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I love it. For example: what part of Afghanistan are the best lapis coming from.
If I win the lottery I want to go to the SOURCE to buy my stones. C'mon.
This guide is not a price list, so It won't become outdated by the time you receive it. My only regret is that it's so general as to where the gems originate.
LOL It's more a guide to what to look for in each gemstone.
It's great for understanding why this piece or that is priced as it is, it's good for helping to spot deals, & it's helpful if you're a faceting or lapidary hobbyist.
The care tips are also useful particularly if you make jewelry and want your customers to be aware of how to properly care for their gemstones (or for you when cleaning your own gemstones). I want to also mention another great image/layout and it is about Jadeite colors as seen on 36 cabachons. But the information within is great too, albeit somewhat limited on certain stones.
The accompanying photos often cover all the species listed - so a great visual aid. I wanted to know about this for some time and now by using this guide, I can get a general sense as to how to determine quality and value of this particular stone.I would recommend this book for beginner gemstone enthusiasts, but recommend other books, publications, and even talking with a true gemologist to help you understand specific topics in detail. Keep in mind the images are of finished, mostly faceted gemstones.
As one of three books purchased on this subject, I have to say the images are what makes this book. Garnet - eight species and their names, varieties within species, color(s), and other mineralogical data that is useful to those who really want to understand the detailed identification of the mineral/gemstone. I will refer to this book probably first when seeking an answer on most gemstone questions but will utilize other information when I need an in-depth knowledge review prior to purchase and analysis.
With my geology background, I really enjoyed seeing the categories of gemstones classified in terms of: chemical composition, Moh's hardness scale rating, cleavage, crystal structure and more. Some gemstones have many varieties and this is covered quite well (e.g.
I bought it as a gift and it was very well received. I highly recommend this book. This book is fantastic. It contains a huge amount of information that is valuable to someone wanting to understand the factors that affect the value of colored stones.
Second the author gives current price ranges for various gems - unusual. I've read quite a few gem books. The book would be especially interesting for an individual interested in gem and jewelry design, but is a great reference for anyone interested in gems and gem collecting. The third is that the author has gathered unusual jewelry pieces using many of the gemstones in unique ways and frequently addresses issues of interest to the jewelry designer. This one excels in several ways. First there is a plethora of beautiful color photographs.
I recommend this book to anyone buying colored stones even if it is already in jewelry. This book is an excellent source of easy to understand information. The information is easy to follow but is also very specific and well written.
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