Jewelry & Gems The Buying Guide: How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Precious and Other Popular Gems with Confidence and Knowledge (Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide (Paperback))

to this edition In working with my own clients to acquire gemstones and jewelry since this book was first published in 1984, they have pointed out that most people buy "jewelry" and not "gemstones." Because the book offers so much practical advice and money-saving tips about buying jewelry, they urged me to change the title. So, in this edition The Complete Guide to Buying Gems has been changed to Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide. Consumer and professional response to the book has been very gratifying. Almost 14,000 hardcover copies are in circulation. We have received hundreds of letters, phone calls and in-person comments about the helpfulness and interesting information it provides. We thank you for encouraging us to make the book more widely available by bringing out this softcover edition. We have taken the opportunity of this softcover edition to update the price guides for diamonds and colored gemstones and, in light of the increase in both the popularity and price of pearls, to add a price guide for them in the "Guide to Popular Gems and Their Prices." Also, we want to take this opportunity to comment further on gem invest­ ment, taking into account major developments since the original manuscript was written in 1980. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Becoming Intimate with Gems....Pages 3-8 Factors of Importance-an Overview....Pages 9-16 Front Matter....Pages 17-17 The Magic of Diamonds....Pages 19-21 The Importance of Cut and Proportion....Pages 23-32 Body Color....Pages 33-39 The Effect of Flaws....Pages 41-48 Weight....Pages 49-53 How to Spot a Fraud....Pages 55-71 Bait or Flamboyant Advertising....Pages 73-75 What to Ask When Buying a Diamond....Pages 77-84 Front Matter....Pages 85-85 The Mystery and Magic of Colored Gems....Pages 87-92 Determining Value in Colored Gems....Pages 93-104 Fraud and Misrepresentation in Colored Gems....Pages 105-119 Buying Colored Gems....Pages 121-136 Precious Gemstones....Pages 137-143 Other Colored Gems....Pages 145-172 Front Matter....Pages 173-173 How to Select a Reputable Jeweler....Pages 175-176 How to Select a Reputable Gemologist-Appraiser....Pages 177-184 A Word About Investment....Pages 185-190 Back Matter....Pages 191-207 Revised, updated, and expanded, this edition of the most popular guide to buying jewelry and gems tells what to look for and what to look out for when buying gems and jewelry. Included is an updated diamond and colored stone price guide.

This completely updated, revised and expanded edition by two experts explains how to buy diamonds, pearls, and other precious and popular gems and metals with confidence and knowledge. Also includes information on design and style, plus gemstone laboratory reports. 16 full-color plates; 100 illustrations.