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The gemologist's core library
I am often asked to recommend
books in the field of gemology. Below are my top picks
for books currently in print and available on Amazon.com.
Look at this list carefully and compare it to your bookshelf.
If you don't have each and every one of these, then
either consider a new profession or click on the link
to purchase them from Amazon.com. Lower down are other
books I've found useful. Have I left something
important out? Feel free to spam me with your
suggestions.
Rubydick's pick of the litter
- Book
of the Pearl: The History, Art, Science and Industry
of the Queen of Gems – by George Frederick Kunz
& Charles Hugh Stevenson. Reprint of the classic
1908 edition. Certainly the best pearl book ever.
Also one of the best gem books ever.
- The
Curious Lore of Precious Stones – by George
Frederick Kunz. Reprint of the 1913 edition. Again,
like all the Kunz books, a classic. See also the companion
volume, The
Magic of Jewels and Charms.
- Gem
Testing by B.W. Anderson & E.A. Jobbins (1990,
10th ed.) – Anderson was perhaps the greatest
gemologist of the century. This book distills over
50 years of gem-testing experience.
- Gemology:
An Annotated Bibliography – by John Sinkankas
(1993) – My pick for the greatest gem book of
all time. No author ever worked harder on a single
work. Over 6,000 entries, virtually all of which are
annotated.
- Gems:
Their Sources, Description and Identification –
by Robert Webster (1994, 5th ed.) – No one who
calls themselves a gemologist can be without this
massive work.
- Gems & Gemology – edited by Alice Keller – This quarterly magazine from the GIA is a must for all gemologists.
- Gems
Made by Man – by Kurt Nassau (1980) The finest
book on synthetic gem materials.
- Gemstone
Enhancement: History, Science and State of the
Art – by Kurt Nassau (1994) – Virtually
the only book on this important subject.
- Handbook
of Gem Identification – by Richard T.,
Jr. Liddicoat (1993) – A classic from the
now-deceased head of the Gemological Institute
of America.
- Manual
of Mineralogy (after James D. Dana) – by
Cornelius Hurlbut & Cornelius Klein (1998; 21st
ed.) – The classic college text on mineralogy.
- Photoatlas
of Inclusions in Gemstones – by Eduard
Gübelin
and John Koivula (1986)
Photoatlas
of Inclusions in Gemstones, Volume 2 (2005) – see my review here
Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, Volume 3 (2008) – see my review here
Among the
five most important gemology books currently in
print. Get 'em.
- Precious
Stones: A Popular Account of Their Characters,
Occurrence and Applications With an Introduction to
Their Determination, for Mineralogists – by Max
Bauer, L. J. Spencer (Translator) Reprint of the 1904
edition, 2 Vols. – Although somewhat dated, there
is still much to recommend about this book.
- Ruby
& Sapphire – by Richard Hughes (1997)
– Arguably the finest book ever devoted to a
single gem species. It's all here, sources, prices,
treatments, etc.
Other titles of interest
The following are numerous
books on gems, jewelry and related subjects. I have
copies of most in my personal library and have added
comments on those I particularly like.
Amber
Appraisal & gem business
Burma
- Land
of Jade. A journey from India through northern
Burma to China. – By Bertil Lintner (1996) Marvelous
tale of a 1985 year-long journey across insurgent-held
Burma.
- Twilight
over Burma : My Life As a Shan Princess –
by Inge Sargent (1997) – Heartbreaking autobiographical
story of love and tragedy in Burma. Inge was the German
teacher at my middle school in Boulder, CO when I
was growing up. Today, she and her husband, Tad, are
active in the overseas Burma democracy movement.
Color science
- Principles
of Color Technology – by Fred W. Billmeyer
& Max Saltzman (1981) – Classic of color
science. Gemologists would do well to pay more attention
to this important field.
Diamonds
Fred Ward Gem Book Series
Each is a nice introduction
to the subject, featuring terrific photos and reasonably
priced.
The Renee Newman Buying Guide
Series
Buying guides geared
towards the retail customer.
Gem & Jewelry Buyers' Guides
Gem Localities
- Gemstones
of Afghanistan – by Gary W. Bowersox, Bonita
E. Chamberlin (1995) – Terrific treatment of
this important source of lapis lazuli, emerald, ruby
and other gems.
- Gemstones
of East Africa – by Peter C. Keller (1992)
Beautiful photos and an excellent text make this an
important work on gems from Kenya and Tanzania.
- Gemstones
of North America Vol. 3 – by John Sinkankas
(1997) – Like all of John's books, this
is meticulously done.
- Gemstones
of the World – by Walter Schumann (1997)
Beautiful pictures in this book, but unfortunately
the text contains many factual errors.
- Humboldt's
Travels in Siberia 1837–1842: The Gemstones by Gustav Rose – by Gustav Rose, George M. Sinkankas
(Editor), John Sinkankas (Translator) (1997) –
Historical account of Russian gem & mineral localities.
- Yogo:
The Great American Sapphire – by Stephen
M. Voynick (1987) – The best book ever written
on this intriguing locality for Montana sapphire.
Gems & Gemology
Famous Gem Collections
Jade
- Jade – by Roger Keverne (Editor) (1996) – The
most complete coverage available for this fascinating
gem material.
- Jade
Lore – by John A. Goette (1976) – Reprint
of this classic from 1936.
Jewelry
Indian Jewelry & Gems
Minerals
Pearls
Thailand
Gem-related Fiction
- West
47th – by Gerald A. Browne (1997) –
Like all of this author's books, lots of fun
and adventure.
- The Love of Stones – by Tobias Hill (2002) – Novel based on the jewelry business.
Page updated
June 11, 2010
This page is http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/gembooks.htm
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