I was recently rewatching season 2, which I really enjoyed because, well, hello, I mean, Jamie. Claire. France. Need I say more? Despite the ominous tone of the entire season, it was still an entertaining adventure through history. After all, it was set in a sumptuous (although always at the precipice of danger) Pre-Revolutionary France. The gowns, the balls, the scenes in Versailles. And of course, the series' continued explorations of all things metaphysical: herbs that can cure disease, 18th century superstitions and beliefs and fascinations about alchemy and witchcraft, and the presence of the apothecary shop owner, a man who dabbled in all things metaphysical and became Claire's friend, Master Raymond.
Master Raymond adds a bit of mystery to the entire season, not just because Claire liked him and he became her first friend in the strange new world where she found herself, but because at times she seemed hesitant to trust him. And no wonder. There was definitely an air of deceit that lingered around him, which audiences were supposed to recognize was a result of him being a time traveller like Claire. Somehow, however, Claire never seemed to realize that herself. What I also enjoyed about this character was his fascination with all things related to metaphysics.
When Claire confronts him in an episode called "La Dame Blanche" following an incident in which she was poisoned by cascara, a substance that she knew he sold in his shop, she wondered if he might have known anything about the person who bought the poison or, worse, if he had in any way been involved. He answers her that, no, he did not know who purchased the herb. He seems genuinely remorseful that he somehow had a hand (if unwittingly) in her being ill and nearly losing her child, and gives her a gift. The gift was a necklace containing a large white stone that was supposed to change color in the presence of poison.
Naturally, as a gem enthusiast, I was curious as to what this stone could have been. Not because I need to be protected from poison (well, hopefully I don't,) because I was curious as to what stone might have been believed at that time to have possessed that power. A quick Google search unfortunately did not turn up any straightforward answers. I ended up going down a bit of a rabbit hole, learning about crystals, rocks and minerals that have been thought to protect against poisons throughout the ages. Unfortunately, Diana Gabaldon never mentions the name of the gem or stone that Master Raymond gives Claire in the book, so it's difficult to know whether the author had a specific specimen in mind, or if the concept of M. Raymond giving her the gift, rather than the specific gem that was selected, was all that mattered in the scene.
Still, researching a bit about historic beliefs about the protective powers of gemstones, I hoped to try to decode what an 18th century apothecary might have prescribed to protect a wearer from poison. The following are a few gemstones that I learned about in my searches that may have offered the protection that Claire was seeking:
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| White topaz (source: wikimedia commons) |
- Topaz - the ancient Greeks believed that topaz would change color to warn them of dangers, such as enemies who were nearby, or that they were about to eat something poisonous. This crystal, therefore, most closely resembles the properties of the stone that Master Raymond was gifting Claire with. There is such a thing as white topaz (which resembles a clear, diamond-like crystal in jewelry), so perhaps Master Raymond actually gave Claire a stunning raw piece of topaz (which could be valued at hundreds of dollars today)?! Quite the friend he is!
- Snake stone - Commonly known as snake stone, a volcanic rock called variolite, which was found in the Durance river in France, was thought to not only act as an antidote to poison, but to cure snake bites.
- Emeralds - in medieval times, emeralds were thought to be an effective antidote to poisons and were ground up and given to an individual who had been poisoned.
- Bezoar stone - not really a rock or mineral per se, this is a substance that can form in the stomach of an animal. In medieval times, it was a valuable substance and was thought to be a universal antidote to poison. However, the effectiveness of this antidote was disproven in the 1500s by a French surgeon.
Surprisingly, I couldn't find a lot of information on other minerals or stones that had believed to protect the wearer from danger. Although I wouldn't trust my own life with a piece of topaz or an emerald, it is fascinating to think about how rocks and minerals were worn by those in the past who felt themselves in danger and were relying on them for some degree of peace of mind.
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