Customer Reviews

National Geographic's Splendid Stones [VHS]

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"Splendid Stones" was released in 1991 and National Geographic probably showed in on TV about a dozen times already.

If one can't go to New York's Tiffany's and Harry Winston stores to view $1 million dollar gems and jewelry, this video is the next best thing. Although old, I bought this for my mom in 2001.

It is one of the best because there are so few videos for sale on jewels and jewelry..and most of them 1990s too. To my knowledge, there are only five videos on jewels and jewelry for sale, three of which are well known: "Splendid Stones," "PBS's NOVA: Pearls," "PBS's Frontline: Diamonds," and the lesser known "NOVA: Artifical Stones (laboratory rubies)," and "Treasures of the Earth: Gold, Diamonds, and Pearls."

ABC's 20/20 and Dateline did a few segments on jewels too.

But "Splendid Stones" started it all in 1991. Frontline soon followed a few years later and also interviewed Willian Goldstein...but Frontline's was solely on diamonds. 1999's NOVA solely on pearls. However, there is no single video that covers rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and pearls than this one.

This video shows where the gems are mined and harvested and how. It goes "on location" to the diamond mines of South Africa, the pearl bays of Japan, the emerald pits of Peru, and the ruby plains of around Thailand. And the gems show all throughout the film from just unearthed rough, to polishing, to finished product. Man and women viewer alike will be dazzled by the beauty of the stones. You'll also get a sense that gems are not super-rare, just that they passed through so many hands and labor that makes them so expensive. You'll also see the laborers, polishers, and store owners who sell these gems.

National Geographic "follows" the gemstone, especially the diamond, from earth to polish to store so you see the process. Very interesting and you see places and areas few can get access to.

The jewelry pieces captured on video are absolutely fabulous and are comparable to Harry Winston book photos...if one is lucky to see those rare and massive jewel collection books.

Although a 1991 film, this video will hold the crown on covering emeralds, pearls, diamonds, and rubies and won't tarnish...until overthrown by a newer video that covers ALL four subjects.

I am a teacher who has shown the movie "Splendid Stones" to many groups of high school students. I do not know of any other film that captivated them like this one did - there was silence as they learned about how stones are mined, cut, and sold. VERY INTERESTING, as it seems that I learn something new each time I watch it. A "must" for any geology unit.