Which Gems Book ?

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On 8/24/2003 1:32:39 AM garfield wrote:

I need recommendation,

If I tho choose one Gems book the cover the entire subject - which one would better serve me:

1. Gem Identification Made Easy - new 3rd edition 2003
By Antoinio Bonanno, Antoinette Leonard Matlins

OR

2. Gemstones of the World, Revised Edition 2000
By Walter Schumann

Thanks

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Walter Shumann 's book is one of the best and most general book for gems. But there are many others now that will give far more visuals than Schumann and I hope the Schumann 's editor will rally up more new pictures for his book.

Just a comment.

Give examples of better books - which titles ?

I would recommend one book that I think is beautifully detailed and informative. Although not a "complete information of gems" book it is still well worth owning.

"Gems& Crystals" by Anna Sofianides & George Harlow.

It has full colour plates of some of the finest gems in the world which are displayed at the American Museum of Natural History. The book also includes information on rare gems, evaluation and mythology. I for one could never be parted from it

One gembook that covers everything? Doesn't exist!

Schuman is mostly about minerals, poor quality images and very, very dated.

Matlins is good for what the title says, "gem identification" in the field with minimum instrumentation.

A good comprehensive book that covers gemology, history and a bit about quality is Max Bauer's 2volume Precious Stones. Though written in 1919 it still covers the ground better than anyone and can be purchased in a Dover reprint edition for about $20.

For Colored Diamonds: Stephen Hofer, Collecting and Classifying Coloured Diamonds

For everything you ever want to know about Ruby & sapphire: Richard W. Hughes: Ruby & Sapphire

For gemstone quality and connoisseurship: Richard W. Wise: Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur's Guide To Precious Gemstones.

Want to be a gem dealer? David Stanley Epstein: The Gem Merchant; How to be one, how to deal with one.

A pearl of a book and the best thing (probably better) than Kunz "Book Of The Pearl", R. A. Donkin: Beyond Price, Pearls and Pearl Fishing, Origins to The Age of Discovery

Could mention a few more but, don't want to scare you to much. Good reading.