DE BOOT (Anselme Boèce). Le Parfaict joaillier, ou histoire des pierreries, où sont amplement descrites leur naissance, juste prix, moyen de les cognoistre, et se garder des contrefaites, facultez medicinales, et propriétés curieuses. Lyon, Jean-Antoine Huguetan, 1644. In-8, overlapping vellum (contemporary binding). First French edition of this major treatise on gemmology and mineralogy. This encyclopaedia, written by the Flemish physician and naturalist Anselme Boèce De Boodt (1550-1632) and translated by Jean Bachou, is one of the most important and best early works on precious stones. Originally published in Latin under the title Gemmarum et lapidarum historia (Hanau, 1609), its second edition (Leiden, 1636) was enriched with commentaries by André Toll. A "rare and singular book", according to Caillet, the present French edition contains 45 figures in the text, regrafted on wood after the second edition, as well as 2 folded out-of-text tables. A fine copy in contemporary vellum with covers. From the library of Dominique Courvoisier (2018, n°41), with bookplate. Paper a little yellowed with some freckling, small angular lack to 2 ff. Sinkankas, n°780 - Hoover, n°147 - Caillet, n°1286 - Dorbon, n°393 - Brunet, I, 1108.