Handbooks: Gemstones: The Clearest Recognition Guide Available (DK Smithsonian Handbook)

This is a great resource for finding out more about colored gemstones. It's easy to read and use as a reference. I look forward to referring to it alot.

Any D.K. book is a good buy. I need information on dealing with jewelry from a realtive's estate. I couldn't have chosen a more useful book. It is well illustrated, and the information is the best. If you are looking for a book helpful in doing projects, especially of a scientific nature. Look in to D. K. books. They have great books to help children learn,

I bought this for my 7-yr. old daughter - budding rock hound and naturalist! Like other DK books, the photography is luscious and the layout is casual and very inviting - full of beautiful images. It provides a great overview and history of gemstones and their appeal, where specific stones can be found and appealing photographs of the different cuts of stones. It also provides detailed "specifics" such as structure, composition and hardness. This is a thoroughly engaging book for all ages and it is highly recommended.

Let's take a look at the value here in this book and overall what I'd rate it. First the packaging...simply placed in a box with air bags around it so when I opened it up all was well...no issues. That was easy! Now the review of the book: Simple with lots of pictures YET, you could read a little deeper and they have everything from a world map and which gems come from where, as well as breakdowns of different clarities of many gems. Overall value: I suppose it was okay. Nothing over the top here, although admittedly I'm difficult to say it's perfect. The book is a little thinner than I expected, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have enough pertinent information listed. Overall I rate this book a B and it's only held back because it wasn't as big as I'd like to have seen and that it could have had even more pictures. Fair product for the money - a little higher than what I would place the value to be. I think this is more of a $9.99 book personally.

This is a very good book. I have been reading through some of it and I like the scientific aspect of this. I use this book in conjunction with The Crystal Bible and it gives a good overview of the gemological process as well as the Stones themselves. I DO wish that there was a more basic section of the type of crystals (Cubic, etc...) as I feel that section was particularly short. But that's nothing Google cannot fix...All in all, a very safe purchase

For a general-interest guide to gemstones, this spectacular little book is remarkably thorough, authoritative, and comprehensive. Minerals are classified by color, crystal structure, composition, and hardness. History and geology are prominent subjects as well. The information throughout is well-organized, clearly-presented, and easy to reference. Best of all, the full-color visuals are absolutely stunning. The book--like its subject matter--is a spectacular marriage of science & art. A big thumbs-up!

It had great descriptions and wonderful pictures but I think this book would benefit a jeweler more than the average consumer. A novice would easily get confused because the author uses more scientific words than the everyday name of the stone. For example: you want to search the book for Alexandrite but it's not listed under Alexandrite. Instead it's listed under a science name. It's worth the money but you really have to pay close attention to what you are reading.

The photos are excellent. They make comparison with your stones easier.

A book of handy format to recognize gemstones. All necessary details to look for, are arranged per gem. Also gems arranged per color. The quality of photos in this book is superb. As a student of gemology, I like to dig in this book daily.

Another great book from DK Books. Great information about cut stone types...pretty and colourful pictures of these stones. Organic stones also covered in this book.

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Manual muy simplificado, fácil de entender y manejable, ilustraciones de excelente calidad, los que de alguna manera queremos aprender mas de gemas y sus caracteristicas, este es un libro perfecto.

Loved the book. Was A Christmas gift to my kid. The pages and nice and overall very happy with the book.