Solving the mysteries that surround the jewellery world, this text provides clues to separate old from new, gold from gold-plate, diamonds from rhinestones, and junk from jewels. The book features comprehensive lists of designers and marks, and information about fine, costume and Mexican jewellery.

Queen Victoria of Great Britain made a tremendous impact on the world, so much so that the era of her reign was given her name. Items from the Victorian period have a reputation for beauty and elegance, which is why they are such popular collectibles. This one-of-a-kind reference covers the beautiful jewelry of the Victorian Age, from 1837 to 1901. Gemologist C. Jeanenne Bell offers collectors this fascinating all-color exploration of the illustrious age and the elegant jewelry that is produced. &break;&break;Decade by decade, Bell reveals how the fashion of the time influenced the style of jewelry, and how innovations in manufacturing affected jewelry production. Jewelry listings provide current marketplace values, and also cover American and French jewelry styles from the time. Over 1,000 color pictures and illustrations convey the true beauty of Victorian era jewelry it produced.

Brought back into print in the 1990s to wide acclaim, re-designed new editions of Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee Mysteries are now available. Written by a Dutch diplomat and scholar during the 1950s and 1960s, these lively and historically accurate mysteries have entertained a devoted following for decades. Set during the T'ang dynasty, they feature Judge Dee, a brilliant and cultured Confucian magistrate disdainful of personal luxury and corruption, who cleverly selects allies to help him navigate the royal courts, politics, and ethnic tensions in imperial China. Robert van Gulik modeled Judge Dee on a magistrate of that name who lived in the seventh century, and he drew on stories and literary conventions of Chinese mystery writing dating back to the Sung dynasty to construct his ingenious plots. Necklace and Calabash finds Judge Dee returning to his district of Poo-yang, where the peaceful town of Riverton promises a few days' fishing and relaxation. Yet a chance meeting with a Taoist recluse, a gruesome body fished out of the river, strange guests at the Kingfisher Inn, and a princess in distress thrust the judge into one of the most intricate and baffling mysteries of his career. An expert on the art and erotica as well as the literature, religion, and politics of China, van Gulik also provides charming illustrations to accompany his engaging and entertaining mysteries.

This updated and expanded edition of Be Your Own Detective includes the new technological advances in the art of snooping. High-tech devices developed for the most part by the military—night vision goggles, bugging and tapping equipment, sound amplification dishes are all now available (at reasonable to staggering prices) at the neighborhood electronics shop. The worldwide web is an amazing one-stop source of information. Authors Fallis and Greenberg have compiled the host of opportunities offered by the web and point out how they may be accessed most efficiently and effectively.

Students analyze what they read as they answer questions based on a passage and then provide supporting evidence from the text for their answers.

Hilarious, non-stop adventure, a mysterious jewel heist, and a detective team like no other make this a must-have middle grade series starter. Perfect for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Enola Holmes. After twelve-year-old John Boarhog’s mom dies, the last thing he wants is to be schlepped off to the Jersey Home for Boys, where kids are forced to make skinny jeans for hipsters and are fed nothing but kale. Instead, he makes himself a snug home in the ceiling of the New York Museum of Natural History, where he reads anything he get his hands on and explores the artifacts afterhours. But when a rare Egyptian ruby—the highlight of the museum’s new exhibit—goes missing, John is accused of the crime. That is until the unpredictable Inspector Toadius McGee sweeps in to wrestle control of the case, certain that the true culprit is a notorious criminal he’s been tracking for years. John quickly becomes the Watson to Toadius’s Holmes as they race from Broadway to back alleys to a speak-easy that only serves root beer. And along the way, John uncovers secrets about his own past, including that he’s a lot more involved in this web of endearing ne'er-do-wells than he ever could have imagined. A love letter to classic middle grade, Egypt's Fire introduces a remarkable new duo that will steal your heart as surely as it leaves you begging for their next grand adventure. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Paul Pry, one of Gardner’s least-known and strangest characters is showcased here. He picks ‘Mugs’ Magoo out of the gutter and forma a partnership which makes the big shots of the underworld look pathetic.

Somebody is stealing diamonds from the jeweler Mohammed Carat! It looks like the culprit is someone on his staff, but who? Is it Luke Smith, the recently hired fitness fanatic with a taste for the finer things in life? It surely can't be Vivian Leander, the loyal shop assistant who is now short of money ... The police in the little town of Valleby are stuck, so they contact young detectives Jerry and Maya, classmates who run their own detective agency. Will Jerry and Maya be able to use their detective skills to find the thief? As they well know, even a tiny clue is worth its weight in gold.