Book Description
The friendly text and hundreds of color photographs of beads from around the world bring order to this awesome field of growing popular interest. This new book makes the identification of beads possible. Written to encourage collectors and clarify the origins and uses of beads in their native settings, this book provides the best and broadest reference available to date. Furthermore, newly revised pricing information makes this book useful in today's marketplace. Beads of organic, stone, and glass materials are individually discussed. Then Mr. Francis traces certain types of beads to their origins in Europe, the Middle East, India, the Far East, Southeast Asia, North and South America and Africa--literally circling the globe. Jewelry makers and collectors, artists, hobbyists and serious historians alike will find Mr. Francis's personally researched and clearly stated explanations fascinating.
Customer Reviews:
BEADS OF THE WORLD.......2007-05-07
THIS GUY KNOWS BEADS. A GREAT REFERENCE BOOK, AND PRICE GUIDE.
For buyers, not researchers.......2003-12-22
After 20 years working in Africa and collecting beads, I find this the best book of its type for people actually going into African markets, American bead shows, and flea markets looking to buy rare or collectible beads. It is not the right book for someone who doesn't yet know the basics about where and how the major types of beads are/were fabricated, how they have traveled, and the ethnographics associated with their past and present uses. (For those subjects, try Dubin, J. Allen, Liu, Picard, and Beckworth's Africa Adorned.) But for ballpark pricing, comparisons, and availability, there's nothing better in print.
Excellent!.......2003-11-25
I boughtthis book for my mom - she was getting really into hunting for beads (and buttons but that's another story) at yard sales, antique stores etc. She didn't really know what she was buying - just what she liked - so I bought this book for her about a year ago and she has loved it ever since. There are a lot of pictures, descriptions and background info on the different types of beads. If nothing else, it has provided a good foundation for her in her hunt for more beads so she knows a little more about the types/styles to look for (in addition to just what she happend to like)
I DON'T KNOW BEADS.......2000-10-16
AND THIS BOOK DIDN'T HELP ME UNDERSTAND THEM ANY BETTER. IT JUST CONFUSED ME MORE
NOT SO GOOD.......2000-10-16
IS MY OPINION OF THIS BOOK. NOT ALL BEADS ARE PRICED AND NOT TOO INFORMATIVE.
Average customer rating:
- This is an excellent book for the beginning gemstone buyer
- Great book for beginners
- Great Book!
- No More Mistakes
- This Book Makes A Difference
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Jewelry & Gems the Buying Guide: How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Colored Gemstones, Gold & Jewelry With Confidence And Knowledge (Jewelry and Gems the Buying Guide)
Antoinette L. Matlins , and
Antonio C. Bonanno
Manufacturer: Gemstone Press
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Binding: Paperback
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Gem Identification Made Easy, Third Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling
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Colored Gemstones, 2nd Edition: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide: How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gemstones
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Gemstone Buying Guide, Second Edition: How to Evaluate, Identify, Select & Care for Colored Gems
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Gemstones (Smithsonian Handbooks)
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The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones: A Complete Guide to Appraising and Using Precious Stones From Cut and Color to Shape and Settings
ASIN: 0943763444 |
Book Description
Know What You Want, Know What You're Buying, Learn the Secrets to Get the Most for Your Money
Easy to Read • Easy to Understand Practical • Complete Instant Answers ... to All Your Questions Completely Updated & Expanded 6th Edition!
Purchasing gems and jewelry can be a magical experience, filled with excitement and anticipation. But lack of information, error, or misrepresentation can make the thrill of buying a gem or piece of jewelry confusing, intimidating, overwhelming, and costly.
To help you avoid the pitfalls and keep the magic, two internationally respected experts on buying gems and jewelry put their inside knowledge to work for you in this easy-to-read, easy-to-use guide. It is filled with practical advice and is designed to make it easy for you to have all the information you need to buy gems and jewelry with confidence.
Recommended by consumer and jewelry trade reviewers around the world, it is already in use in over 100 countries and has been translated into Spanish, Arabic, Greek, Hungarian, and Russian. Over 300,000 copies are now in print and this revised, updated, expanded edition covers even more: buying and selling on the internet, dazzling new diamond cuts, recently discovered gems … and new treatments and trickery to look out for. There are fascinating mythical and magical tidbits, and practical tips that could only come from an insider.
In simple, straightforward terms you'll learn about the four Cs and how to juggle them to get what you want, at the price you want to pay; what to look for, and look out for; all about gold and platinum, jewelry design, and some of the country's leading designers. You'll learn what questions to ask and what to get in writing, and even how to select the jeweler, appraiser, and insurer. The authors leave no stone unturned to give you everything you need to know—whether you are a novice or a connoisseur. With Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide, you'll find the experience can be a joy, and the gems and jewelry you select a source of lasting pleasure!
Praise for Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide
"Restores the magic! [Will] entertain and enlighten all its readers and save some from heart-break. Recommended reading." — Paul Harvey, Paul Harvey News
"Includes all kinds of fun facts to know and tell ... an essential resource for the gem buyer." — Art & Antiques
"Takes the guesswork out of this important decision ... obtain the best value for your money." — Modern Bride
"A book designed to build trust between jewelry retailers and consumers." — National Jeweler
"An appropriate book for the uninformed public, but more than that, it is a good reference book for jewelers and their staffs, gem collectors, students of gemology, travelers, teachers, and even those who know gemology but want a state-of-the-art review." — Lapidary Journal
"We have seen no work more practical and accurate than [this book] ... the investor, or engagement ring buyer, who follows the dictates ... which are well explained and illustrated, will surely avoid being burned ... the best of its kind and likely to be of enormous value to anyone." — Frederick H. Pough, PhD Former Curator of Gems and Minerals, American Museum of Natural History, N.Y.C.
"Most certainly achieves its aim of helping consumers buy gems and jewelry with confidence and knowledge ... highly recommended." — Asian Jewelry
"Especially useful to service members shopping overseas." — Financial Planning Guide Supplement to Army, Navy and Air Force Times
Customer Reviews:
This is an excellent book for the beginning gemstone buyer.......2007-08-13
Excellent! This is hands down the best book on the market for the beginning gemstone buyer.
Great book for beginners.......2006-12-08
If you are buying jewelry/gems for any occasion and don't exactly know what you are doing, this book is a great start. The section on colored gemstones was particularly helpful, as it is harder to find good information on them. The book is definitely a keeper as it can be used for many different purchases.
Great Book!.......2006-09-20
A friend recommended this book and I'm so glad she did! So informative and easy to understand--even for a novice like me! I now have more confidence when I buy jewelry and know what questions to ask a jeweler before I decide to buy. Great book!
No More Mistakes.......2006-09-03
With the help, guidelines and information from this incredible book I finally felt I could shop for jewelry with confidence and a "sense of experience".
This Book Makes A Difference.......2006-09-02
I am not a geologist or gemologist but I am very interested in gems and jewelry. After purchasing and reading several other books on the subject of gems and jewelry, this was the most informative! I could not put it down. I buy jewelry of all sorts for re-sale, and this book is the only book that tells me all my choices whether buying diamonds, colored gemstones, or pearls. It is also the only book that describes the many clever ways that one can be deceived. I especially like their price charts for diamonds and colored gem stones because they are organized in a way that focuses attention on the impact of quality factors on value. The colored gem stone charts are organized so that it is easy to compare numerous stones of the same color. For example if my customer wants a green stone this book lists all of the stones available, and how they compare to each other in terms of price, durabilty, and availabilty in different sizes. No other book does this. I could go on and on, but I will sum it up in three words: It's the BEST!
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful Wealth of Knowledge
- Perfect Starter Guide
- Book pays for itself many times over
- Jewelry & Gems The Buying Guide
- ALL THE TITLE
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Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide--How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Colored Gemstones, Gold & Jewelry With Confidence and Knowledge (5th Edition)
Antoinette Matlins , and
A. C. Bonanno
Manufacturer: Gemstone Press
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Binding: Paperback
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Gem Identification Made Easy, Third Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling
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Gemstones (Smithsonian Handbooks)
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Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones
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Gem & Jewelry Pocket Guide: A Traveler's Guide to Buying Diamonds, Colored Gems, Pearls, Gold and Platinum Jewelry (Gem & Jewelry Pocket Guide)
ASIN: 0943763312 |
Book Description
Completely Updated, Expanded, Revised.New edition of the "unofficial bible" for jewelry and gem buyers. Explains how to buy diamonds, pearls, precious, and other popular colored gems, gold, and jewelry with confidence and knowledge.This authoritative book includes new sections on design and style, pearls, gold, and platinum, as well as full coverage of recently discovered new gems to look for...and new treatments and trickery to look out for. Easy to read and understand, Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide covers every aspect of purchasing and enjoying jewelry and gems.Selected contents:Retail Price Guides for Diamonds, Colored Gems, and Pearls.Getting to Know Gems.Diamonds: How to Determine the Value of a Diamond.The Four C's - Treatments - New shapes & old - How flaws affect diamonds - How to read diamond grading reports - How to spot fraud & misrepresentationColored Gemstones: New Stones Add Exciting Choices.Mystery & Magic - Determining value - New treatments - Synthetics - Fraud & misrepresentation - Misleading names - Gem alternatives by colorPearls: Types - Factors that affect quality and value.Gold & Platinum.Choosing the Setting.Important Advice Before You Buy; Questions to Ask.Selecting a Reputable Jeweler, Appraiser, & insurer.Gemstone Investment.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Wealth of Knowledge.......2006-08-22
This book is a must have for anyone, novice or expert! I was looking for something that would educate me in my new "hobby" of gem collecting and ran across this valuable book. It contains sections from how to purchase great diamonds to colored gemstones (my favorites!). The first part of the book deals with examining stones, how to hold the stone when examining it, using a loupe (those round magnifying glass-type things that are used by jewlers), identifying the parts of a gem (yes, there are parts of gem such as a table, a girdle, a crown, a pavilion and a cutlet) , and the different cuts of stones (round, trilliant, pear, Marquise, oval, emerald, etc.). The second part of the book deals exclusively about diamonds, the importance of the cut and proportion, body color and grades, faulty cuts, girdle faults, popular and nonpopular shapes, desirable colors, diamond flaws, clarity and how it's determined, V, VV, S, I explained, weight, spotting frauds, and comparing diamond prices. Section 3 is about colored gemstones, determing value, gemstone treatment, fraud, purchasing colored gems, and pearls. Part 4 is about Design and Style and offers important advice before buying. Part 6, the final chapter, offers important advice after you purchase a gemstone. There's even a section that gives retail prices, by carat, on each type of gemstone! Lots of important diagrams too! My next book to purchase that will compliment this book is Gem Identificatin Made Easy by Antoinette Matlins and A.C. Bonanno. This book will explain how to use pocket, portable and laboratory instruments to identify diamonds and colored gems! Yeah, baby! No more guessing!
Perfect Starter Guide.......2005-07-28
This book is exactly what I needed to substantially increase my knowledge of colored gemstones. It contains several 4 to 5 page sections of colored gemstone pictures with identification and a very informative section that gives general price per carat ranges for a large variety of gems. I've just added loose gemstones to my retail stock and I've referred to this guide so often that I know many of the page numbers by heart.
Book pays for itself many times over.......2003-06-02
One thing that retail jewelers count on is that the public is unwilling to do its homework.
And if you've got tens of thousands of dollars to spend and don't much care where it goes, don't buy this book (but feel free to send me some of that money).
On the other hand, if you're like most of us, you want to get the best value for your money, and this book will definitely help by giving great tips when buying diamonds and other gems.
Not only that, this book can give you some creative ideas. Looking for something beyond the cheap "frozen spit" diamonds that are being sold all over these days? For the same money, you can buy a colored stone or cultured pearl that will look better and be a better value. Want a nice, bright green stone but haven't got $10k for an emerald? This book can give some affordable alternatives, like maybe a tsavorite.
This is a tremendous resource, written in an easy-to-understand style, and organized in a way that makes referring to it inviting.
Jewelry & Gems The Buying Guide.......2003-03-18
I have been buying jewelry for many years, and my biggest regret is that I have not taken the time to learn about the different types and quality of gems available. This book has certainly taught me a lot of things that jewelry store sales people never told me. I am sure that the information that I learned from this book will be of great help in my future purchases.
ALL THE TITLE.......2001-08-28
MY NAME IS ZARIS119 .I HAVE MANY COLLECTIONS OFF GEMS STONE, SOME OF THEM ARE POWERFULL AND SPIRITUAL THIS BOOK I THING TO MUCH GUIDING LINE.
Book Description
Over 450 color photographs display thousands of signed and unsigned jewelry pieces arranged by color and designs. This book brings fact and practical advice to the joy of owning beautiful rhinestone jewelry. The repairing suggestions result from the author's experience caring for their own collections so that you, too, can learn to carefully clean, repair and store your jewelry. Current market values are with the captions.
Customer Reviews:
Better pictures on Ebay.......2006-12-03
I bought this book based on the one review, and I have to completely disagree. The pictures in this one are dark and muddy, it's very hard to see details. And that's the point, isn't it? The cleaning and repairing chapter is moderately helpful if you have no clue. The chapters are arranged by COLORS. Not by designers, or eras, or anything else that might make sense. The author will mention that something is in the style of Schreiner, but never go into any detail about what that style might entail. A waste of money.
Probably the best beginners book about Rhinestones........2000-06-19
This is a beautiful book with fabulous pictures. It has a wealth of good jewelry items illustrated that actually apply to things a person who is not wealthy might have. They have a very interesting and easy to understand section on how to clean Rhinestone jewelry, how to make some repairs, and how to store and display it. All in all this is a very complete, useful, interesting and beautiful book about Rhinestone jewelry.
Average customer rating:
- Yikes. Perfect for readers who don't like to read...
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Antique Jewelry With Prices
Doris Jean Snell
Manufacturer: Wallace-Homestead Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0870697560 |
Customer Reviews:
Yikes. Perfect for readers who don't like to read..........2000-03-26
Doris Snell's large format picture book, "Antique Jewelry with Prices" is perfect for those without the time or inclination to actually READ. Entirely composed of pictures, not always of the highest quality and, absolutely without information other than foot-note sentences identifying the general period of the jewelry featured on the page. Photos are primarily in black and white and could have used some professional lighting to make them crisp. In addition, illustrations apparently taken from old catalogues are included...which would have been very interesting if accompanied by some text. There is a nice Bibliography though. Buy one of those books.
Average customer rating:
- Excels in Discussion of Cuts, Fancy Colors, Enhancements.
- Sparkling gem of a book
- Never a dull moment
- "A SPARKLING BUY"
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Diamonds--The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide : How to Select, Buy, Care for Diamonds With Confidence and Knowledge
Antoinette L. Matlins
Manufacturer: Gemstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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How To Buy A Diamond: Insider Secrets For Getting Your Money's Worth, 5th Edition
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Diamond Ring Buying Guide: How to Evaluate, Identify and Select Diamonds & Diamond Jewelry (6th Edition)
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Gem Identification Made Easy, Third Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling
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Colored Gemstones, 2nd Edition: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide: How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gemstones
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Diamond Handbook: How To Look At Diamonds & Avoid Ripoffs (Newman Gem & Jewelry Series)
ASIN: 0943763320 |
Book Description
All the Information You Need to Buy, Collect, Sell--or Simply Enjoy--Diamonds with Confidence and Knowledge
Whether you are buying a diamond for an engagement ring, anniversary, to commemorate a special moment, or for personal pleasure, today it is more important than ever to understand what you are buying. There are new shapes and cuts, fancy colors, high-tech treatments, and sophisticated frauds. There are new ways to buy--such as internet auctions and TV shopping. Buyers need a source of expert guidance. Practical, comprehensive, and easy to understand, this book offers in depth all the information you need to buy sparkling diamonds with confidence, including:
* What is a diamond?
* The factors affecting quality differences in diamonds.
* Diamond grading reports and how to interpret them.
* How to compare prices.
* How to spot differences in stones that may appear to be the same quality.
* How to protect yourself from misrepresentation.
* Questions to ask when buying any diamond.
* What to get in writing.
* How to get what you want within your budget.
And much, much more!
Written by an "insider," this easy-to-read guide is the "unofficial diamond bible" for anyone who wants to get the most for their money and enjoy what they have purchased.
Customer Reviews:
Excels in Discussion of Cuts, Fancy Colors, Enhancements. .......2007-07-05
Antoinette Matlins' buying guides for jewelry and gemstones are excellent, and "Diamonds" is no exception. Perhaps because she is a gemologist consultant, Ms. Matlins excels in anticipating what consumers want to know and makes sure her guides answer those questions. The paucity of color photographs, which are limited to a 12-page insert, may be "Diamonds" weakness. People like to look at pictures of sparkling gems, but the abundant information in the guide is easy to understand without photographs. And photos are probably less essential in a diamond guide than in a guide of colored gemstones, since there are fewer varieties. Many of the most interesting and popular cuts are pictured, so the essential photos are included.
After explaining how to examine a stone through a loupe, Matlins moves on to the meat of the guide in Part 2: There is a chapter for each of the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity, carat weight. Illustrations of ideal cut, different cuts, faulty cuts, and how they affect price are especially interesting. The chapter on color includes discussion of color grading systems and the HPHT process to improve color. These are followed by chapters on diamond grading reports and how that information affects price, and common types of misrepresentation and what you can do to avoid being misled, including discussion of fake diamonds and how to detect them. One chapter is dedicated to comparing prices for round, brilliant-cut diamonds, so that we can see the relative effects of the 4Cs on price. Another chapter addresses color and color enhancement in fancy diamonds, with a retail price guide and sample gem grading reports.
The last 2 parts of "Diamonds" include descriptions of common diamond settings, advice on what to ask when shopping for a diamond, what to consider, and what to get in writing on your bill of sale, as well as advice on finding a good jeweler, gemologist, appraiser, or insurer, caring for diamonds, and a little about the Gemprint diamond identification system. This book provides more detail about diamond cuts, enhancements, and how to detect a fake than Fred Cuellar's "How to Buy a Diamond" guide. Antoinette Matlins' approach is more hands-on, emphasizing the consumer looking at diamonds through a loupe, whereas Cuellar expects that you will rely on machines to analyze the diamonds but offers more guidance on the shopping experience itself -guidance that is inextricably entwined with promotion for his own business, however.
Sparkling gem of a book.......2006-11-25
A detailed book that gives you a great understanding of diamonds and what affects their value, covers the important facts on diamonds, how they can be enhanced and their simulants. What to avoid, how and where or where not to buy. The scams and how to get professional appraisals. Will give you more knowlage than most high street chain jewelers have. Buy this before buying any diamond jewellery.
Never a dull moment.......2002-04-26
Without a doubt, this edition is the best buying guide for diamond buyers. Antoinette Matlins knows everything there is to know about diamonds and their purchase. I would buy a diamond from her any day.
"A SPARKLING BUY".......2001-12-08
I have most of Antoinette Matlins books and I give them all five stars. If you are interested in learning about or are planning to buy a diamond for any reason, I would read this book first!!
I recently purchased the book "Diamond Buying Guide" and had not realized how involved and complicated it is to understand the differences in the evaluation of diamonds. A particular diamond I thought was a great deal before reading this book, however, I learned was not a good deal at all. The purchase would have been a poor investment. Thanks to this book I gained enough confidence and knowledge to explore the diamond market and I purchased a beautiful diamond ring for my wife. I had the diamond ring appraised by a reputable appraiser and I felt even better when she informed me that my purchase was as represented and the purchase was at a very good price. The appraiser was impressed with how much I new about diamonds. I was proud to inform her it was because of this book. The book is easy reading, informative, and was helpful to me. Thanks!
Book Description
The lively variety of popular jewelry made in the 1940s and 1950s could fill a book, and here it is. Thousands of examples of costume and semi-precious jewelry from this era pack these pages in full-color photographs and identifying text. Wonderful advertisements of the period that feature the jewelry add a graphic sense of the clothing styles with which the jewelry was originally worn. Today, this jewelry is collected everywhere. The early designers of the jewelry are being recognized for their originality with new materials. The book organizes this popular jewelry by the materials with which it is made, from rhinestones to pearls, plastics and various metals. With this as a reference, the jewelry can be identified and price ranges can be determined.
Customer Reviews:
Forties and Fifties Popular Jewelry With Price Guide.......2006-07-20
Great guide for selling or collecting. Great photo's.. Great Price
Average customer rating:
- Useful, but redundant and reprises other sources
- Same Book as Jewelry & Gems Buying Guide
- Consumer Protection Advocate
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Colored Gemstones, 1st Edition: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide--How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies, and Other Colored Gemstones with Confidence and Knowledge
Antoinette L. Matlins
Manufacturer: Gemstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Gem Identification Made Easy, Third Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling
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Gemstone Buying Guide, Second Edition: How to Evaluate, Identify, Select & Care for Colored Gems
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Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones
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Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide--How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Colored Gemstones, Gold & Jewelry With Confidence and Knowledge (5th Edition)
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Gemstones (Smithsonian Handbooks)
ASIN: 0943763339 |
Book Description
Colored Gemstones--The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide : How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gems with Confidence and Knowledge
All the Information You Need to Buy, Collect, Sell--or Simply Enjoy--Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gemstones with Confidence and Knowledge
With more varieties than ever before to choose from, including altogether new gems, revolutionary new cuts, and new ways to buy gems--such as internet auctions and TV shopping--there has never been a more exciting time to buy or collect colored gemstones. But there are also new high-tech treatments and sophisticated frauds to look out for. Lack of information, error, or misrepresentation can make the thrill of buying a gem or piece of jewelry confusing, intimidating, overwhelming, and costly. Buyers need a source of expert guidance. This practical, comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide provides all the information you need in order to know what to look for, and what to look out for, including:
* What qualifies as a "gemstone"?
* How to evaluate color--and its impact on price.
* Deciding between a natural gem and an enhanced gem.
* Colored gemstone synthesis and treatment.
* What to ask when buying the stone.
* What to get in writing.
* How to get what you want within your budget.
* Price guides for popular gems, opals, and synthetic stones.
And much, much more! Written by an "insider," this easy-to-read guide is the "unofficial colored gemstone bible" for anyone who wants to get the most for their money and enjoy what they have purchased.
Customer Reviews:
Useful, but redundant and reprises other sources.......2006-04-21
Antoinette Matlins is a gemstone authority, teacher, and author who has made a large educational contribution to the appreciation of gemstones and jewelry. This book attempts to summarize and synthesize the growing world of colored gems, so that readers and buyers can make informed choices.
She introduces readers to the traditions of zodiac gems & birthstones; addresses the use of the loupe; talks about evaluation of cuts and color. She includes price tables and tables about treatments by gem family; and finally addresses each gem by chapter section. A pleasing color plate section sets off the center of the book.
A problem is that much of the information is repeated constantly throughout the book, while other potentially useful information is missing. Information about her favorites -- emerald, ruby, sapphire -- shows up in the early chapters, to be repeated later in the chapters specifically about these gems. Meanwhile, other information is lacking. Personally, I would like to know the differences between "Swiss blue Topaz," "sky blue Topaz," and "London blue Topaz." Are they different treatments, or are they different names for the same thing? You won't find it here. What about buying gems on Ebay? Could Ebay be a good place for the beginner to explore inexpensive colored gemstones and learn to use tools? Or do the risks outweigh the potential rewards? Do high-roller gem buyers ever use Ebay? In what sorts of cases?
All this said, you will glean useful information that may not be available in other sources about recent changes in certain gems -- e.g., that Aquamarine is now entering the "expensive" classification, and sizes over 10 carats with good color and clarity are becoming hard to find. But overall -- and I regret if this seems hypercritical, but readers need to know -- this feels like a rehash. Although there will be tidbits you will glean here, this book seems to repeat the information in Matlins' other books, without adding much new.
The REAL book to use for gemstone buying is Matlins' EXCELLENT "Gem identification made easy," where she hits on all cylinders. The information in that book -- on stones, tools, and inclusions -- has almost everything here and much more, including a TERRIFIC color plate section on inclusions.
Same Book as Jewelry & Gems Buying Guide.......2005-09-20
The content in this book is almost identical (page for page) to certain sections of Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide--How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Colored Gemstones, Gold & Jewelry With Confidence and Knowledge (5th Edition). While the content was good, I was looking for something more in-depth. This was not it.
So, if you have Jewelry and Gems, don't buy this book. If you do not, this is a good introduction to colored gemstones.
Consumer Protection Advocate.......2004-03-14
One would not think that competing gemstones titles could generate the passionate allegiances found in the various on-line reviews of those titles. However those allegiances are there and I think I know why - have you ever noticed how people committed to exposing the truth are often reviled? In an industry where deception, rephrased as "enhancements" abound; where too many jewelers justify pawning off on unsuspecting customers something less-than-genuine as, "simply acknowledging reality" or "giving the customer what he wants", Antoinette Matlins stands out as an oracle of truth. This, I'm sure, makes her somthing less than heroic to those who enjoy the easy mark-ups in less-than-genuine articles. (Apparently Antoinette Matlins's father was something of a pioneer in stepping forward and informing the public about what really goes on behind the scenes in the world of gems.)
If you have a passion for truth; are a dedicated and tireless advocate for consumers and consumer rights, and wish to protect yourself or someone you love from unscrupulous sharks in the gem trade, than obtain and read this compact, easy-to-read volume. While there may be other volumes on the market with more breadth and scope, and more abundant pictures, I felt very satisified, after reading this book, that I had gained a solid understanding with which I could begin the perilous navigation of the gem trade.
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