Top 5 Books for Gemology

Investing time in yourself is very essential for your own growth. No professor can teach you better than what you can teach yourself!

Books have the power to change us, thus one must always be very careful in deciding which books to read. However deciding which books to put on the top can be a struggle.

These popular books on Gemology will help you sharpen your skills and increase your knowledge in this field :

Gemstones of the World by Walter Schumann

Whether you are a hobbyist, jeweller, jewellery maker, or a rockhound, this book is exactly what you need. It’s the cornerstone of the field.

All the gemstones are treated in their many variations: more than 1,500 full-colour photos showcase each precious and semiprecious stone in both its rough, natural, and its polished and cut renditions.

Each entry offers complete information on the gemstone’s formation, structure, physical properties, and characteristics, along with the best methods of working, cutting, and polishing it.

There are even full treatments of lesser-known gems, from andalusite to vesuvian, and a special section is devoted to rocks as precious stones, including alabaster, onyx, obsidian, and fossils. Organic gem materials are also covered, such as coral, ivory, amber, and pearl.

Charts and tables help collectors identify unknown gemstones and check for genuineness.

Gem: The Definitive Visual Guide by DK Publishing (Contributor)

Gem is a remarkable visual guide to precious stones, organic gems, and precious metals that weaves together beautiful, specially commissioned images and science, natural history, mythology, and true stories of adventure and discovery.

From diamonds to sapphires to limestone, this comprehensive guide profiles all the key gemstones and other precious materials, and stunning images show the jewels in their different cuts, colors, and uses.

The stories, myths, and legends that surround the most celebrated gems and jewel-laden artifacts from around the world are revealed, from their journeys in the company of royalty, film stars, and thieves to the curse of the Hope Diamond.

For additional reference, an 80-page reference section at the back of the book highlights a variety of other rocks and non-precious stones.

It also consists of stunning photographs with expert knowledge

Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World By Aja Raden 

As entertaining as it is incisive, Stoned is a raucous journey through the history of human desire for what is rare, and therefore precious.

What makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet beautiful things? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweller and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire.

What moves the world is what moves each of us: desire. Jewelry—which has long served as a stand-in for wealth and power, glamour and success—has birthed cultural movements, launched political dynasties and started wars. Masterfully weaving together pop science and history, Stoned breaks history into three categories—Want, Take, and Have—and explains what the diamond on your finger has to do with the GI Bill, why green-tinted jewellery has been exalted by so many cultures, why the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch were initially considered a fair trade, and how the French Revolution started over a coveted necklace.

Studded with lively personalities and fascinating details, Stoned tells the remarkable story of our abiding desire for the rare and extraordinary. 

Rocks, Minerals and Gems by John Farndon

This is a definitive full color guide for young readers. It includes an introduction to rocks, minerals and gems and how they form, how and where to look for them, how to identify rocks and minerals, and everything there is to know about building a collection.

Packed with fun facts and practical activities, the book features high-definition color photography and data keys that show noteworthy qualities of each specimen in extraordinary detail.

Rocks, Minerals and Gems shows how to read the landscape for clues and identify different rock types — from dazzling diamonds to grainy sandstone. It describes fascinating facts and data boxes provide short facts to help with quick identification.

Earth’s most precious rocks, minerals and gems can be anywhere and everywhere in the world — from riverbeds to beaches, cliff faces to fields. The only equipment needed is a backpack, a smartphone and some good walking shoes — and maybe a small bag to carry home the treasure.

Gem Identification Made Easy: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Sellingby  Antoinette Matlins, Antonio C. Bonanno

The third edition of this accessible and knowledgeable guide to gem identification features updated information on new techniques and gems, including the high-pressure/high-temperature techniques used to treat some types of diamonds, methods for detecting diffusion techniques used to color sapphires, and new instruments for identification. Basic identification techniques are stressed, with instruction in setting up a lab, and discussion of instruments. More advanced techniques are then discussed. A chapter is included on antique and estate jewelry. 

Whether you’re appraising an exotic gemstone or just starting a gem collection, you need gemology reference books to help you analyze and identify gemstones

These are a few  popular books which could broaden your thinking in gemology.

Happy reading!