Rare Gemstones by Renee Newman

Rare Gemstones

How to Identify, Evaluate and Care for Unusual Gems

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DISCOVER RARE GEMS

Rare Gemstones provides concise, interesting and practical details on uncommon gems that are being used by designers to create distinctive jewelry. It not only lists the identification properties of the gems, but tells you where they are found, how they are used, why they are unique, how they are priced, and how to care for them. High quality photos show the different colors and varieties of each gem and give you ideas on how each can be used creatively in jewelry. Written in a succinct, user-friendly style, Rare Gemstones is a companion book to Newman’s Gemstone Buying Guide and an ideal reference for jewelers, sales associates, appraisers, gem collectors, gemology students, gem dealers and consumers.

Full Title: Rare Gemstones: How to Identify, Evaluate and Care for Unusual Gems New 2012 Release

Author: Renée Newman

Publisher: International Jewelry Publications

ISBN-13: 978-0-929975-46-7

$19.95, Trade paperback, 482 photos, 137 pages, 6" x 9"

Buy Rare Gemstones

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF RARE GEMSTONES

● Focuses on rare and unusual gems. As a result, it provides more up-to-date information and photos of these stones than you will find in other general gemstone books.

● Provides retail price ranges for the gems.

● Has 482 photos, a high percentage of which show the gems mounted in jewelry, rather than only loose.

● Includes more information on quality evaluation than most other general gemstone guides.

● Provides detailed treatment information about the gems along with the identification data.

Reviews:

I wish all of the books that appraisers need to keep on our reference shelves were just like this one. Rare Gemstones is a treasure. Like all of Renee Newman’s books, it is impeccably organized, beautiful and complete. This book is intended to be the companion to Renee’s book The Gemstone Buying Guide. Whereas that book includes the gemstones more frequently seen in fine jewelry, Rare Gemstones reviews, well, more rare gemstones. For appraisers familiar with the GIA “B Chart,” you will immediately recognize many of these stones. Although they may be rare, they may not seem exceptional to NAJA appraisers. But I assure you, there are some curios in here. For example, as I flip through the pages, I can say with certainty that I’ve never seen Rainbow calcite, Star enstatite, or Cadmium hemimorphite. . .

The front and back covers of Rare Gems are carpeted with high quality, high gloss, full color photographs of gemstones, laid out by color, dark to light. The layout and all aspects of this book were of the highest quality. Each gemstone is concisely but thoroughly explained. The book contains the pronunciation, chemical composition, RI, Hardness, SG, crystal system, optic character, toughness, treatments, and more, in chart form, for each stone.

Then there are one to seven paragraphs written about each stone. That information includes history, quality factors, typical uses and even retail prices. Best of all, there are many photographs, including uncut specimens, the faceted gemstone, possible colors that it is found in, high and low quality examples, and the gem set in jewelry. Seeing the photographs is almost like holding the stone. When I explore a stone in this book, I believe I really get to know it.

Additional sections in Rare Gemstones include; "How to Care for Rare and Unusual Gems," and "Where to Find an Appraiser." The appendix includes the expected items, for example; main sources of information for the identification data, and identification terms explained It also has some unexpected information including; lists the traditional birthstones established in 1912, gemstones in the order of their descending Mohs hardness, gemstones in the order of their descending refractive index, and gemstones in the order of their descending density. Probably the most beneficial aspect of Rare Gems for the appraiser is having all of this information put together in one affordable, easy to understand book, especially considering the newness of the information. For instance there is Zultanite, not just a diaspore anymore. It’s a gem quality, color-change, rare and desirable stone being heavily marketed. The thorough and au courant nature of this book makes it my only reference for this gemstone. I recommend that all appraisers buy this book. Become familiar with it. When you need it, the information will be on your bookshelf ready to help you figure out that rare stone, or explain it to your client. Everyone wins.

- Reviewed by Kim Piracci, GG, The Jewelry Appraiser

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

How the Gems Were Selected for This Book

How This Book Differs from Other Gem Books

Rare Gemstones Used in Jewelry

Andalusite

Apatite

Aragonite

Azurite

Benitoite