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Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2015
Very informative book...gives details on gemstones, natural & synthetic, clarity, treatments, shape & cutting styles, carat weight, judging quality, etc. Most definitely worth the money.
Paul N
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2014
Informative, printed on high quality paper with superior photos with true colors. Well written. The author notes the durability of each stone and provides good to know cautions like, " ... (the gem) melts in a jeweler's torch"
thesheild
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2014
Good book for reference if you are buying or interested in gems a very nice pictures and good reference for buying
Mrs Mary L A Griffin
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2014
Excellent Guide Book. Easy to read and understand. Very good value. I recommend this publication to those interested in investing in Gem Stones.
ANDRUS
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2013
I am not a professional in gemstone business and this small an well illustrated book gives some information for the beginner.
David W. Nesbitt
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2013
This was well done but a little on the simple side for me. As a former jeweler I was looking for some in-depth information about some of the newer stones, such as color change Garnets, etc.The information appeared to be all 100% correct however it was not presented in much depth. Good if you're just getting started collecting gems, etc. Not so good if you have a lot of knowledge to begin with.I would rate this 3.75 to 4.0 stars out of 5. Recommended for anyone wanting more information and is just starting down the pathway of gem collecting, etc.
Gemcollector1
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2013
What a lovely book. Well written, interesting and you don't need to be a gemmologist to understand it. The photography is brilliant, I would thoroughly recommend for anyone who loves collecting faceted gemstones :)Only one downside ..... makes you wish you could purchase more & more ....;
Keith A Nansteel
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2013
A lot of info and nice pictures of a wide variety of gems and stones but not really as useful as I'd hoped it would be. As a novice buyer its not as easy to use as I'd hoped for but still informative.
HB
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2012
I just love this book. It has helped me tremendously in identifing and buying precious and semi-precious stones. It has an index in the back where I can go to find what I am looking for in the book. It is easy to read and understand. I am so glad that I purchased this book.
maria
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2011
very good book, easy to follow and understand, without getting too heavy for the brain.very nice photos and good explainations in what one should look for when buying gem stones.I recomment this book for someone who wants to understand the basics of gems, and who want to begin to understand the science behind gemstones. etc.
CLG
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2009
As one of three books purchased on this subject, I have to say the images are what makes this book. But the information within is great too, albeit somewhat limited on certain stones. 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. 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!). Some gemstones have many varieties and this is covered quite well (e.g. 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. The accompanying photos often cover all the species listed - so a great visual aid. Keep in mind the images are of finished, mostly faceted gemstones. I want to also mention another great image/layout and it is about Jadeite colors as seen on 36 cabachons. 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. 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.
L. L. Gray
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2008
This is an excellent book for a beginner such as I. It goes into detail on all aspects of gems, but not to such an extent that it would get boring. The color photographs are beautiful, and whet the appetite for more knowledge on the subject of gems. Highly recommended.
Daniel White
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2007
I found this book fascinating! It is easy to read, easy to learn from, and yet not a text book. You do not have to be a student to become captivated by the beautiful photography and interesting bits of history mixed with scientific data and just a bit of folklore.At times I was frustrated by the elusiveness about what a particular gem would be worth. The author reminds us selling and trading of gems might well be, if not the second oldest profession, one of the early ones.I recommend this book to anybody. If you pick it up because of the bright colorful images, you will be caught by the flowing enthusiasm of the author. Many a night, my forehead hit the pages as I realized my reading had kept me up way too late.
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