Gemstones: Symbols of Beauty and Power (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones)

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended for students of gems & jewelry making.
Review: Any with an interest in gemstones will find this involving: a coffee table book which goes into depth and detail on individual gems and their geologic origins. From jewelry making and myths to science, collecting and lore, Gemstones provides a lavish display suitable for gift-giving and library acquisition alike.

Rating:
Summary: A stunningly beautiful book
Review: This is a stunningly beautiful book full of color pictures and explanations of gemstones. It will appeal to all ages and readers who are interested in this side of "applied geology." One can simultaneously appreciate the art and science of gemstones while browsing or reading in depth. Originally published in Europe as a production of EMB-Service in Lucerne, Switzerland, this American English language edition is from the Geoscience Press, Inc. of Tuscon, Arizona and is printed in Italy. Reading this book is like having a museum right in your hands!

Rating:
Summary: A stunningly beautiful book
Review: This is a stunningly beautiful book full of color pictures and explanations of gemstones. It will appeal to all ages and readers who are interested in this side of "applied geology." One can simultaneously appreciate the art and science of gemstones while browsing or reading in depth. Originally published in Europe as a production of EMB-Service in Lucerne, Switzerland, this American English language edition is from the Geoscience Press, Inc. of Tuscon, Arizona and is printed in Italy. Reading this book is like having a museum right in your hands!

Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary overview
Review: While perfectly interesting for the serious gemstone fancier, this book is equally approachable and usable for those just getting started. The sumptuous cover photograph is slightly misleading, in that it seems to promise jewelry within the book's pages. Although jewelry is covered--as are crowns, religious reliquaries, carved gemstone figurines and more--the main thrust of this book is the nuts and bolts basics of gemstones. You can find out which gemstones appear most frequently in which geographic locations; discern the subtle differences among the particolored members of the corundum family; find out what refractive indices mean; pore over all the different gemstone cuts (including unusual cuts like the shield and olive shapes) and much, much more. This book is really a tool and a sourcebook for those interested in the miracle of gemstones.

Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary overview
Review: While perfectly interesting for the serious gemstone fancier, this book is equally approachable and usable for those just getting started. The sumptuous cover photograph is slightly misleading, in that it seems to promise jewelry within the book's pages. Although jewelry is covered--as are crowns, religious reliquaries, carved gemstone figurines and more--the main thrust of this book is the nuts and bolts basics of gemstones. You can find out which gemstones appear most frequently in which geographic locations; discern the subtle differences among the particolored members of the corundum family; find out what refractive indices mean; pore over all the different gemstone cuts (including unusual cuts like the shield and olive shapes) and much, much more. This book is really a tool and a sourcebook for those interested in the miracle of gemstones.