| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-09-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 144 pages | | Height: | 11.0 in | | Width: | 10.0 in | | Thickness: | 0.8 in | | Weight: | 44.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
"The National Gem Collection" offers a complete overview of the world of gems, focusing on the more than 10,000 superlative gemstones and jewelry pieces in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Includes appendices & a glossary of gem-cutting terms. Index. 149 illustrations, 124 in color.
Gems are among the most charismatic artifacts on earth. The National Gem Collection offers a complete overview of the world of gems, focusing on the more than 10,000 superlative gemstones and jewelry pieces in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., the world's foremost collection and the single most popular exhibit in the entire Smithsonian Institution.The National Gem Collection is published on the occasion of the September 1997 opening of the Smithsonian's newly reconstructed gem and mineral hall. It includes such spectacular stones as the Hope Diamond, the world's most famous gem; the Rosser Reeves Star Ruby, perhaps the largest and finest star ruby in the world; the 75-carat Hooker Emerald; and the magnificent Logan Sapphire, about the size of an egg.Jeffrey E. Post, curator of the National Gem and Mineral Collection, surveys the many gem families, from the familiar diamonds, corundum gems (rubies and sapphires), and beryl gems (such as emeralds) to unusual gems that are rarely seen outside a museum. He also examines gems with special optical properties, such as opals and moonstones; jade, lapis lazuli, and other ornamental stones; and the collection's historical jewels. The brilliant photographs are by Chip Clark, the museum's senior staff photographer, who spent months in the museum's gem vault perfecting techniques to capture accurately the colors and brilliance of hundreds of gems.
Industry Reviews
This beautifully illustrated work commemorates the reconstruction of the gem and mineral hall at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Curator Post has compiled an informative work that highlights one of the world's most famous and visited gem collections. Following an introductory chapter focusing on gem basics (cutting, measurement, color) and a brief history of the collection, the five remaining chapters describe historical jewels in the collection, diamonds, corundum (rubies and sapphires) and beryl (emeralds), other important gems, gems with special optical properties (opals), and ornamental stones. Among the famous jewels profiled are the Hope Diamond, the Napoleon Diamond Necklace, the Marie-Antoinette Earrings, and the Hooker Emerald. This volume makes an excellent companion to Gems and Crystals from the American Museum of Natural History (LJ 1/1/91). Recommended for most libraries. [Natural Science Book Club alternate selection.] Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Moore
What Smithsonian curator Jeffrey Post (head of the National Gem Collection) has brought us with his big, bold, and beautiful picture book is more than just a behind-the-scenes look at the museum's famous gems. . . . With elegant color photographs from Chip Clark (among others), this tome educates all nonscientists on the nature and composition of gems and minerals in memorable ways. Both rubies and sapphires, for instance, are varieties of the mineral corundum, a fact hammered home via visuals. . . . Minihistories of celebrated gems add to the luster of this account, as does the casual, relaxed style of the author. A gem that just might become a library's best friend. A directory of birthstones, a glossary of gem-cutting terms, and the diamond grading system are appended.
Annotation copyright H.W. Wilson Company.
Jacobs
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