Gemstones of the World

Product Information

Some pieces in this collection are repeatable and some are one offs because I’ve used a single unique gemstone. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. The volume is well-referenced, in that if another gem or mineral is referenced the author includes a page number for ease of comparison.

index, Authoritative guide to the world's gemstones with true-to-nature colour photographs of over 1,400 specimens, many shown in both rough and cut states. No space is wasted; even the inside covers show different gemstone cuts and a world map of gemstones respectively.Still, it is rather fascinating to view the radioactive gems such as Ekanite, and to read about how Sulfur is so sensitive to heat that it bursts when warmed in one’s hand (how did they facet it for the photo without generating heat? Each entry offers complete information on the gemstone’s formation, structure, physical properties, and characteristics, along with the best methods of working, cutting, and polishing it.

Even the photographs, while very colorful and helpful, remain unchanged and could benefit from some modernization. Physical and chemical properties of each gem or gem group is identified in a header on the top of the left page, followed by notes of interest and specific varieties.mini polished stones with their corresponding names are showcased in a neat and presentable little case. Additionally, this all-inclusive rocks and minerals book includes imitations, synthetics, and combined stones. This updated edition of Gemstones of the World contains a new chapter on the treatment of gemstones, expanded information on what's 'New on the Market' and 400 additional stones.

These first few sections serve as an excellent introduction to, or refresher on, many of the basic concepts that help make identification easier.Moh’s scale of hardness, basic mineral chemistry, specific gravity, cleavage and fracture, refraction and absorption, pleochroism, and fluorescence are described in sections followed by charts of these properties for selected gemstones. In addition to the perennially successful Gemstones of the World , first published in 1976, he has authored Collins Guide to Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones and Handbook of Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones , among other authoritative rock and mineral identification guides. The author does approach this subject as a scientist, which is to say with great skepticism, and makes clear numerous times that there is no real proof of gemstones’ effectiveness in easing ailments beyond a well-intentioned placebo effect. One interesting note about the photos is that often average specimens, rather than be-all, end-all quality gems are depicted.

There are also many charts and diagrams as well as magnificent colour photographs of the stones with data about them on the facing page. This is a complete survy of the gemstones of the world - with 1,500 stones illustrated in full colour and described. I would like to know, for example, which stones are too soft or brittle, and which are rare or endangered. Truly the ultimate one-volume book every hobbyist, jeweler, jewelry maker, and rockhound will ever need! Gemstones of the World is a conveniently sized and organized reference book for both the casual and serious gemologist.For someone completely new to the science, the jargon may be difficult, although Schumann attempts to bypass this issue by providing a brief list at the beginning of the book of terminology that may be unfamiliar. More than 1500 full-colour photos showcase each precious and semi-precious stone in its rough, natural, polished and cut renditions.