This is the first and only book that explains in non-technical terms how to use pocket, portable and laboratory instruments to identify diamonds and coloured gems and to separate them from imitations and 'look-alikes'.
This is the first and only book that explains in non-technical terms how to use pocket, portable and laboratory instruments to identify diamonds and coloured gems and to separate them from imitations and 'look-alikes'.
Today, knowing your gems, being absolutely sure about what you are buying and selling is essential. Major changes in the gem world - new synthetic stones, new treatments to enchance and conceal, new gems and more stones available in every hue and tone of colour - make accurate gem identification more important than ever to both buyers and sellers. Whether you are the owner of a large retail jewellery chain or a small family-run business, someone who enjoys collecting or acquiring gems for personal pleasure, or a seriouos investor, insufficient knowledge can be costly. It can result in a bad purchase, damage to a reputation, and equally significant, failure to recognise and opportunity. With minimal effort and a nominal investment in several instruments you can learn to separate real from imitation, one look-alike from another, dyed from natural, and so on. Sometimes, just a basic knowledge of how to use a simple instrument is all that is needed to avoid an expensive mistake or recognise a profitable opportunity.
Antoinette Leonard Matlins is the gemmology editor for a jewellery magazine and her articles and comments on gems, jewellery and gem investment appear in many international consumer and trade publications. Antonio C. Bonanno, FGA, ASA, MGA, noted gemmologist and appraiser, is the founder and president of National Gem Appraising Laboratory, and director of the Columbia School of Gemology. He is a fellow of the Gemological Association of Great Britain and an associate of the Alumni of the Gemological Institute of America.
This is the first and only book that explains in non-technical terms how to use pocket, portable and laboratory instruments to identify diamonds and coloured gems and to separate them from imitations and 'look-alikes'. The book's approach is direct and practical, and its style easy to understand. With this highly accessible guide, anyone can begin to master gem identification.
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