Diamonds, Pearls and so on we know. But have you ever wondered what other great gems and precious stones exist apart from the ones we usually know? This book tells you more about them in an easy to follow way. You will also read some stories about famous stones and get some buying tips.

This fascinating work provides a truly stunning visual guide to the beautiful world of gemstones. It brings together a wealth of information in clearly worded text accompanied by a dazzling collection of color photographs showing gems in their natural and cut states. From subjects as diverse as identifying and collecting minerals and advanced testing, to ethical sourcing of gems, every aspect of gemstones is covered, and is presented with a wealth of research in easy-to-understand sections, making it a must-have reference work for anyone who wants to delve into the exciting world of gems.

Gemstones of the World is truly the single volume that every hobbyist, jeweler, jewelry maker, and rockhound needs: it’s the cornerstone of the field. And this updated edition contains a host of new findings on "Gemstones for Collectors,” additional gems in the "Table of Constants,” and the "double fraction” figures that experts have long wanted--a very special new feature. All the gemstones are treated in their many variations: more than 1,500 full-color photos showcase each precious and semiprecious stone in both its rough, natural, and its polished and cut renditions. 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. There are even full treatments of lesser-known gems, from andalusite to vesuvian, and a special section is devoted to rocks as precious stones, including alabaster, onyx, obsidian, and fossils. Organic gem materials are also covered, such as coral, ivory, amber, and pearl. Charts and tables help collectors identify unknown gemstones and check for genuineness.

Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones provides both the connoisseur and the casual collector with a compact, easy-to-use volume describing more than 100 rare varieties of minerals whose beauty and mystery have possessed our imaginations from time immemorial. More than 450 brilliant photographs accompany profiles of each gem, covering such aspects as appearance, physical properties -- density, hardness, refraction -- occurrence, and how to judge quality and value. Additional sections describe the process of cutting gemstones and the techniques professional gemologists use to evaluate a stone's weight and optical properties. Detailed and comprehensive, this book is essential for anyone interested in the study of gems and precious stones.

A popular description of their occurrence, value, history, archaeology and of the collections in which they exist, also a chapter on pearls and on remarkable foreign gems owned in the United States...

Excerpt from Gems and Precious Stones of North America: A Popular Description of Their Occurrence, Value, History, Archaeology, and of the Collections in Which They Exist, Also a Chapter on Pearls and on Remarkable Foreign Gems Owned in the United States The daily yield from the coal and iron mines, or from the South African diamond mines, or a week's yield of the granite quarries, would exceed in value the entire output of precious stones found in the United States during a year. Systematic search for gems and precious stones has been carried on in only two States Maine and North Carolina. Otherwise, the gems are found accidentally, in connection with other substances that are being mined, or in small veins which are only occasionally met with, as the turquoise in Mexico. They are often gathered on the surface, as is the case with garnet or olivine from Arizona and New Mexico; or in sluicing for gold, as the sapphires from Montana; or in connection with mica mining, as the beryl from Connecticut and North Carolina; or from the beds of streams and decomposing rocks, as the moss-agate from Wyoming; or on the beaches, as the agate, chlorastrolite, and thomsonite from the shores of Lake Superior. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.