No comments about Gemstones of the World: American Collectibles Network Edition.

No comments about Carved Jade of Ancient China.

2 comments about Diamonds: Know What You Are Buying & Selling.

1. THE BOOK IS AIMED AT INFORMING THE RIGHT CONSUMER AND DIAMOND BUYER ABOUT NATURAL GEM-QUALITY DIAMONDS.THE AUTHOR 'S INTENTION IS TO EDUCATE THE READERS TO KNOW HOW TO EVALUATE THEIR OWN DIAMONDS.IT ALSO SHOWS THE READER THE PRACTICAL WAYS TO IDENTIFY A FLAWED DIAMOND WHEN BUYING ONE.



2. B.J. Tadena's book on buying and selling diamonds is truly an execellent and vital resource for anybody in the market for buying and selling diamonds. I would recommend this book especially for guys looking for engagement rings for their significant other. Tadena gives a very informative and in-depth look at the finer points of picking out diamonds and their good qualities and how to spot imperfections, without boring the reader but giving inciteful knowledge a consumer can understand. I would defintely recommend this book to anyone in the market for diamonds, be it personal pleasure, an investment, or just a special way to say "I Love You"

3 comments about Mineral Collector's Handbook.

1. Well, it's a nice book and all, but Mr. Krause has lost all objectivity in discussing the various minerals of the world. I was surprised that he completely overlooked gypsum--certainly one of the most useful minerals around (plaster products, fertilizer). Perhaps the author should spend less time using a thesaurus (trying to impress us?) and more time studying minerals and rocks



2. I have only recently begun to collect various minerals. I couldn't disagree more with this other reviewer. I found it to be very thorough, easy to understand, and helped me immediately in categorizing my collection. Well worth the price, and an invaluable reference book for years to come.



3. I found this book to be extremly helpful with my research. The numerous color photos are a real plus. I'd highly recommend this title.

1 comments about Ancient Gems and Finger Rings: Catalogue of the Collections. The J. Paul Getty Museum.

1. I was disappointed with this book because I was expecting different content. My interest is in gems and antique/vintage jewelry. This subject, which is in the title of the book, is only discussed in terms of ancient seals. The book says nothing about the ancient gems and finger rings that do not contain stone seals.
   I feel the title of the book was misleading to the buyer, as it does not say that the book is solely dedicated to ring seals and scarab seals or cameo-portrait type, carved stone rings. Perhaps a more accurate title would be "Ancient Gem Seals and Seal Finger Rings", however I doubt this would generate the same amount of sales.
   Since the cost of the book is quite high, I think the Amazon description should be more accurate about the contents. I am inclined to think the buyer is mislead as a selling technique, to make an otherwise boring book seem luscious. I wish I did not purchase this book and for those of you contemplating such a purchase I say to you, "I would NOT buy this book unless you are obsessed with ancient stone seals."

No comments about Collecting Rocks and Crystals: Hold the Treasures of the Earth in the Palm of Your Hand.

2 comments about Diamonds: In the Heart of the Earth, in the Heart of Stars, at the Heart of Power (Editions Adam Biro Books).

1. I believe that this is the most comprehensive general textbook on diamonds out there. It covers EVERYTHING: natural history, the diamond industry, diamond-cutting, gemology, jewelry, mythology and symbolism, chemistry and physics, natural formation and man-made synthesis... The original research is very impressive (it was commissioned by the French Natural History Museum to when they did their blockbuster exhibition on diamonds a couple of years ago). Among other things, it convincingly rebuts the theory that diamond-cutting was invented in India and presents a considerable amount of information on famous diamonds from archive sources. The illustrations are also impressive, including archive photos from De Beers that were developed and printed for the first time in over a century.



2. The information in this book is accurate, interesting and very readable. The ilustrations are superb.
   An invaluable resource for anyone studying diamonds but also written in such a way that it is of general interest.
   This book has proved very popular here in Sydney - I have already ordered 11 copies for myself and my gemmologist friends.

3 comments about The Spectroscope and Gemmology.

1. If your interest is Gem ID with a Spectroscope, Then this book is a must have. It covers in great detail spectroscopy as it applies to gemstones. The illustrations are in B/W.



2. If you are interested in the world of gems. This the book for you. It will help you identify and understand the beauty and wonder of gems.



3. This book is very disappointing. Although it goes into good depth, that depth is on a very, very limited number of stones/minerals. On top of that, there isn't a single color illustration in the whole book! This appears to be a book that was written decades ago, due to the B&W and the fact that it's missing many, many modern stones. It will be a fair resource for very common stones, but my quest for a color, modern, fairly complete reference regarding the spectra of stones continues. I strongly advise you to make sure that you buy this from Amazon or a seller with a good return policy...you will most likely be disappointed like I was.

No comments about Fine English Furniture and Decorations, Chinese Jade and Other Semi-Precious Mineral Carvings [Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York (1323) / 07 Mar 1952].

No comments about Collecting Gems & Minerals: Hold the Treasures of the Earth in the Palm of Your Hand.