Overview

Over 400,000 Copies in Print Know What You Want, Know What You're Buying, Learn the Secrets to Get the Most for Your Money Easy to Read Easy to Understand Practical Complete Instant Answers ... to All Your Questions Completely Updated & Expanded 7th Edition! Purchasing gems and jewelry can be a magical experience, filled with excitement and anticipation. But lack of information, error, or misrepresentation can make the thrill of buying a gem or piece of jewelry confusing, intimidating, overwhelming, and costly. To help you avoid the pitfalls and keep the magic, two internationally respected experts on buying gems and jewelry put their inside knowledge to work for you in this easy-to-read, easy-to-use guide. It is filled with practical advice and is designed to make it easy for you to have all the information you need to buy gems and jewelry with confidence. Recommended by consumer and jewelry trade reviewers around the world, it is already in use in over 100 countries and has been translated into Spanish, Arabic, Greek, Hungarian, Russian and Japanese. Over 400,000 copies are now in print and this revised, updated, expanded edition covers even more: buying and selling on the internet, dazzling new diamond cuts, recently discovered gems ... and new treatments and trickery to look out for. There are fascinating mythical and magical tidbits, and practical tips that could only come from an insider. In simple, straightforward terms you'll learn about the four Cs and how to juggle them to get what you want, at the price you want to pay; what to look for, and look out for; all about gold and platinum, jewelry design, and some of the country's leading designers. You'll learn what questions to ask and what to get in writing, and even how to select the jeweler, appraiser, and insurer. The authors leave no stone unturned to give you everything you need to know-whether you are a novice or a connoisseur. With Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide, you'll find the experience can be a joy, and the gems and jewelry you select a source of lasting pleasure!

Full Product Details

Author:   Antoinette Matlins ,  Antonio C. Bonanno
Publisher:   Gemstone Press
Imprint:   Gemstone Press
Edition:   8th Edition, New
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.10cm , Length: 22.80cm
Weight:   0.499kg
ISBN:  

9780997014549

ISBN 10:   0997014547
Pages:   384
Publication Date:   13 October 2016
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

"List of Price Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii List of Special Charts and Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii List of Color Photographs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x Preface to the Seventh Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii PART ONE Getting to Know Gems 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 Looking for a Gem That's a ""Cut Above"". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 PART TWO Diamonds 3 The Magic of Diamonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4 The Importance of Cut & Proportion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 5 Body Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 6 Clarifying Clarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 7 Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 8 False Claims & Costly Bargains: How to Spot Fraud and Avoid Misrepresentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 9 Comparing Diamond Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 PART THREE Colored Gemstones 10 The Mystery & Magic of Colored Gems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 11 Determining Value in Colored Gems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 12 Colored Gemstone Treatment & Synthesis. . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 13 Fraud & Misrepresentation in Colored Gems . . . . . . . . . . 133 14 Buying Colored Gems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 15 Colorful Choices in Colored Gemstones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 16 Pearls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 PART FOUR Design &Style: Getting the Look You Want 17 Rare and Precious: Gold & Platinum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 18 Choosing the Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 19 Antique and Period Jewelry: Back by Popular Demand . . . 243 PART FIVE Important Advice Before You Buy 20 What to Ask When Buying the Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 21 How to Select a Reputable Jeweler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 22 A Word about Gemstone Investment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 23 Buying on the Internet: E-Commerce & Online Auctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 PART SIX Important Advice After You Buy 24 Choosing the Appraiser & Insurer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Appendix A Selected List of Recognized Laboratories . . . . . . . . . 292 Selected Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Color Plates and Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 Index 300 Price Guides Diamond Price Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94–97 Colored Gem Price Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159–164 Pearl Price Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Opal Price Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Special Charts and Tables Diamond Color Grades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Commonly Used Diamond Color Grading Systems . . . . 42 viii CONTENTS Commonly Used Diamond Clarity (Flaw) Grading Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Sizes and Weights of Various Diamond Cuts . . . . . . . . . 66 Diameters and Corresponding Weights of Round Brilliant-Cut Diamonds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Comparison of Diamonds and Diamond Look-Alikes . . 91 Zodiac Stones, Birthstones, and Anniversary Stones . . 102 Gemstone Clarity Classifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Colored Gems—Descriptive Names and Misnomers . . 147 Some Popular Gem Alternatives by Color . . . . . . . . . . 152 How Treatments Affect Prices of Colored Gems . . . . . 154 Gemstones That Are Not Routinely Enhanced . . . . . . 155 Gold Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 How Alloys Affect Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 International Ring Size Equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242"

Reviews

Author Information

Antoinette Matlins, PG, FGA, is an internationally respected gem and jewelry expert, author and lecturer. With over 1 million copies of her seven books in print in nine languages, she is the most widely read author in the world on the subject of jewelry and gems. Honored with the international Accredited Gemologists Association's highest award for excellence in gemology, Ms. Matlins’ books are widely used throughout the world by consumers and professionals in the gem and jewelry field. Her books include Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide (over 400,000 copies now in print—the only book of its kind ever offered by Consumer Reports); Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide; The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide; Gem Identification Made Easy; Engagement & Wedding Rings: The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love; and Jewelry & Gems at Auction: The Definitive Guide to Buying & Selling at the Auction House & on Internet Auction Sites (all GemStone Press). Former gemology editor of National Jeweler magazine, her articles and comments on buying and selling gems and jewelry and on gem investment have appeared in many national and international consumer and trade publications. She is also the author of the ""Gemstones"" chapter in the Encyclopedia of Investments, second edition. Ms. Matlins has gained wide recognition as a dedicated consumer advocate, and continues to spearhead the Accredited Gemologists Association’s nationwide campaign against gemstone investment telemarketing scams and other types of consumer misrepresentation. A popular media guest, she has been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, educating consumers about gems and jewelry and exposing fraud. In addition to her educational work, Ms. Matlins is retained by clients worldwide to seek fine, rare or unusual gems and jewels for acquisition. Antonio C. Bonanno, FGA, ASA, MGA, was founder and president of the National Gem Appraising Laboratory and director of the Columbia School of Gemology near Washington, D.C. He held the coveted ""Master Gemologist Appraiser"" title (MGA), the highest distinction awarded to gem and jewelry appraisers from the American Society of Appraisers. He worked with gems and minerals for over sixty years, specializing in forensic gemology, and was frequently called as an expert witness in a wide range of court cases. A Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain With Distinction, he was highly esteemed in the field and holds a place in the prestigious Gemstone Hall of Fame. He founded the Accredited Gemologists Association, which created the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology in his honor after his death in 1996.

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