Gem Identification Made Easy, Third Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling

Gem Identification Made Easy, Third Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling
by Antoinette L . Matlins, Antonio C. Bonanno

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Book Summary Information

Author: Antoinette L . Matlins, Antonio C. Bonanno
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-05
ISBN: 0943763347
Number of pages: 330
Publisher: Gemstone Press

Book Reviews of Gem Identification Made Easy, Third Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling

Book Review: Be careful out there!!!
Summary: 4 Stars

I liked the book.

The main point I got from the book is that you have to be very careful when spending any large sum of money for gemstones because of the very gemstone enhancing treatments, the good sythetics and imitations around.

If you go to a website,[...] they show actual pictures of major gemstone laboratory certificates showing different conclusions for the same gemstone. These are differences that could be worth tens of thousands of dollars in the value of the gemstone. These are very fine, old, established, conservative gemstone labs with a gazillion dollars worth of equipment and they aren't always sure about the gemstone and reach different conclusions. I'm not sure it is "that easy" as this book states.

I personally would never pay a substantial amount for a gemstone, say over $5,000, without first spending $25-50 to have it certified by a major reputable gemstone identification laboratory. If the seller would not agree to getting it certified a red warning flag should go up. Even if buying from a major jeweler I would demand certification as even they can/have been be fooled.

Sure you can buy all the tools for basic gemstone identification for around $3,000, but for that price you could have 100 gemstones sent to a "real" laboratory that has all the latest fancy equipment to identify the stone and has experienced and highly trained employees who probably see hundreds of such gemstone each day.

With a small investment in some basic equipment the book teaches you how to distingush different types of gemstones but separating the good fakes from the real ones looks tough to me.

I liked the book.

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Summary of Gem Identification Made Easy, Third Edition: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling

New, revised, expanded edition of the first and only book of its kind. Covers the latest gems, synthetics, treatments, and instruments. Easy to use. Practical. Non-technical. Shows how to identify diamonds, coloured gemstones, and pearls, and separate them from fakes and look-alikes. Explains what instruments are needed, how to use them, where to get them, and what should be seen for each gemstone. No science background necessary. Faster than you can imagine, anyone can learn to identify most of the gems and imitations found in the marketplace. This practical volume is the key to avoiding costly mistakes and recognising profitable opportunities. Essential reading for collectors, investors, jewellery lovers, hobbyists, jewellers, antique dealers, and gemmology students. With this highly accessible guide, anyone can begin to master gem identification.

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