Secrets of the Gem Trade: The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones

Richard W. Wise
Brunswick House Press (2005)
ISBN 0972822380
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (2/07)

This well designed and beautifully illustrated book is a definite plus to the library of any gem collecting or trading person around. With exceptionally intricate and crisp, clear pictures the author shares vast amounts of information with the reader that can be useful to anyone from the well-trained collector to the novice.

With an extensive bibliography, the author verifies his information and shares facts that are both common knowledge and not so common. An easy to use Glossary and index at the back of the book makes it easy for the reader to quickly access information regarding the particular gem they're looking for.

The book breaks the styles and types of gems into categories. Pictures and diagrams are used quite often to give the reader a complete understanding of what the author is talking about.

Wise’s book can be used by so many different people, including those in the gem trade business, as well as a quick and easy reference guide for a new learner. A common collector can utilize the book to find out complete information on a gem of interest, gathering information as intricate as the origin of the stone itself and common uses to the intricate details of clarity, size, color and more. It's a wonderful resource for building a foundation of knowledge for the reader, whether that knowledge is going to be used as a career builder or simply as an interest for the reader. The photography alone makes this book an absolute must have. To be able to get such clear, concise and beautiful pictures to explain the details of the gemstones discussed is simply priceless.

Easy to use, beautifully designed and fairly priced, “Secrets of the Gem Trade” is a must have for anyone in the gem industry or collecting business! A book that finally brings the real world and the gem world together to talk in terms that anyone can understand.

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