Gems Of The World

"Gemstones of the World" is an essential resource for every hobbyist, jeweler, or jewelry maker. More than 1,500 full-color photos showcase each precious and semiprecious stone in its rough, natural, polished, and cut renditions.

A comprehensive manual of the world's gemstones and includes more than 1,400 examples. Opposite each illustration, this text provides a description of the particular stone, including details of the properties and chemical composition which makes the stone unique. It also gives information on location of major deposits, and alternative names.

-Lavishly illustrated, Gems of the World is intended for anyone who has ever been fascinated by crystals, jewelry, and gems, from general readers to seasoned professionals. It is a fine addition to general collections.- --Booklist, on the previous edition Gems of the World is a practical and comprehensive guide to the identification and properties of precious and semiprecious gems, novelty stones, agates and crystals. This edition has been revised and thoroughly updated. Changes and new features include updated maps of recently established diamond bourses and geographical country changes, plus new gem varieties and localities where they are found, new techniques for producing synthetic gemstones and simulants, and much more. There is comprehensive information on gems: gem formation mining the diamond industry conflict diamonds ethical sourcing crystal structure (diagrams and cuts) optical and physical properties fashioning and cutting (properties and uses) gemstone cuts for diamonds buying a diamond buying colored gemstones imitation and synthetic gemstones gemstone enhancement history of gems famous diamonds caring for gemstones and jewelry a color key of 139 gemstones. The text describes the world's diamond cutting and trading centers, the -diamond pipeline- that flows from mine to retail, and information on the gemstone industry, ethical mining, conflict diamonds and the emergence of new diamond centers. The description directory of gemstones is organized by their chemical composition. The 139 profiles describe each gem's geology, chemistry, properties (such as color, refractive index, and luster), cultural use in history and its value in jewelry. Photographs show the gem as a raw crystal, in common cuts, polished for use, and in some cases, also in a piece of jewelry. Gems of the World is an ideal reference for gemologists, collectors and general readers.

"Gems and Gemstones" features nearly 300 color images of cut gems, precious and semiprecious stones, gem-quality mineral specimens, and fine jewelry to be unveiled in the new Grainger Hall of Gems at the Field Museum in Chicago.

Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones provides both the connoisseur and the casual collector with a compact, easy-to-use volume describing more than 100 rare varieties of minerals whose beauty and mystery have possessed our imaginations from time immemorial. More than 450 brilliant photographs accompany profiles of each gem, covering such aspects as appearance, physical properties -- density, hardness, refraction -- occurrence, and how to judge quality and value. Additional sections describe the process of cutting gemstones and the techniques professional gemologists use to evaluate a stone's weight and optical properties. Detailed and comprehensive, this book is essential for anyone interested in the study of gems and precious stones.

This fascinating work provides a truly stunning visual guide to the beautiful world of gemstones. It brings together a wealth of information in clearly worded text accompanied by a dazzling collection of color photographs showing gems in their natural and cut states. From subjects as diverse as identifying and collecting minerals and advanced testing, to ethical sourcing of gems, every aspect of gemstones is covered, and is presented with a wealth of research in easy-to-understand sections, making it a must-have reference work for anyone who wants to delve into the exciting world of gems.

Describes the appearance, formation, physical properties and characteristics, mining, and cutting of precious, semiprecious, and synthetic gemstones.

This edited collection is an interdisciplinary study of gems in the early modern world. It examines the relations between the art, science, and technology of gems, and it does so against the backdrop of an expanding global trade in gems. The eleven chapters are organised into three parts. The first part sets the scene by describing how gems moved around the early modern world, how they were set in motion, and how they were pulled together in the course of their travels. The second part is about value. It asks why people valued gems, how they determined the value of a given gem, and how the value of a gem was connected to its perceived place of origin. The third part deals with the skills involved in cutting, polishing, and mounting gems, and how these skills were transmitted and articulated by artisans. The common themes of all these chapters are materials, knowledge and global trade. The contributors to this volume focus on the material properties of gems such as their weight and hardness, on the knowledge involved in exchanging them and valuing them, and on the cultural consequences of the expanding trade in gems in Eurasia and the Americas.