How To Buy And Sell Gems

By Benjamin Zucker
Times Books
1979 ISBN 0-8129-0903-8

Times Books writes:

Mr Zucker has used his intimate knowledge as a dealer in gems, as well as general investment counselor, to write the first book exclusively devoted to guiding the would be investor in gems.

Richly illustrating his text with photographs of gems (most of them in his own collection), Mr Zucker explains the geological origins of the various precious gems and their relative values. He offers a unique instructional guide to assessing the quality of a gem (the difference in color, for example, between a ruby from Burma and one from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and how to judge its present and likely future worth, with precise details on past and present prices.

The owner of what may be the most valuable sapphire in the world (it is on loan to the Museum of Natural History in New York City), Mr Zucker sketches the history of gem collecting through the voyages of Marco Polo, and great collection of Iran, to the Diamond Syndicate, explaining how it first developed and how it operates today. He takes the reader on a trip through the gem mining areas of the world in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Thailand, Burma, and Colombia, and lives his narrative throughout with anecdotes both personal and legendary, about custom, cutting, faceting, and dealing.

Most practically, several portfolios are suggested for the investor with $5000 to spend and the investor who is prepared to spend $20000 to $100000. With synthetic stones appearing more frequently on the market, Mr Zucker explains their introduction and methods, offers guidelines on how to determine if a gem is synthetic or genuine, and presents the latest discoveries in gemology.

Whether for the person interested only in the beauty and lore of these stones, or the person who wishes to buy gems for investment purposes, How To Buy And Sell Gems is an indispensable guide.