A guide to the identification, structure, and uses of precious and semi-precious stones, novelty stones, agates, and crystals.

You've said "Yes!" and now the whirlwind of planning your perfect wedding begins! This gorgeous book is the perfect blend of eye candy and practical guidelines to help you make your wedding day creative, poignant, and meaningful. 300 full color images go hand-in-hand with etiquette guidelines with plenty of stops along the way to dream and imagine your amazing day. Enjoy this magical time in your new life together and accept our best wishes for a glorious wedding! Oh, and by the way, congratulations!

This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience. Carefully selecting the best articles from our collection we have compiled a series of historical and informative publications on the subjects of gemology and crystallography. The titles in this range include "Gemstone Manufacturing" "The Optical Properties of Gemstones and Crystals" "The Thirty-Two Classes of Crystal Symmetry" and many more. Each publication has been professionally curated and includes all details on the original source material. This particular instalment, "Gemstone Facet Cutting" contains information on the methods and equipment of the gem cutter. Intended to illustrate the main aspects of facet cutting it is a comprehensive guide for anyone wishing to obtain a general knowledge of the subject and to understand the field in its historical context. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

The ruby is the world's most precious and rare stone. For the ancient Hindus, the ruby was Rajnapura: the Gem of Gems, at whose heart surges an eternal, unquenchable flame. Yet, for all its rarity and beauty, the ruby has always been a slightly sinister stone. Indian legend says the ruby was born from the blood of a demon. Indeed, the ruby is very close to a wild, living being: fiery, passionate, and dangerous. It has been at the center of love and wars, a symbol of passion, greed, and strong magic. Ancient sages and modern crystal healers have credited it with strange powers—from the granting of prophetic insight to protecting one from bullets. It has long been part of the human journey: coveted, fought over, and feared. Morgan considers all the beautiful and terrifying facets of this magnificent stone: scientific, economic, mythological, and spiritual. She discusses the great stones and great heists of the ruby world—and the famous fakes, too—the great Black Prince and renowned Timur. She closes with a discussion of the making of synthetic rubies and the laser beam.

Gemstones is the first attempt in English to bring together the geological, mineralogical and gemmological developments that have taken place during the last thirty years. Though there have been many gemstone books published in that time, most have been concerned, understandably and rightly, with the science of gem testing and have covered that area very well. Details of the geological occurrence of many of the classic gemstones, and of nearly all those which have only recently been discovered, have been less adequately dealt with. Coverage has been restricted to a number of papers in a wide variety of geological and mineralogical journals. Gemstones hopes to get the balance right. In the preparation of the book all the journals and monographs in the field have been consulted so that the book should stand for some years as the authority to which gemmologists and others turn in the first instance. Ease of reference and depth of coverage make Gemstones both a reference book and a bench book. Acknow ledgements I am grateful to Brian Jackson of the Department of Geology, Royal Museums of Scotland who read the manuscript and painstakingly indicated places where amendment or alteration was needed. I am also grateful to the publishers of the books on which the line illustrations are based. The colour plates present in the book derive from a number of sources, which I would like to acknowledge as follows. Plates 1, 4-15 and 17 Crown copyright reserved.

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.