George Frederick Kunz

After his death, his personal collection of several thousand rare books, pamphlets and articles on gems and precious stones were sold to the United States Geological Survey Library for one dollar.

Acquired by the Library in 1933, the George F. Kunz Collection is a significant special collection on gems and minerals including rare books on gemology, the folklore of gemstones through history, lapidary arts and archival gem trade records important to the provenance of named stones such as the "Hope Diamond.

"[7] In December 2012, the discovery of a rare photographic album dated 1922 among the books from Mr Kunz' personal library was announced by the USGS.

[8] The album contained 81 photographs of the Russian Crown Jewels and pre-dates the official catalog by the Soviet government by 3 years.

The George F. Kunz Collection is a significant special collection on gems and minerals including rare books on gemology, the folklore of gemstones through history, lapidary arts and archival gem trade records important to the provenance of named stones such as the "Hope Diamond."

(NOTE: Kunz worked with Mathilde Laigle to write the Book of Pearl (part : "Années de professorat aux États-Unis"))

A typical Olmec votive (ritual) axe with the were-jaguar motif (note the downturned mouth and the almond-shaped eyes). This particular artifact is known as the Kunz Axe, first described by George Kunz in 1890.
Kunz examining what may be kunzite
Group: Charlotte Stillman, Mrs. Elgin R. L. Gould, Mrs. W. Eyre Lambert, Mrs. H. P. Davidson, George Frederick Kunz, and William Fellowes Morgan. c. 1910-1915