Product Description

Definitive compact guide to rocks, minerals, crystals and gemstones – for every rockhound and budding gemmologist! From primeval origins to their astonishing modern-day uses and appeal, this is the ultimate portrait of Earth’s buried treasures – rocks, minerals, crystals and gems – produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution. Learn how to identify more than 450 rock and mineral specimens through stunning photographs and detailed characteristics. Discover more about your finds through folklore and historical artefacts, and find out the fascinating stories behind the world’s natural treasures; from the Hope diamond to the Great Mogul emerald. Plus, pick up practical advice on rock and mineral collecting, including how to cut, polish and display your finds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17877 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 360 pages

Review
As one has come to expect of a Dorling Kindersley publication, it's peppered with beautiful, glossy pictures – the rock, mineral, gem and fossil photographs are of such good quality you feel you could lift them off the page – and is laid out for easy reference. (Geographical )

About the Author
Over a 40-year-career Ron Bonowitz has been a geologist, prospector, miner and gem cutter, in addition to working as a pilot and flying instructor. Still a collector, cutter and dealer in gems and minerals, he has written extensively on ancient history and mythology. Ron resides in Petersfield.

Customer Reviews

The Book to Buy First on Gemstones
This book is great and is the only book a lot of people will ever need or want to own on this subject, brimming with great photos as usual from DK, this book also covers Gemstones which was my primary interest, I previously bought Gemstones of the World by W.Schumann (small life sized photos)which is a good pocket guide but if I had bought this book first I would have saved money by needing no others. This really is a very pleasing book, I certainly will not buy another book on this subject without seeing it first as I feel sure it will disappoint after this book. So if you do not need to carry it, because this book is quite heavy and hardback, buy this book first.

Rocks and Minerals The Definitive Visual Guide
Wonderful book:visually stunning,mass of information on each page makes it useful for general information on the rock types and small blocks of text present the more technical detail.
Purchased for a bright 7 year old.He could cope as he was held by the dramatic photographs and very visual nature of each page.The text is too technical for a child but accessible if read with an adult.Great for a general introduction on how rocks are formed, the types and wonderful vivid close ups of minerals and crystals.
A pity there is no colour index to help in identification.If you know your purple crystal is amethyst its easy to find more detail, if you want a book as a guide to identifying rock and mineral easily this is not for you.

Great photos
I use this book in conjunction with others, but it could easily stand alone as the best with regard to the photos. Excellent.