Gems And Jewels

By Benjamin Zucker
Thames and Hudson
1984 ISBN 0-500-01326-8

Thames and Hudson writes:

From time immemorial precious stones have been prized as tokens of love, as symbols of wealth and social status, or as objects endowed with magical or religious significance. This comprehensive survey of the history and uses of the principal types of gems provides revealing insights into their origins, into methods and styles of cutting at different times in history, and into the aesthetic appeal of numerous examples of the jeweler’s art. Thus, garnet-ornamented objects from the Ango-Saxon Sutton Hoo ship burial vie for place with elaborate lapis lazuli funerary jewelry from ancient Egypt and Sumer, while the imaginative treatment of baroque pearls in the Renaissance period contrasts with the directness of North American Indian designs featuring the skystone, turquoise. Similarly, such magnificent objects as jade figures carved with exquisite subtlety by Chinese craftsmen and an emerald-encrusted crown by Pierre Arpels (from the former royal collection of Iran) serve to illustrate examples of work from widely differing cultures.

In addition to discussing outstanding specimen stones, such as the famous Tiffancy Diamond, and comparing key differences in shades of color within one type of gemstone—as in the case of opals from Australia and Mexico, and of sapphires from Kashmir and Ceylon—the author reveals the vital clues that enable the expert eye to distinguish between natural and synthetic stones and between natural and cultured pearls, and gives guidelines on methods of grading and on relative values.

Whatever one’s personal preference for colors, styles or materials, this lavishly illustrated book—with individual chapters devoted to ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, pearl, amber, lapis lazuli, jade, turquoise, opal and garnet—will provide a wealth of fascinating information.

About the author
Benjamin Zucker is the author of How to Buy and Sell Gems: Everyone’s guide to buying rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds, and has conducted special seminars at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.