For thousands of years, gemstones have captivated humanity. They have also been used for healing and spiritual purposes for just as long. They can exhibit remarkably astonishing effects, even though no chemical-physical analysis has yet unraveled their secrets: How can simple carbon become a radiant diamond? What powers truly lie within gemstones? In the Indian cultural sphere, Ayurvedic medicine has particularly focused on the healing powers of gemstones. Various forms of application have been developed: from simply wearing a selected stone to the extraction of highly extraordinary gemstone essences, known as the "medicine of the Maharajas." The knowledge of their production has been developed by alchemists in both the East and West over many thousands of years and passed down orally.