fine libraries existing in Venice at the time, it seems
most extraordinary that Dolce should have been successful in
palming off this work as his own, but even to-day citations are made
from Dolce’s “Trattato delle gemme” and from Leonardo’s “Speculum
lapidum,” as though these were distinct works.
 II
On the Use of Precious and Semi-Precious
Stones as Talismans and Amulets

T
HE use of precious stones in early times as amulets and
talismans is shown in many ancient records, and several scholars
have assumed that the belief in the magic efficacy of stones
gave rise to their use as objects of personal adornment. It is, of
course, very difficult either to prove or to disprove such a theory, for,
even in the case of the oldest texts, we must bear in mind that they
do not in the least represent primitive conditions, and that many
thousands of years must have elapsed before a people could attain
the grade of civilization necessary for the production of even the
simplest literature. For this reason, certain investigators have
preferred to seek for a solution of this problem in the customs and
habits of the so-called uncivilized peoples of our own time; but we
must not forget that conditions which seem to us very rudimentary
are, nevertheless, the result of a long process of development. Even
if this development was arrested many centuries or millenniums ago,
it must have required a very considerable period of time to evolve
such usages and conventions as are found even among the lowest
races. Indeed, many uncivilized peoples have very complicated rules
and observances, testifying to considerable thought and reflection.
Fetichism in all its forms depends upon an imperfect conception of
what constitutes life and conscious being, so that will and thought
are attributed to inanimate objects. We can observe this in the case
of animals and very young children, who regard any moving object
as endowed with life. In the case of stones, however, it seems
probable that those supposed to be the abode of spirits, good or
evil, were selected because their natural form suggested that of
some animal or of some portion of the human body. On the other
hand, the wearing of what we call precious stones is more likely to
have been due to the attraction exercised by bright colors upon the
eye of the beholder and to the desire to display some distinguishing
mark that would command attention and admiration for the wearer.
This tendency runs through the higher animal kingdom, and its
workings have served as a foundation for the theory of natural
selection.
It seems likely that we have here the true explanation of the
motive for the gathering, preserving, and wearing of precious
stones. Since these objects are motionless, they can scarcely have
impressed the mind of primitive man with the idea that they were
alive; they were not imposing by their mass, as were large stones,
and their crystalline form scarcely figured any known living shape.
Hence their chief, we may even say their only attraction was their
color and brilliancy. What effect these qualities had upon the visual
sense of primitive man may be safely inferred from the effect such
objects produce upon infants. The baby has no fear in regard to a
small and brilliantly colored object which is shown to it, but will
eagerly put out its hand to seize, hold, and gaze upon a bright-
colored stone. As the object is quite passive and easily handled,
there is nothing to suggest any lurking power to harm, and therefore
there is nothing to interfere with the pleasurable sensation aroused
in the optic nerve by the play of color. In this naïve admiration of
what is brilliant and colored, the infant undoubtedly represents for
us the mental attitude of primitive man.
 1. Necklace of rock-crystal and amethyst beads, transparent and
translucent; very pale; from Egypt. First century.
2. Necklace of antique emeralds with gold beads and amazon stones;
from Egypt. First century a.d.

Probably the first objects chosen for personal adornment were

those easily strung or bound together,—for instance, certain
perforated shells and brilliant seeds; the softer stones, wherein holes
could be easily bored by the help of the simplest tools, probably
came next, while the harder gems must have been hoarded as
pretty toys long before they could be adjusted for use as ornaments.
 Unquestionably, when these objects had once been worn, there
was a disposition to attribute certain happenings to their influence
and power, and in this way there arose a belief in their efficacy, and,
finally, the conviction that they were the abodes of powerful spirits.
In this, as in many other things, man’s first and instinctive
appreciation was the truest, and it has required centuries of
enlightenment to bring us back to this love of precious stones for
their esthetic beauty alone. Indeed, even to-day, we can see the
power of superstitious belief in the case of the opal, which some
timid people still fear to wear, although until three or four centuries
ago this stone was thought to combine all the virtues of the various
colored gems, the hues of which are united in its sparkling light.
A proof that bright and colored objects were attractive in
themselves, and were first gathered up and preserved by primitive
man for this reason alone, may be found in the fact that certain
birds, notable the Chlamydera of Australia, related to our ravens,
after constructing for themselves pretty arbors, strew the floors with
variegated pebbles, so arranged as to suggest a mosaic pavement.
At the entrance of the arbors are heaped up pieces of bone, shells,
feathers, and stones, which have often been brought from a
considerable distance, this giving evidence that the birds have not
selected these objects at random. It is strange that the attraction
exercised upon the sense of sight by anything brilliant and colored,
which is at the same time easily portable and can be handled or
worn, should be overlooked by those who are disposed to assert that
all ornaments of this kind were originally selected and preserved
solely or principally because of their supposed talismanic qualities.
The theory that colored and brilliant stones were first collected by
men because of their beauty rather than because of their talismanic
virtues, is corroborated by the statement made that seals select with
considerable care the stones they swallow, and observers on the
fishing grounds have noted this and believe that pebbles of
chalcedony and serpentine found there have been brought by the
seals.9
 The popular derivation of the word “amulet” from an Arabic word
hamalât, signifying something suspended or worn, is not accepted
by the best Arabic scholars, and it seems probable that the name is
of Latin origin, in spite of the fact that no very satisfactory
etymology can be given. Pliny’s use of amuletum shows that with
him the word did not always denote an object that was worn on the
person, although this later became its meaning. The old etymology
given by Varro (118-29 b.c.), who derived amuletum from the verb
amoliri, “to remove,” “to drive away,” may not be quite in accord with
modern philology, but still has something to recommend it as far as
the sense goes, for the amulet was certainly believed to hold
dangers aloof, or even to remove them. Talisman, however, a word
not used in classical times, undoubtedly comes from the Arabic
tilsam, this being in turn derived from τέλεσμα, used in late Greek to
signify an initiation, or an incantation.
It has been remarked that in the earliest Stone Age there is no
trace of either idols or images; the art of this period being entirely
profane. In the later Stone Age, however, entirely different ideas
seem to have gained the ascendancy, for a majority of the objects of
plastic art so far discovered have a religious significance. This has
evidently proceeded from the conception that every image of a living
object absorbs something of the essence of the object itself, and this
conception, while a primitive one, still presupposes a certain degree
of development. This rule applies more especially to amulets, which
were therefore fashioned as beautifully as primitive art permitted,
that they might become fitting abodes for the benevolent spirits
believed to animate them and render them efficacious.10
A curious idol or talisman from Houaïlou, New Caledonia, is in the
collection of Signor Giglioli. This is a stone bearing naturally a rude
resemblance to the human form.11 We can easily understand that
such an object was looked upon as the abode of some spirit, for
similar strange natural formations have been regarded with a species
of superstitious awe by peoples much more civilized than the natives
of New Caledonia.
 For the Middle Ages and even down to the seventeenth century,
the talismanic virtues of precious stones were believed in by high
and low, by princes and peasants, by the learned as well as by the
ignorant. Here and there, however, a note of scepticism was
sometimes apparent, as in the famous reply of the court jester of
Emperor Charles V, to the question, “What is the property of the
turquoise?” “Why,” replied he, “if you should happen to fall from a
high tower whilst you were wearing a turquoise on your finger, the
turquoise would remain unbroken.”
The doctrine of sympathy and antipathy found expression in the
belief that the very substance of certain stones was liable to
modification by the condition of health or even by the thoughts of
the wearer. In case of sickness or approaching death the lustre of
the stones was dimmed, or else their bright colors were darkened,
and unfaithfulness or perjury produced similar phenomena.
Concerning the turquoise, the prosaic explanation can be offered
that this stone is affected to a certain extent by the secretions of the
skin; but popular superstition saw the same phenomena in the ruby,
the diamond, and other stones not possessing the sensitiveness of
the turquoise. Hence the true explanation is to be found in the
prevailing idea that an occult sympathy existed between stone and
wearer. The sentiment underlying the conception is well expressed
by Emerson in the following lines from “The Amulet”:
Give me an amulet
That keeps intelligence with you,—
Red when you love, and rosier red,
And when you love not, pale and blue.
A Persian legend of the origin of diamonds and precious stones
shows that in the East these beautiful objects were looked upon as
the source of much sin and sorrow. We are told that when God
created the world he made no useless things, such as gold, silver,
precious stones, and diamonds; but Satan, who is always eager to
bring evil among men, kept a close watch to spy out the appetites
and passions of the human mind. To his great satisfaction he noted
that Eve passionately loved the many-colored flowers that decked
the Garden of Eden; he therefore undertook to imitate their
brightness and color out of earth, and in this way were produced
colored precious stones and diamonds. These in after time so
strongly appealed to the greed and covetousness of mankind that
they have been the cause of much crime and wretchedness.12
The present age could afford us nearly as many examples of faith
in talismans and amulets as any epoch in the past, if people were
willing to confess their real beliefs. However, they are half-ashamed
of their fondness for such objects, and fail to see that, back of all the
folly and superstition that may find expression in this way, there is a
deeper meaning in these talismans than we at first perceive. We
may be disposed to smile when we are told that many of the soldiers
in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 carried amulets of some kind
upon their persons, and that the great Marshal Canrobert trusted to
the protection of an amulet in the Crimean campaign. Of course the
Russian army, during the Russo-Japanese War, was amply provided
with amulets, religious medals or pictures to which a special virtue
had been given by a priestly blessing.
In all these cases, however, it is not the object itself, but the idea
for which it stands and which it incorporates, that gives confidence
to the wearer, and in this sense the wearing of a talisman is no more
a proof of blind superstition than is the devotion to a flag, in itself
only a few square feet of silk or bunting, but, nevertheless, the
symbol of the noblest ideas and feelings, of patriotic devotion to
one’s native land and to one’s fellow-countrymen. The tendency to
give a substantial visible form to an abstract idea is so deeply rooted
in humanity that it must be looked upon as responding to a human
necessity. It is only very rarely that purely intellectual conceptions
can satisfy us; they must be given some external, palpable and
visible form to exert their greater influences.
Although it may bear a certain superficial likeness to fetichism, this
use of signs and symbols is something entirely and radically
different, for the idea is never lost sight of, it is only strengthened
and vivified by the contemplation of the symbol. Hence, while we
know quite well that the symbol is nothing in itself, we know just as
well that it has a real power in its relation to the idea it typifies, and
we can no more be indifferent to its injury or destruction than we
could be indifferent to the injury or destruction of a cherished
memento of one whom we have loved and lost.
What super-subtle sense is it that enables some women to endow
their gems with a certain individuality, and leads them to feel that
these cold, inanimate objects partake of human emotion? A French
writer, Mme. Catulle Mendès, gives expression to this when she says
that she always wears as many of her rings as possible, because her
gems feel slighted when she leaves them unworn. She continues:

I have a ruby which grows dull, two turquoises which become

pale as death, aquamarines which look like siren’s eyes filled
with tears, when I forget them too long. How sad I should feel
if precious stones did not love to rest upon me!
 MOSAICS OF TURQUOISE AND ENAMELLED CARNELIAN BEADS, FROM
THIBET.
Field Museum, Chicago.

A very beautiful and curious object was found in the Australian

opal-fields in 1909. This is a reptilean skeleton resembling a small
serpent that has become opalized by natural processes. Perfect in all
its details, which are rendered more striking by the splendid play of
color, this specimen of Nature’s handiwork possesses a beauty and
an interest exceeding those to be found in any work of man. As an
amulet it certainly is sui generis, and in ancient times would have
been valued at an immense sum, for the figure of a serpent was a
favorite symbol of medical science; even to-day there is little doubt
that this strange object will be eagerly sought for by collectors, and
will appeal more especially to all who are interested in occult
science, and to all who appreciate the poetic and perhaps mystic
significance of form, sign, and symbol.
It is impossible to over-estimate the effect of color in determining
the supposed influence of gems upon the fortunes or health of the
wearers. When we gaze upon the beautiful play of light emitted by a
fine ruby or sapphire, we are all conscious of the æsthetic effect
produced; but in earlier times, when scientific ideas were not yet
prevalent, many other considerations combined to give a peculiar
significance to these brilliant gems. Rare and costly as they were,
they were supposed to possess mystic and occult powers and were
thought to be the abode of spirits, sometimes benevolent and
sometimes malevolent, but always endowed with the power to
influence human destinies for weal or woe. Coupled with this was
the instinctive appreciation of the essential qualities of certain rays
of light, and modern science, far from doing away with these ideas,
has rather seemed to find a good reason for them. We all know the
therapeutic value of the ultra-violet rays, and when the uninstructed
mind saw therein the embodiment of purity and chastity, it perhaps
realized this health-giving and beneficent function. In the same way
the idea of passion was associated with the red and radiant ruby,
another concept the relative truth of which has been demonstrated
by spectrum analysis, since the red rays are heat-giving and
vivifying. But this was not the only source of these primitive ideas in
regard to color; the therapeutic effect was often sought and found in
some fancied analogy between the color of the gem and the
character of the malady or infirmity to be cured. Thus, yellow stones
were supposed to be especially efficacious in cases of jaundice, an
instance of instinctive homœopathy, based on the dictum similia
similibus curantur. Following out this train of thought, the red stones
were endowed with the power of checking the flow of blood;
especially the so-called bloodstone was prescribed for this use, and
it was supposed that by its mere touch it could stop the most violent
hemorrhages. Green was regarded as the color most beneficial for
the sight, and to the emerald and other green stones was ascribed
great curative power in this respect. Here, however, the simple
influence of the color was later combined with its symbolical
significance. In heathen mythology this showed itself in the
ascription of the emerald to Venus, as the exponent of the
reproductive energies of nature, while in the Christian conception
these stones became typical of the resurrection, of the birth into a
new and purer life. Nowhere can we find a better illustration of the
transforming effect of distinct and diametrically opposite concepts
upon the impressions made by natural objects. The pure and
colorless and yet brilliant stones, such as the diamond and all other
white stones, were naturally brought into connection with the moon,
although the diamond, because of its superior qualities and
exceptional brilliance and value, was frequently looked upon as the
gem of the sun. All gems associated with the moon partook of its
enigmatic character. Illuminating the witching hour of the night,
when malevolent and treacherous spirits were supposed to hold
sway, the moon was sometimes regarded as baleful, as may be seen
in the idea that associated lunacy with exposure to the bright rays of
the moon; at other times it was supposed to have the power to
conjure these evil influences and to drive off the powers of darkness.
The symbolical significance of the colors of precious stones is
treated at considerable length by Giacinto Gimma,13 who has
gathered together a great quantity of material on the subject.
Yellow worn by a man denoted secrecy, and was appropriate for
the silent lover; worn by a woman it indicated generosity. Golden
yellow was, of course, the symbol of the sun and of Sunday. The
precious stone was the chrysolite or the yellow jacinth. The animal
connected with the color was the lion, doubtless, from the
association of the zodiacal sign Leo with the midsummer sun. Of the
seven ages of man yellow typified adolescence. Roman matrons
covered their heads with a yellow veil to show their hope of offspring
and happiness. Because garments of this color were a sign of
grandeur and nobility, a golden vestment is assigned to the Queen of
Heaven as a sign of her pre-eminence, as we read in Psalm xlv, 9:
“Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.” Gimma’s
explanation of this as referring to the Virgin Mary is in accord with
the Catholic exegesis of his time.
White signified for men friendship, religion, integrity; for women,
contemplation, affability, and purity. It was associated with the moon
and with Monday and was represented by the pearl. The animal
having an affinity with white was quite naturally the ermine. The
mystic number was seven, and white was the color of infancy.
Among the ancients white was a sign of mourning and sadness, and
the Greek matrons attired themselves in white on the death of their
husbands. Gimma states that in his time, in Rome, widows used to
wear white as mourning for their husbands, while throughout Italy a
white band worn around the head was a sign of widowhood.
Red garments on a man indicated command, nobility, lordship,
and vengeance; on a woman, pride, obstinacy, and haughtiness.
This was the color of the planet Mars and of Tuesday; it was
represented by the ruby. Why the lynx should have been selected as
the animal for red is rather difficult to understand, but, as the most
vivid color, the choice of red as a type of full manhood need not
surprise us. Its number was the potent nine, three multiplied by
itself. The ancients covered with a red cloth the biers of those who
had died valiantly in battle, as Homer14 shows when he relates that
the brothers and companions of Hector covered the urn containing
the hero’s ashes with soft purple (scarlet) robes. Plutarch asserts
that the Lacedemonians clothed their soldiers in red to strike terror
into the hearts of their enemies and to manifest a thirst for blood.
We might perhaps say much the same of the English “red-coats” to-
day. The Italian code of criminal laws known as the “Digesto Nuovo”
was bound in red, to signify that a bloody death awaited thieves and
murderers.
Blue on a man’s dress indicated wisdom and high and
magnanimous thoughts; on a woman’s dress, jealousy in love,
politeness, and vigilance. Friday and Venus were represented by
blue, and the celestial-hued sapphire was the stone in which this
color appeared in all its beauty. Blue was a fit symbol of the age of
childhood, but it is less easy to understand the choice of the goat as
the animal associated with the color. The significant number was six.
Natural science, the contemplation of the heavens and of the
heavenly bodies, and the study of stellar influences were all typified
by blue.
Green signified for men joyousness, transitory hope, and the
decline of friendship; for women, unfounded ambition, childish
delight, and change. The early verdure of spring might be regarded
as at once a symbol of hope and of eventual disappointment, for it
must soon pass away. Mercury, and Wednesday, the day of Mercury,
were both typified by green, the sly fox being selected as the animal
is sympathy with the wily god. The typical green stone is the
emerald, youth is the age of man represented by the color, and five
the magic number expressing it. In ancient times green was used in
the case of those who died in the flower of youth, an emerald being
sometimes placed on the index-finger of the corpse, as a sign that
the light of hope was spent, for the lower part of the torches used in
religious ceremonies was marked with green. Fulvius Pellegrinus
relates that, in the tomb of Tullia, the dearly-beloved daughter of
Cicero, there was found an emerald, the most beautiful that had
ever been seen. This passed into the hands of the Marchesana di
Mantova, Isabella Gonzaga da Este. In Italy the graves of young
virgins and of children were covered with green branches. When the
Codex Justinianus was rediscovered and added to the other
Pandects, it was bound in green to signify that these laws were
rejuvenated.
 Black for men means gravity, good sense, constancy, and
fortitude; for young women, fickleness and foolishness, but for
married women, constant love and perseverance. The planet Saturn
and Saturday are denoted by black. Strange to say, the diamond, the
white gem par excellence, was selected to represent this sombre
hue. Perhaps to offset this the animal chosen was the hog. As black
was a mourning color, we need not be surprised that it typified
decrepitude. The number eight, the double square, was supposed to
have some affinity with black. Black is a symbol of envy, for the
thoughts which aim at another’s injury cloud the soul and afflict the
body. The book of laws treating of dispositions made in view of
death was bound in black. The sinister significance of black is well
illustrated by what is told of the ruthless Tartar Tamerlane. When he
attacked a city, he caused a white tent to be pitched for himself on
the first day of the siege, as a sign that mercy would be shown to
the inhabitants if they immediately surrendered; on the second day
a red tent was substituted, signifying that if the city yielded, all the
leaders would be put to death; on the third day, however, a black
tent was raised, an ominous signal that no mercy would be shown
and that all the inhabitants would be slaughtered.
Violet for a man denoted sober judgment, industry, and gravity;
for a woman, high thoughts and religious love. It was the color of
the planet Jupiter and of Thursday. As with blue, the sapphire was
conceived to present violet most attractively. That the bull should be
selected as the animal represented by this color probably arose from
some mythological connection with Jupiter, possibly the myth of
Europa and the bull. Violet was the color of old age and was
associated with the number three.
The influence of color upon the nerves has been noted by some of
the leading authorities on hypnotism. For example, Dr. Paul Ferez,
finding that red light is stimulating and blue-violet calming, suggests
that those who treat patients by means of hypnotism should have
two rooms for their reception. In one of these rooms the curtains,
wall-paper, chair-coverings, etc., would be red, while in the other
they would be of a violet-blue hue. Those suffering from a lack of
will-power or from lassitude and depression are to be received in the
red room, and those who are a prey to over-excitability are
introduced into the blue room. Moreover, according to Dr. Ferez, the
sedative qualities of the violet-blue can be utilized in inducing the
hypnotic state. For this purpose he recommends a violet-blue disk,
which is to be rotated rapidly before the eyes of the patient, the
movement serving to attract and hold his gaze better than any
immovable object would do.15
Red stones such as rubies, carbuncles, and garnets, whose color
suggested that of blood, were not only believed to confer
invulnerability from wounds, but some Asiatic tribes have used
garnets as bullets, upon the contrary principle that this blood-colored
stone would inflict a more deadly wound than would a leaden bullet.
Such bullets were used by the rebellious Hanzas, in 1892, during
their hostilities with the British troops on the Kashmir frontier, and
many of these precious missiles were preserved as curiosities.
In his “Colloquy on Pilgrimages,” Erasmus makes one of the
speakers ask, “Dost thou not see how the artificer Nature delights to
represent all things by colors and forms, but more especially in
gems?” He then proceeds to enumerate the various images of
natural objects in stones. In the ceraunia appeared the thunder-bolt;
in the pyrope, living fire; the chalazia (rock-crystal) preserved the
form and coldness of the hailstone even if cast into the fire. In the
emerald were shown the deep and translucent waves of the sea; the
carcinia imitated the form of crabs; the echites, of vipers; the
hieracites, of hawks; the geranites, of cranes. The ætites offered the
image of an eagle with a white tail; the taos had the form of a
peacock; the chelonites, of an asp; while the myrmecites bore within
the figure of an ant.16 The stones bearing this latter name were
probably specimens of amber containing ants.
The Greek names of these stones enumerated by Erasmus signify
their real or supposed resemblance to certain natural objects, or to
something characteristic of such objects. Many of them were fossils,
preserving the form of some living organism; a few were entirely
fabulous; still others owed their names to some legend or myth
illustrating their fancied therapeutic virtues, as in the case of the
ætites (eagle-stone) said to be found in the eagle’s nest. Evidently
this was a quartz pebble.
The oldest magic formulas that have been preserved for us are
those of the Sumerians, the founders of the ancient civilization of
Babylonia. Some of them contain references to the use of precious
stones as amulets, as appears in the following specimen:
Cords of light-colored wool,
Offered (?) with a pure hand,
For jaundice of the eye,
Bind on the right side (of the patient).
A lululti ring, with sparkling stones
Brought from his own land,
For inflammation of the eye,
On the little finger
Of his left (hand), place.17
A curious Babylonian mythological text represents the solar deity
Ninib, the son of Bel, as determining the fate of various stones by
pronouncing a blessing or a curse upon them. For instance, the
dolomite was blessed and declared to be fit material for the statues
of kings, while a substance called the elu stone was cursed,
proclaimed to be unfit for working, and doomed to disintegration.
Alabaster was favored by the god, but chalcedony aroused his anger
and was condemned.18
In these Sumero-Assyrian inscriptions, there is also mention of
two stones, the aban râme and the aban la râme, the “Stone of
Love” and the “Stone of Hate” (lit. “non-love”).19 Evidently these
stones were believed to excite one or other of these contradictory
passions in the hearts of the wearers, and they may be compared
with the stones of memory and forgetfulness in the “Gesta
Romanorum.”
In an ancient Egyptian burial-place at Shêch Abd el-Qurna,
excavated by Passalaqua, was found the mummy of a young
woman. Not only was it evident from the rich ornaments adorning
the body that she had been of noble birth, but it was also apparent
that she must have been exceedingly beautiful in form and feature,
and must have died in the flower of her age. The hair was artistically
braided and adorned with twenty bronze hairpins. About her neck
was a remarkably beautiful necklace composed of four rows of beads
with numerous pendants representing divinities and sacred symbols.
There were also two smaller necklaces with beads of gold, lapis-
lazuli, and carnelian; two large jewelled ear-rings hung from her
ears, and on the index-finger of her right hand was a ring set with a
scarab; a gold belt garnished with lapis-lazuli and carnelians was
bound about her waist and a gold bracelet adorned with semi-
precious stones encircled her left wrist. In the sarcophagus was a
beautiful mirror of golden-yellow bronze, and three alabaster vases,
one still containing some balm or perfume, and another some galena
(native lead sulphide) to be used as a cosmetic for the eyes, as well
as a little ebony pencil for its application. All these objects are now
in the Egyptian collection of the Berlin Museum, and they probably
belong to the period of the XVIII Dynasty, about 1500 b.c.
 1. A necklace of rock crystal, emeralds, hexagonal crystals, and amazon
stones; from Egypt.
2. A necklace of onyx and gold beads with the “Lucky Eye” agates; from
Egypt. Carnelian, sard; blue and white, and black and white glass
beads.

The principal necklace was undoubtedly regarded by the fair

Egyptian as an amulet of great power, but it failed to protect her
from an untimely end; perhaps, however, its virtues may have aided
her soul in its passage through the trials and tests imposed in the
underworld. Of the numerous pendants which lent to the necklace
its peculiar quality as an amulet, three, in carnelian, figure the god
Bes; seven, also in carnelian, the hippopotamus-goddess Toeris, of
whom there are besides two representations in lapis-lazuli; then we
have a heart of lapis-lazuli; a cat of lapis-lazuli; four falcons of
carnelian; one crocodile of carnelian and two of lapis-lazuli; four fish
of carnelian, as well as two others of a blackish-white and of a green
stone, respectively, and two scorpions of carnelian, and seven
flower-forms of the same stone. The greater part of the beads in this
necklace are of annular form, of gold, electrum, ivory, or lapis-lazuli;
there are a few larger annular or spherical beads of carnelian,
chrysoprase, and malachite, and measuring up to 3.5 cm. in
diameter.20
A necklace, from the time of the Old Empire (c. 3500 b.c.), and
having for its chief adornment a turquoise pendant rudely fashioned
into the form of an ibex, was found by the German Orient-
Gesellschaft at Abusîr el-Meleq in 1905. This necklace, the parts of
which were found about the neck of a body, presumably that of a
young man, was composed of rounded and annular beads of
carnelian and shell, as well as of flat, perforated fragments of
turquoise and almandine garnet and an approximately lozenge-
shaped bead of amethyst 1.7 cm. long and 1.4 cm. broad. The chief
ornament was the turquoise ibex 1.7 cm. in length and 0.9 cm.
high.21 This figure suggests a comparison with the animal and bird
forms fashioned out of turquoise that have been found in Indian
graves in Arizona and New Mexico, and it probably had the quality of
a fetich, or at least of a talisman, intended to guard the wearer of
the necklace from harm.
That there was in Egypt a strong inclination to use a certain
particular stone for a given amulet, will be noted in the case of those
inscribed with special chapters of the Book of the Dead. This is also
true of amulets of certain forms. For instance, the head-rest amulet
is usually of hematite as is also the carpenter’s square. Of the heart
amulets, numbering 47 in the rich collections of the Cairo Museum,
nine are of carnelian, four of hematite, two of lapis-lazuli, and two
each of green porphyry and green jasper, carnelian being thus the
most favored among the more precious materials. Amulets of animal
form are plentifully represented in this collection, figuring a large
variety of members of the animal kingdom such as the
hippopotamus, crocodile, lion, bull, cow, hare, dog-headed ape, cat,
dog (somewhat doubtful), jackal, hedgehog, frog, hawk, cobra and
fishes, to which list may be added a four-headed ram and a ram-
headed sphinx.22
One of the special uses of amulets was for seafaring people, for, in
ancient times especially, all who went down to the sea in ships were
greatly in need of protection from the fury of the elements when
they embarked in their small sailing-vessels. A fragment of a Greek
Lapidary,23 probably written in the third or fourth century of our era,
gives a list of seven amulets peculiarly adapted for this purpose. The
number might suggest a connection with the days of the week, and
the amulets were perhaps regarded as most efficacious when used
on the respective days.
In the first were set a carbuncle and a chalcedony; this amulet
protected sailors from drowning. The second had for its gem either
of two varieties of the adamas,—one, the Macedonian, being likened
to ice (this was probably rock-crystal), while the other, the Indian, of
a silvery hue, may possibly have been our corundum; however, the
Macedonian stone was regarded as the better. The third amulet bore
the beryl, “transparent, brilliant, and of a sea-green hue,” evidently
the aquamarine beryl; this banished fear. The fourth had for its gem
the druops, “white in the centre,” probably the variety of agate so
much favored as a protector against the spell of the Evil Eye. A coral
was placed in the fifth amulet, and this was to be attached to the
prow of the ship with strips of seal-skin; it guarded the vessel from
winds and waves in all waters. For the sixth amulet the ophiokiolus
stone was selected, most probably a kind of banded agate, for it is
said to have been girdled with stripes like the body of a snake;
whoever wore this had no need to fear the surging ocean. The
seventh and last of these nautical amulets bore a stone called
opsianos, apparently a resinous or bituminous material, possibly a
kind of jet; this came from Phrygia and Galatia, and the amulet
wherein it was set was a great protection for all who journeyed by
sea or by river.
The ancient treatises on the magic art show that the use of
amulets was considered to be indispensable for those who dared to
evoke the dark spirits of the nether-world, for without the protection
afforded by his amulet the magician ran the risk of being attacked by
these spirits. One of these texts gives directions for preparing an
amulet, or phylacterion, for the “undertaking”; for this a “sweet-
smelling” loadstone should be chosen, and should be cut heart-
shaped and engraved with the figure of Hecate.24
A costly Chinese amulet consists of the diamond, the ruby, and the
emerald, to which are added the pearl and coral; Oriental sapphire
and topaz are classed with the ruby. An amulet containing these five
substances is thought to combine the protecting influences of the
different deities presiding over them, and is supposed to lengthen
the wearer’s life. Sometimes these five princely gems are wrapped
up in a paper bearing the names of the respective divinities, to
which is added the name of the moon, and those of the twenty-
seven constellations, or houses of the moon. Such an amulet,
suspended at the entrance of a house, is believed to afford
protection to the inmates.25
In the language of the ancient Mexicans blood was called
chalchiuhatl, or “water of precious stones,” as the quintessence of
what were regarded as the most costly things.26 Although such
poetic designations are in modern times mere figures of speech,
among primitive peoples they are more significant, and it is highly
probable that with the Aztecs, as with other peoples, the wearing of
precious stones was believed to enrich the blood and thus to
promote health and vigor, for “the blood is the life.”
That gems had sex is asserted by the earliest writers as well as by
many of those of a later date. While this must usually be understood
as a poetic way of indicating a difference in shade, the darker
varieties being regarded as male and the lighter ones as female,
Theophrastus, the earliest Greek writer on precious stones, clearly
shows that this sexual distinction was sometimes seriously made, for
he declares that, wonderful as it might seem, certain gems were
capable of producing offspring.
This strange idea was still prevalent in the sixteenth century, and
ingenious explanations were sometimes given of the cause of this
phenomenon, as appears in the following account by Rueus of
germinating diamonds:27

It has recently been related to me by a lady worthy of

credence, that a noblewoman, descended from the illustrious
house of Luxemburg, had in her possession two diamonds
which she had inherited, and which produced others in such
miraculous wise, that whoever examined them at stated
intervals judged that they had engendered progeny like
themselves. The cause of this (if it be permissible to
philosophize regarding such a strange matter) would seem to be
that the celestial energy in the parent stones, qualified by some
one as “vis adamantifica,” first changes the surrounding air into
water, or some similar substance, and then condenses and
hardens this into the diamond gem.

The pearl-fishers of Borneo are said to preserve carefully every

ninth pearl they find, and place them in a bottle with two grains of
rice for each pearl, believing, in spite of all evidence to the contrary,
that these particular pearls have the power to engender and breed
others. Custom and superstition require that each bottle shall have
the finger of a dead man as a stopper.
 PEARL DEALER.
From the “Hortus Sanitatis” of Johannis de Cuba [Strassburg, Jean Pryss, ca. 1483]:
De lapidibus, cap. lxxviii. Author’s library.

Talismanic influences are taken into account in the wearing of

jewelry by Orientals, two bracelets being frequently worn lest one
member should become jealous of the other, thus disturbing the
equilibrium of the whole organism. The piercing of the ears for ear-
rings has been attributed to a desire to chastise the ear for its
indiscretion in hearing secrets not intended to be heard, while costly
and ornamental ear-rings are set in the ears to console those parts
of our anatomy for the suffering caused by the operation of piercing.
In the case of necklaces of brilliant metal, adorned with pendants of
glittering stones, the talismanic purpose is to attract the beholder’s
gaze and thus ward off the mysterious and dangerous emanations
set forth by the Evil Eye; the necklace, or its ornaments, are
supposed to perform a similar service to that rendered by the
lightning-rod in diverting the electric discharge.