Gemstones

A Concise Reference Guide

By: Robin Hansen

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Paperback | 1 March 2022

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Gemstones have been a source of delight and fascination for many thousands of years, from the icy brilliance of diamond and the soft iridescence of pearl, to tough jade gems once used in weapons and pink topaz that was popular in Victorian jewellery. This book looks at each of the world's known types of gemstone in turn, exploring their unique beauty, rarity and durability.

It reveals how each of the gem minerals forms, where they are found and mined, and how they are identified. The book also explains how to distinguish the real from the fake, as well as cutting and polishing techniques. The use of gemstones in adornment, from over 4,500 years ago to the present day, is also explored. With sumptuous colour photographs, Gemstones is a dazzling insight into the world of the rare and the valuable.

About the Author

Robin Hansen developed a love of minerals and geology while growing up in her hometown of Perth, Western Australia. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Curtin University, then worked for three years in the mining sector before moving to London and settling into a position in the private mineral collector business. During the following decade she complemented this role with a Diploma of Gemmology through the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and was awarded the prestigious Tully Medal.

She has been Curator, Minerals and Gemstones at the Natural History Museum, London since 2015, and feels privileged to help care and manage this magnificent collection of more than 185,000 specimens.

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