Synopses & Reviews
The book describes a wide range of gem and ornamental materials, species by species, opening up the secrets they sometimes conceal. The book reveals when gemstones can be artificially manufactured, when they can be synthesized or cleverly imitated by other materials - like glass - and when their colour has been enhanced, permanently or for a short time, by the hand of man. Readers are told and shown what the tell-tale features are and learn that while nothing is quite what it seems there are ways in which they can spot give-away signs without needing to consult a laboratory.
The book is ideal for the jeweller, the auction house expert, the gemmologist and the mineralogist who will find a new slant on the materials that begin a somewhat less glamorous life as rough specimens.
About the Author
Michael O'Donoghue is a Director of the Gemmological Association and Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain, and Lecturer in Gemmology at London Metropolitan University. He was Curator of Earth Sciences at The British Library until 1991 and has visited gem-bearing locations in many parts of the world on behalf of governments and international bodies. He has written more than 20 books and edited a number of journals in the field of mineralogy, geological information and gemstones.
Table of Contents
Synthetic materials; Characterization; Substances designed to imitate more important species; Enhancement or alteration of colour or clarity; Characterization.