Secrets of the Gem Trade: The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones (Hardcover)

by Richard W. Wise (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Richard Wise's new book is a real contribution to the gemology literature...an excellent primer for the aspiring connnoisseur." -- Dr. Carl A. Francis, Curator, Harvard Mineralogical Museum

"This book stands well above all the gemstone books I have read and there have been many." -- Gloria Lieberman, Chairman, Jewelry Department, Skinner Auctions, Boston: Peer Review

"This book takes a much needed sledgehammer to the industry's conventional wisdom about what makes a gemstone precious -- Morgan Beard, Editor-in-chief, Colored Stone Magazine

Product Description
As the sub-title suggests, this is the consumer's guide to precious gemstones. Divided into two parts: In plain non-technical language, Part I redefines preciousness and gently guides the reader toward a real understanding of those criteria that make a gemstone. Part II contains a series of individual essays that apply the criteria of connoisseurship to 35 of today's most important gemstones. The book covers precious stones old and new including diamond, pearl, tourmaline, sapphire, chalcedony, spinel, ruby, and garnet.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 292 pages
• Publisher: Brunswick House Press (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972822399
• ISBN-13: 978-0972822398
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,007,361 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gem Quality; Finally The Whole Truth, August 30, 2003

By A Customer

Every book on gemstones contains much the same information. Physical properties, sources, lore and what the Greeks (Theophrastus) and the Romans (Pliny) had to say about the specific gemstone. If you are looking to find out how you judge gemstones, how you tell the difference between a fine sapphire and something mediocre, forget-about-it. Even the so-called "buyers guides" waffle around the subject. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, blah!, blah!, blah! I think if I hear that old saw one more time I'm going to spit up.

Richard Wise tells the truth. Secrets Of The Gem Trade is the Bible! Straight non-technical talk! The first part of the book concentrates on principles of connoisseurship. The author tells you how to look at a stone, what the critera for evaluation is in faceted stones, cabochons, stars, catseyes, pearls and opals. this is stuff dealers never tell. He even tells you how to evaluate the light your using to look at the stone. Part II contains individual essays of about 40 of the most important gems.

And oh the photographs: four of the world's most famous photographers, About 120 beautiful photographs including some of the world's most famous gemstones. True color! The Caplan Ruby, Rockefleller Sapphire, Hope, Hancock and Dresden Green Diamonds. This is the real stuff!

Secrets Of The Gem Trade really does tell all. It is the first and only book that tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I read an excerpt in Colored Stone Magazine (they are excerpting it in every issue for a year) and couldn't believe it. The truth at last. I bought it! I love it!

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book I was searching for., June 24, 2005

By	A. van Acker - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In Secrets of the Gem Trade (The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones) Richard Wise leads you through the swamps of the gem trade.
With an almost novelistic penmanship he teaches you how to judge and grade quality in gemstones while clearing some dogma's along the way.
Wether you like to know what the best colour is in Tanzanite, or how to grade a Diamond, you will find it in this book. No other book I read before dealt with this topic is such detail as Richard Wise's masterpiece.

He will not bore you with large tables of refractive indices, nor will he try to make a gemologist out of you.
What he will do is make you an expert on colorgrading and judging quality through good old and fun reading.
Not holding back he tells you the secrets of gemdealers and how to act as a pro in the field.
This book opened my eyes and titillated my senses to a degree that I wanted to catch a plane to Thailand and try it myself.

This extensive work is a must for every professional in the gemstone industry. It should be made mandantory reading for all jewelry appraisal courses and every selfrespecting gemologist should have this book on his desk, not on his shelf.

A. van Acker FGA

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant Surprise, July 27, 2005

By	Nancy Goulas (Diamondhead. MS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book doesn't contain the type of information I thought I wanted. But the more I read a section here & there searching for gem valuations, I discovered that this book is much better than a price guide (especially since I also bought "Jewelry & Gems The Buying Guide" by Matlins)- it's a history of colored gems, the regions in which they're mined, past & present, and a treasure trove of obscure yet relevant information, some of which I'm sure many jewellers are unaware. It's a lttle pricey but for someone with a genuine interest in gemstones, I think it's probably money well spent.