The Macdonald encyclopedia of precious stones by Curzio Cipriani

ISBN: 9780356122076

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macdonald, ‎ January 1, 1986

Paperback, 384 pages, secondhand 

This superbly illustrated encyclopedia covers the complete range of gems and precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds and opals, ornamental materials such as ivory and amber, and man-made, synthetic products. there are detailed descriptions of such topics as distinctive features, crystal form, physical properties, occurrence and value, with text-side symbols to indicate hardness, density and refractive qualities. In addition, over 380 colour illustrations show precious stones and materials of every kind both as they occur naturally and after working- in jewellery and artefacts from all over the world. the book includes an extensive introduction, keys, a glossary and a full analytical text.