Product Description

Buying colour gems is a challenge. To make a wise choice, you must be able to judge their colour, flaws, transparency and brilliancy. This guide will show you how. Written for both consumers and professionals, it is easy to read, has over 200 colour photographs and gives practical pointers on how to buy the best stone for the money. Whether you are interested in jade, opal, ruby, topaz, spinel, garnet, tourmaline or some other coloured gem, you will find this guide to be a fascinating and valuable resource. Topics covered include: price comparison; gem treatments; quality evaluation; gem cleaning and care; fake stones; savvy buying.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30395 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 156 pages

Customer Reviews

An enjoyable way to learn.
Magnificent four-color pictures that not only assist in identifying gems but also highlight how the stones can be used as sculptures as well as in jewelry. The author tells what the book should be used for as well as what it should not be used for. Pleanty of graphics and charts that explain the anatomy of gems, various cuts, hardness, toughness, refraction and care. A bit more technical than I wanted--but better too much information than too little. Especially helpful in its explanation of how gems are "treated" to appear better than they really are, or, to enhance the color and price of the gemstone. The book is good enough that I'm ordering a second copy for a friend!

Great
Do you want a book which shows how a TRUE top gemstone looks like ? Buy it. Do you want to understand why you cannot buy a really! pigeon blood red ruby for 100 dollars a carat? Buy it. You cannot decide if the paraiba tourmaline, advertised on an internet auction for 135 dollars, may be a good business? Buy it

Wonderful! Very Detailed for Jewelry Purchasers!
I started looking for books that would educate me on what to look for when purchasing gemstone and gold jewelry. Somehow, I stumbled onto this author's previous book, the Gold Buying Guide, which I loved so much that I ended up buying this book as well! R. Newman gives wonderful detailed advice for the consumer on what to look for in buying jewelry and what to avoid. This is a -must- for anyone planning to buy gemston jewelry!