Useful Books

[Pandora II]

Thought I''d start a new topic on useful books following on from things in Harriet''s tsav thread and hopefully some of the experts and GG''s will chip in with advice and recommendations.

I have:

Robert Webster - GEMS: Their Sources, Descriptions and Identification, 5th Edition
Got this as an amazing £20 ebay bargain and have found it really useful and interesting.

Eddy Vleeschdrager - HARDNESS 10: Diamond
Bought this in Antwerp when I was landed buying diamonds for the company I worked for with no more knowledge than having done a very basic micro-geology course 10 years earlier and owning a couple of gem books. 600 pages with almost no pics, but I found it very useful when I wanted to learn about diamonds fast and pricescope didn''t yet exist. Would be interested to hear opinions on this book.

Richard Wise - SECRETS OF THE GEM TRADE
Superb and great pictures.

Edwin M Streeter - PRECIOUS STONES AND GEMS: Their History and Distinguishing Characteristics, 5th Edition 1892
This book is fascinating. Streeter was a well know London jeweller and handled many world famous gemstones that are still known today. He gives accounts of these and also of ruby mining in burma in the 1800''s. His pages on the latest modern trends in diamond cutting are rather amusing, as we would consider them far from modern! Early lithographic plates in full colour are the cherry on the cake. Another chance find on ebay.

plus a random range of Renee Newman''s guide and various jewellery design books.

The next book I need is:

Richard W. Hughes - RUBY AND SAPPHIRE (waiting for the new edition)

So what books do others recommend - or don''t recommend as the case may be?

 

[DiamondExpert]

Nice topic, so I''ll bite!

I like "Diamonds", 2nd ed., ''72? by Bruton for historic perspective, and "The Nature of Diamonds" by Harlow (paperback is inexpensive) for newbies.

"Diamond Grading ABC" by Pagel-Theisen has all the detail one needs, but with a European orientation, and Roskin''s book "Photo Masters for Diamond Grading" will whet your domestic appetite.

For fancy colored diamonds only Hoefer''s "Collecting and Classifying Coloured Diamonds" will do - but it''s expensive and heavy!

I like your pick of Webster for a great colored gems ref. book, and will go to Sterling''s "Gemstones of the World" for quick info.

Also, "Gemstones - Symbols of Beauty & Power" by Gubelin and Erni has great pics/background as does "Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones" by Arem.

A subscription to Gems & Gemology is a good way to keep on top of a lot of things.

 

[jeffwhite]

A good (albiet somewhat old) book that I think serves as a great introduction to gemstones is Gems and Jewelry, by Joel Arem. Don't know if it is still in print or not, but it is an excellent reference.

Also, for those who don't know about it, ICA (International Colored Gemstone Association) has a website full of detailed information about most of the major gem varieties: www.gemstone.org (go to "Gem by Gem" from the main page). I know it isn't a book, but it is a great source of objective info on the net.

 

[bar01]

I second Renee Newman's guides for the basics. I still have and use the Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald Buying Guide.

 

[starryeyed]

Ok, so I''ll just add my low-brow book: Firefly Guide to Gems by Cally Oldershaw. It''s a handy quick reference.

I like this book because it has a "Color Key" in the front, and then short 1-2 page blurbs about each type of stone. It has tons of pictures and is great as an overview.

If I''m looking for a "Green" stone, I can go to the Color Key, and see pictures of green gemstones including: Andalusite, Andradite, Apatite, Emerald, Jadeite, Peridot, Sapphire, Tektite (Moldovite), Tsavorite, etc. If I see one that may be of interest, I can get a more detailed description in the 1-2 page alphabetical blurbs that follow.

The book is manageable and you can bring it with you, no problem. The information seems accurate and covers the basics.

 

[Harriet]

John of WF mentioned the possibility of having their resident colourd stones guru do a presentation. I hope that happens. I could use a 101 on gemstones.