The Corsi Collection of Decorative Stones

The Catalogues

Corsi published his celebrated catalogue in 1825, describing 900 stones, and in 1827 issued a supplement covering the remaining 100. He divided his collection into 15 classes, each described in detail — a system that became a foundational reference for the study of decorative stones.

His work was pioneering: before Corsi, decorative stones had largely been admired for beauty alone. He gave them context, taxonomy, and scientific order.

Legacy and Where the Collection Is Today

• Oxford University Museum of Natural History – The original Corsi Collection was purchased by Stephen Jarrett, one of Corsi’s students, and later donated to Oxford, where it remains a vital research resource.

• Natural History Museum, London – Corsi assembled at least one further collection after selling his first; this later group is preserved today in London.

For these reasons, Corsi is remembered as both a collector and a scholar whose legacy straddles the fields of art history, archaeology, and geology.

Decorative Stones in Antiques

At Nicholas Wells Antiques, we continue to celebrate this legacy through fine furniture and objets d’art mounted with rare marbles and decorative stones — from granito verde della sedia di San Lorenzo to porphyry and lapis lazuli. Each piece speaks to the enduring fascination with colour, pattern, and the artistry of nature, just as Corsi recognised two centuries ago.