Rating: 
Summary: a good reference
Review: This is a very interesting and certainly colorful book, but not as definitive as some other reviewers might suggest. I would suggest it is more suitable for the novice collector than the specialist, and the price list in the middle should be used only as a guide and not as justification for appraisals. The writer has a very high level of scholarship and wears it lightly, which is excellent. I still prefer the work of Joel Arem in this area, but this work remains a strong contender. This is probably not a book to read cover to cover, but to keep handy for reference purposes, and it does get used a great deal. Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST HAVE BOOK for anyone interested in buying gems.
Review: This is an excellent book that will teach you virtually everything you need to know about buying gemstones. Unfortunately the world isn't a perfect place and there are unscrupulous people that will try to sell you gems that are treated, or outright fake. Don't let this happen to you! Buy this book and learn what you need to know to protect yourself. The book starts off with getting to know gems, how to use a loupe, and why the cut of a stone is important. It has several chapters on Diamonds and will teach you how to judge a good cut, what color is and how to judge it, clarity and various imperfection, weighting and most importantly how to spot fraud and avoid misrepresentation. If this was all the book did it would still be worth the money. But the book goes on to teach you about colored gemstones. This section teaches you how to determine the value in colored gems, the various synthetic and treated colored stones, how to judge peals and finally how to avoid fraud and misrepresentation with colored gemstones. Finally the book tells you the stuff you need to know when buying, from what to ask the seller, to finding a reputable jewelry and choosing an insurer and appaiser. This book can save you many times the cost of it on your first gemstone purchase. All in all this is a MUST HAVE BOOK for the gemstone buyer.
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