Product Description
colorful plates of gemstones ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Larger than life!
This is a very realistic look at the gemstones of Brazil. The photos are larger than life. If you love gems, you will love this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Detailed compilation of discoveris of NA gemstones
This is an update featuring all new information which has come to light since vol. II was published in 1976. It is a detailed compilation of discoveries and occurrences of all North American gemstones.

The book isorganized simply with a brief description of each stone followed by detailsfrom each geographical region in which it has been found. Detailedbibliographical references follow each entry, facilitating furtherstudy.

There is a dazzling section of 16 color plates highlighting themost spectacular recent discoveries. An array of heat-treated sapphirecolors, precious opal, exquisite turquoise & a beautiful elephanttourmaline carving are featured.

Of special interest are recent diamonddiscoveries and an extensive section on the varieties and cultivation ofpearls. This is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in thewide variety of gemstones in North America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Informative Outlook On Gemstones
This book is very factual, andits non-technical writing, makes it an excellent book for the hobbiest, or collector and yet still it maintains the standards for even the professional gem trade. If used as a guide, it is sure to be helpful in the selection of gems.

This book is certain to educate and inspire the beginner with confidence in starting to collect gems.I highly recommend the reading (purchase) of this book.The photographs are excellent, full color, the true representation of the gemstones'is brought to life. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (27)

Exciting adventure...
I picked this up at a used book store based on the paperback cover picture and the line under the title:"A Novel of Suspense."

[According to Amazon's website it is coming back into print May 1, 2008 in trade paperback.I like the previous cover - I believe it is a DC-3 flying through a very thick jungle.This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the story but it is neat!The new tag line is "A gem stone thriller" - quite accurate.]

I would consider it more of a thriller or adventure novel.It is entertaining, fast-paced, full of the mystery of Madagascar.The author obviously knows the island.And the reader will know it, too.

This is an excellent "beach book."It should keep the reader amused and reading - but you'll probably never pick it up again once you've finished it (although I doubt many readers set it down for long while they were in the midst of it).

It has a first novelist's flaws - perhaps too much about gems and too many gem metaphors.And the Malika character didn't work for me on a couple of levels.

Overall, however, it was good fun.This is the sort of book I send to US Military personnel overseas ("Operation Paperback") once I've read it.I'm sure our troops will enjoy it as it helps them pass the time.

Quick, entertaining read
In order to escape a broken marriage and a domineering father, Lonny Cushman ends up in Madagascar buying low grades gems in bulk for his father's company. Driving through a section called The King's Reserve Lonny happens on a peasant who has discovered what turns out to be the largest, most perfect sapphire ever found. Lonny buys the gem from the man and now has to figure out how to get it off the island. A few problems: it is illegal to take gems from the King's Reserve and it will only be a matter of hours until the news of his discovery is spread around. The town is controlled by corrupt police and the more corrupt military.

The Sapphire Sea is a pretty good suspense, adventure novel. It's a quick read and held my interest. The unusual setting of Madagascar helped as I liked learning things about a place I was very unfamiliar with. The story itself is not deep and the characterizations slightly facile. Robinson kept the action moving most of the time and there were some tricky sequences. A few things the editor should have helped with though: some of the metaphors and similes were overwrought and the point of view changed too quickly without warning. Sometimes a paragraph started with one character's thoughts and ended with another.

The Sapphire Sea is an entertaining novel if you need a quick read and don't want to think too deeply.

I did NOT read the same book
All these people with reviews here read something well-written, with engaging characters and adventurous plotting.

Huh.

I read a book with poorly-developed characters, dull goings-on and a very ragged story.At any time, a single paragraph could begin with a character's thoughts, jump right into exposition (which was usually not very useful to the story), and end with the thoughts of a DIFFERENT character.Where was the editor?!

By the time it ended, I didn't really care how things turned out for anyone.

I want my time spent reading this turkey back!

Gripping Good Read
Wealthy Lonny Cushman has run far from home to get away from his father, his soon-to-be ex-wife, and his failure with his daughter.Living in the town of Diego-Suarez on Madagascar, Lonny spends his days glad-handing the locals and bribing officials while he not-quite-legally buys and sells sapphires.Things come to a head rather quickly when Lonny stumbles across a peasant with the sapphire of a lifetime and buys it for $20,000.He barely has time to return to his home in Diego-Suarez before things start to happen.The American embassy wants him off Madagascar for political reasons, and when rumors of the amazing stone he purchased start to circulate, his life is in danger.With a murder pinned on him, Lonny goes on the run with a French expatriate through the bush, fraught with many dangers of its own.Suddenly, Lonny's whole life has come down to one thing:getting off Madagascar alive...with the sapphire.

It's hard to put a label on this book.Suspense doesn't suit it, and while there is plenty happening, the third-world pace at which things unfold precludes it from the action genre.Considerable time is spent on Lonny's introspection, without it becoming cloying.There is little time to dwell on an epiphany when one is on the run.In addition to the well-woven story, the book gives an excellent picture of life in Madagascar and other far-flung places in the world where the customs and rules are very different from what we know.Succeeding from many angles, this book wins high marks.

A summer novel.
Fast paced escapist adventure. Sapphires, intrigue, and dreams of wealth. Satisfying read. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of the Grail, usually identified as some kind of mystical vessel, has gripped the imaginations of millions since it first appeared in several medieval romances. Of these, Wolfram von Eschenbach's Middle High German Parzival (c. 1210) is generally recognized as the most complex and beautiful. Strangely, in Parzival, the Grail is identified as a stone rather than a cup or dish. This oddity is usually seen as just another mystery, further evidence of the difficulty of discerning the true sources of the Grail legend.
In this groundbreaking study, G. Ronald Murphy seeks to illuminate this mystery and to enable a far better appreciation of Wolfram's insight into the nature of the Grail and its relationship to the Crusades. The Grail, container of the sacred body and blood of Christ, Wolfram was saying, was where God said it would be: on the altar at the consecration of the Mass. Wolfram's "sacred stone" was none other than a consecrated altar, precious by virtue of the sacrament but also, Murphy argues, by virtue of the material from which it was made: a green gem, one of the precious stones associated with the rivers of Paradise.Murphy explores what it signifies for the Grail to be a translucent gemstone and an altar made portable only by a woman. Wolfram's stone is a sacramental reference to the stone the Crusaders fought to obtain - the Holy Sepulchre. Parzival, Murphy believes, was intended as an argument against continued efforts by Latin Christians to recover the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem by force of arms. In Wolfram's story, warring Christian and Muslim brothers are brought together in peace by the power of Wolfram's Holy Grail--a stone Murphy believes still exists.
Murphy's investigation of the spiritual nature and meaning of the Grail is thus accompanied by his quest for and wondrous discovery of the actual altar stone that inspired Wolfram's work. Offering an entirely original reading of Wolfram's famous text, this engrossing and accessible book appeals not only to scholars and students of medieval literature but to anyone who is drawn to the lasting mystery of the Holy Grail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Paradise found?
Oxford University Press sure missed a trick in marketing this superb book. I only found out about it months after publication, when I chanced on a review in The Tablet. But if the OUP publicity people had done their job properly every newspaper and newscaster in the Western world would have bellowed "Jesuit finds the Holy Grail!"

Which said, you can forget airport ephemera like The Da Vinci Code and The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail - Fr Murphy is Professor of German at Georgetown University, and this is a serious, scholarly work, which is also immensely readable, not to say thrilling, particularly when it comes to the role that gemstones have played in the Bible and Christian thought and indeed in Parzival.

Did Fr. Murphy persuade me that the principal inspiration for Wolfram's Grail was a portable Paradise altar? Yes he did. Did he persuade me that the specific inspiration was the Bamberg Paradise Altar? Not quite. Because that is a kefse, a wooden box, with enamel plates, and a green altar stone set in the top of the box. Whereas Wolfram tells us that his Grail is a stone. Just that. He does use the word kefse in other contexts, but never when describing the Grail itself. Which makes me think Fr Murphy is too hasty in dismissing the one other surviving portable Paradise altar, the simple flat stone in Brussels. This is brownish-beige, and not the green Fr Murphy argues Wolfram must have had in mind - but then Wolfram never tells us what colour his Grail stone is. So maybe Wolfram's Grail was really inspired by the Brussels altar stone, or a similar one which has not survived.

Buy this wonderful book and see if you agree with me or the Jesuit...
... Read more

Product Description
Few people would argue against the beauty and appeal of gemstone jewelry, but some jewelry makers find themselves intimidated by the thought of working with these precious stones. With Wrapped in Gems, even inexperienced jewelry makers can learn to fashion their own beautiful gemstone creations using Mai Sato-Flores’s preferred techniques of wire wrapping and working with chain. This method allows gems to hang so that light can shine through and show off their natural beauty.

For the jewelry maker, inspiration can be found anywhere, but the exquisite beauty of nature is a favorite source. Take a moment to study the leaves of a tree or plant—the contours of a leaf suggest a shape for a pendant, the perfect combination of colors in the leaves and flowers hint at a color palette of precious gemstones to mimic it. The branches and twigs, the patterns of leaf growth, even the shape of the tree or plant itself can inspire ideas for earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings. Wrapped in Gems shows you how to interpret all that you see in nature to create jewelry with wire, chains, and beautiful gemstones.

New York City–based jewelry designer Mai Sato-Flores is inspired by nature wherever she goes—be it the supermarket, Central Park, or right outside her door. In Wrapped in Gems, she shares the secrets of her work and the natural elements that inspire it. After demonstrating how gemstones and wire can be used to recreate the patterns and designs of nature, Mai provides instructions for 40 elegant pieces of gemstone jewelry from her own collections.

With a comprehensive guide to gemstones and detailed instructions on innovative wire wrapping, chain, and other jewelry-making techniques—as well as an informative resource guide to buying gemstones—Wrapped in Gems is a valuable addition to any jewelry maker’s bookshelf. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Covers can be deceiving...
A very disapponting wire wrapping book, both in instruction and finished designs.

1. Another jewelry instruction book that has no worthwhile instructions!The instructions are in the back of the book and are written only. When will jewelry book writers and editors realize that pictures of the work as it progresses are necessary for many people (including me)?!
2. It thinks it is a photography book, and the photography is good which hides the fact that many of the designs lack polish and are repetitive. The first half of the book are well taken pictures, the "instructions" are in the back, so you have to constantly flip back and forth.
3. The designs lack professional finish. These people think that the designs are more art than they are (many are just basic techniques bundled together) when the real beauty in them is in the natural loveliness of the gemstone and chains-NOT the designs themselves. Many of the designs don't look finished-the polish of tucking wires etc. I would not leave my jewelry without a little more work in the details,especially if I was putting my designs in a book.

In closing, there are so many other books that are more worthwhile both in designs and instruction. Keep looking!

design book
This really isn't necessarily a how-to book.Instructions are given for the pieces featured but I wouldn't recommend the book for that reason.It is a very nice design book however and gave me some great ideas.The photography is incredible and it is a very good reference on the selection of gemstones (in terms of design). The wire work is not remarkable IMO but the use of color and composition is very good.Not the first book I would buy on jewelry or even jewelry design but a nice addition to a collection.

Minimalist designer jewelry inspired by nature's colours and light
I live on an Island in Asia with limited bookstore/libraries and in order to get the book I wanted for inspiration I kept ordering and ordering until I found this gem. I was looking for an inspirational jewelry-making book that would transpire the beauty, light and energy of nature in a simplistic and artistic way. I am sort of a minimalist and wanted none of the frills and tackiness that the books with great reviews had offered so far.
The designs in this book not only capture the subtleties of nature, but I like how the designs offer also the latest trend in designer jewelry.
I agree that the instructions are not always for the simple intellect and I found them a bit difficult, however as an intermediate jewelry maker, I would say that the designs speak for themselves and I found that instructions were a bit obsolete. I only used the list of materials and fell back on the instructions when I needed clarification.
The pictures are glossy with beautiful close-ups. The presentation is fantastic. There is small survey of materials needed in the back of the book and I found her little synopsis on "wire" more informative than in any other book/website I had seen.
If you are looking for designs that transpires the light and energy of nature and if you are not afraid to take some independent steps in your jewelry making, and once again if you are more of a minimalist in your designs, then this book will inspire you in new directions and on a new level.

Beautiful but dumb
I have an extensive library of wire jewelry books and buy just about any new wire book that comes along. This book is by far the worst ever! The pictures of the jewelry are lovely but there is absolutely no useful information. The instructions are terrible and don't even have supporting images to illustrate the steps. It's as if the artist needed a bragging book and never intended to share how to replicate her designs. I'm an advanced wire wrapper and found the instructions in this book confusing and completely useless. Save your money and go to [...] instead.

Overall a great jewelry design book
This book has fabulous images and inspiring designs. The instructions lack illustration and could be a little clearer. The designs are fresh and modern compared to many of the other books out there on the market which contain dated tacky jewelry. This book is definitely worth having. I'm glad I bought this one. Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Simply by stringing pure, high-quality gemstone spheres into necklaces and wearing them around the neck, anyone can enjoy the full benefits of these revolutionary energy medicine tools. The stones can transform health, foster happiness, clarify the mind, and uplift the spirit. At the forefront of a revolution in energy medicine, therapeutic gemstones are among the most powerful healing tools available today. A quantum leap beyond the popular, but unreliable, crystal healing, the book includes

* Quick Reference Guide

* a 30-page chart listing 300 conditions and the recommended gemstone necklaces

* Step-by-step, illustrated instructions for performing 27 gemstone sphere therapies

* Guide to Care and Cleansing of Therapeutic Gems

* 30 full-color photographs and dozens of illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Good Buy
This is a visually stunning book, a good addition to the library of those curious about gemstone healing (like myself) or for the very serious about the subject. This book does leave out a few commons stones/crystals, so I'd reccommend getting an accompanying book that includes all. That aside this book went more into the subject of how to actually use them for healing than other books I've looked at so far. If you're interested more, check out his website, [...]

Practical guide to using Gemstones
This book is a very practical, easy to read, easy to follow "how to guide" for using therapeutic gemstones on the body for healing. As a Reiki Master / Polarity Therapist, it's important for me to use the highest vibrational tools available and in a manner consistent with healing. The first few chapters explain why spheres are the best choice for therapeutic purposes, rather than wands or other shaped gemstones. Very enlightening, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to take their use of gems to a higher level.

A Gem vault of practical information
This volume is an invaluable compendium of the therapeutic nature and applications of a number of naturally occurring precious and semi-precious gemstones.The author's unique approach to gems as therapeutic tools is fascinating.It is written to be understood by the lay reader, and it is thick with material that I imagine someone more experienced in natural healing methods would find useful.After his explanation of how and why certain gemstones have their beneficial effect on us, this book takes on the character of a technical manual--full of characteristics and application techniques for approximately 30 gemstones.The book itself is beautifully produced with stunning photographs of the gemstones discussed.The book also has an easy guide to help the reader choose which gems to begin working with based on which health issues the reader would like to address.I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in this fascinating approach to healing.

Good info..but come on now...get real
Great infomation about Gems he does discuss, however M. Katz leaves out many healing stones. Also, I disagree that you have to buy His necklaces to have "real healing". People ill with cancer and other serious illnesses im sure do not have the money to buy his most excellent quality necklaces. When a person is really ill, they are not working, so it would be hard, unless you have lots of money aside to purchase these "theraputic gems necklaces".
I have worked with reiki and with stones and oils. I have seen marvelous healings done with a regular ROCK. I think hes fattening his wallet. Period.

Gemstone Bible
I Purchased this Gemstone Book for my Friends Birthday and she loved it, again thanks for being their Amazon, when i couldnt get out and about !!!! ... Read more

Product Description
In this book you will learn the A-Z of the most popular Crystals & Gems Ancient & modern properties Healing properties of Crystals & Gems How to choose your Crystals & Gems How to care for your Crystals & Gems Chakra Crystals & Gems Astrological & Zodiac Crystals & Gems The secret life of Crystals And much, much, more!
... Read more

Product Description
In a practical, yet personal, way Violet Stage explains the basic equipment needed (common things found around the house), the best kinds of stone to carve, and the anatomy of subjects. Personal anecdotes and her years of experience make this book a joy to read and easy to use for beginners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

book not worth paper
this book does not tell what equipment to use, where to find stone, hwo to carve different types of stone, nor how to carve stone at all.it is a waste of good paper and will not help anyone who wants to actually carve stone

Helpful but lacking!
Ok, to be fair, this little book is a good one for the utter novice who is looking to get started in the art of stone carving. I found it very helpful and her tips were sound and good. It sparked my creative side and also helped me with some early difficulties.I will keep mine as a reference book! Worth the price!

This is a unsubstantial,odd and disappointing book.
Stage's book is cheesy.It is 46 pages long, written in a jerky, disconnected, unfocussed style.She spends ten and a half pages on anatomy, offering helpful pointers such as "The forehead is the part of the face above the eyes [...]Carve the forehead to suit the subject being sculptured." Stage goes over various types of stone (alabaster,soapstone, turquoise, etc.) and briefly discusses technique and tools.But the information (excluding digressions) is really minimal and there are no addresses of suppliers._Rock sculpture: the joy of stone carving for beginners_ is very inexpensive, but I would recommend looking for a book less cheap and more useful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A marvelous book with one serious flaw!
As a guide to everyone, who is interested in collecting or
identifying various fluorescent minerals, this book is an
invaluable tool! It basically covers almost every kind
of fluorescent mineral that comes from the depths of the
Earth, along with their mining locations. I would have
given this book 5 stars, if not for a very serious
flaw: nowhere in the book the reader is warned about
the *EXTREME DANGER* posed by the shortwave ultraviolet
light to the human vision!!! When operating an SW UV
lamp, UV protection glasses *MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES*
when the lamp is on by everyone in the room, where the
lamp is operated! SW UV also can cause skin burns, so
no one should put their hands in the beam of SW UV light!
Longwave UV lamps are less dangerous, but the eye
protection is strongly advised when operating them as
well! Please stay safe!

"Glow in the Dark" minerals exposed and explained!
This is an outstanding effort in explaining and documenting the science involved in mineral fluorescence.It fills a void inthe literature, bridging the gap between technical treatises and gem hunters' field notes.Robbins presents what is known about the causes of fluorescence in minerals, relating it to atomic structure and behavior in a clear fashion for the non-technical reader.

The next chapters detail some of the classic localities and types of fluorescent minerals, with comprehensive summaries of their characteristics.A final chapter describes ideas for investigations into the nature of fluorescence that are easy enough to be carried out with simple equipment. This may be a valuable resource to secondary school Earth Science teachers.

The book is written in an engaging fashion.It reveals many issues that are still unresolved. I wanted to grab my UV light and go collecting as soon as possible! ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive book on the Gemstone File. Written by Stephanie Caruana, author of A Skeleton Key to the Gemstone File. This 23-page outline was written and circulated free starting in April of 1975. Caruana first encountered the writing of Bruce Roberts, author of the original Gemstone File, in the files of Mae Brussell, a California researcher on the JFK assassination. Caruana used material from this file, together with other published articles, to write a new article, Is Howard Hughes Dead and Buried Off a Greek Island? , which appeared in the December 1974 issue of Playgirl magazine. She later met Roberts in San Francisco, read some of his more recent papers, and ultimately wrote the Skeleton Key. The present book contains the first published version of a substantial portion of Roberts' work, and may lead to a reevaluation of much of the traditional account of U.S. political history from the 1950's through 1975, the year ofAristotle Onassis's death. The 480-page volume contains accounts of the kidnap of Howard Hughes and assassinations of JFK, RFK, MLK and others, together with a variant account of what really happened at Chappaquiddick and Watergate; and who really was Deep Throat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Literary Gemstone
The Gemstone File: A Memoir

Review by Shawn Hamilton, 24 May 2008

I first received a copy of Stephanie Caruana's "A Skeleton Key to the Gemstone File" in 1976 from a high school history teacher. The typed original had been copied so many times that some words and letters were unclear or missing. The document was only about a year old then, so clearly there was a feverish underground effort to get this information out.
While the claims made in the Skeleton Key are startling, I always felt that the document possessed an internal consistency that justified my withholding judgment on its primary thesis, which is simply that the United States government is essentially run by, and as, organized crime. Bruce Robert's Gemstone letters redefine the stereotypical definition of "Mafia," the kind of caricature and even glorification we see on a show like "The Sopranos," and paints for us a truer picture that shows how deeply the roots of organized crime intertwine every aspect of US politics.
So I've kept a copy of the Skeleton Key around for the last thirty years taking notes on developments. History, so far, has increased my faith in the document's veracity. Let me give you just a couple of examples regarding statements made in the Skeleton Key and subsequent historical developments.
The Skeleton Key claims one of the shooters of JFK "went down a manhole and followed a sewer line away from Dealey Plaza." Keep in mind this was written in 1975. In the 1990's I was watching a History Channel program called The Men Who Killed Kennedy. The show featured Tom Wilson, who had developed for US Steel a process using "photonics" to detect imperfections in steel. He applied this new technology to photos in the Kennedy assassination, including the Mary Moorman photo, and ended up making a three-dimensional model of Kennedy's gaping head wound. From that he traced back the path of the bullet and was amazed the see it was coming "out of the ground." He went to Dealey Plaza and discovered the path he anticipated led directly to a manhole cover and open curb sewer line. In other words, someone could have been crouching underground shooting at Kennedy from the curb. Subsequent studies by a researcher named Jack Brazil have determined that shooters from behind the picket fence on the Grassy Knoll and from the curb on Elm Street could both have "squeezed off rounds" and escaped underground in about twenty minutes. The sewer lines lead to the Trinity River well away from Dealey Plaza.
Another claim that sounded wild to me in 1976 was this one: "Lots of heroin gets produced in a Pepsi Cola factory in Laos. So far, it hasn't produced a single bottle of Pepsi Cola." I hadn't learned about the CIA's "Air America" drug flights at the time, but this was another truth that Roberts understood long before most of us. In 1990 Mel Gibson and Robert Downey, Jr. starred in a film called "Air America." The film included the Pepsi-Cola factory, the CIA, and the heroin. Details like these over the years make me believe that Bruce Roberts knew more than the average citizen about current events and past history. While his emotional state might have been somewhat unstable, that's understandable considering the threatening forces he felt were surrounding him and had killed his father.
Robert's letters aren't always easy to read, and it's only after reading The Gemstone File: A Memoir that I realize what an excellent job Caruana did writing the original Skeleton Key. Considering the scattered yet repetitive nature of Robert's original letters and notes, Caruana's "Skeleton Key" is an amazingly competent work. It's organized, reads not only well but powerfully, and has survived without the benefit of formal recognition for over three decades. Caruana took the rough stone of Bruce Robert's notes and letters and created, in the Skeleton Key, a finely faceted Gemstone!
I give Caruana's The Gemstone File: A Memoir my highest recommendation.The book is important historically and as a basis for future research. As a compendium to "A Skeleton Key to the Gemstone File," it's invaluable. Anyone who has ever read the Key, or wants to, needs to buy this book!

Best Gemstone book
This book confirms the death bed confession of E Howard Hunt to his son and points to the fact that multiple assassins were waiting in Dallas that day. Ms Caruana did an admirable job in presenting the Bruce Roberts material as Roberts was being harassed around the clock in San Francisco and his letters appear rambling and paranoid.

trash
This is the worst book I have had the misfortune of buying! Save your money!!!!!!

Interesting Reading, But Where's Any Proof
I find this book to be a very entertaining mixture of supposition, guesswork, contradiction, and extraordinary searching for any evidence that could possibly be used to indicate that there is a vast underground conspiracy that really controls the United States and quite possibly all of the world.

All in all, I find it a little hard to believe and for two or three reasons:

1. I've been to the Texas School Book Depository, and to the window where the shooting was done. I could have made those shots. People don't want to think that one man could have done this, but the target was right there, an easy shot. It wasn't necessary to have a team of shooters.

2. To tie together all the things in this book from JFK to Mary Jo Kopechne, Onassis, RFK, South Vietnam, George Wallace, and many, many more would require such a huge operation, with so many people that screw ups would have occurred. All of these killings wouldn't have been as smooth as they were. Furthermore, someone would have talked. There would be some real evidence.

3. The third reason is WHY. Why would such an organization be set up in the first place. Why would it be kept going down through the centuries. Why bother?

Entertaining, but utter crap
I had heard about the Gemstone File for years as being one of the more plausible conspiracy theories out there, so I bought this book to finally see for myself. The parts of the book that are copies of what Bruce Roberts (the author of the Gemstone File) wrote are entertaining but not in the least bit believable. Mr. Roberts certainly had a vivid imagination, but his theories are full of contradictions and he makes some bold predictions that despite what Stephanie Caruana would like us to believe have never come true. The parts of the book written by Stephanie Caruana are utter crap. In assides she tries to relate the JFK assasination to our current president and makes snide comments about how things that happened 40 years ago were obvious foreshadowing of the "9/11 hoax". From this book I gather that Bruce Roberts suffered from paranoia. Stephanie Caruane comes across as nothing more than your typical left wing kook who would like us to believe that our government is run by idiots yet these idiots have managed to perpetrate a vast evil conspiracy that has been kept secret for over 50 years. I never understand why the conspiracy nuts fail to see the contradiction in this belief. ... Read more

Product Description
The world standard is back by popular demand! This completely revised, updated and expanded version of Dr. Downing's 1992 Opal Identification and Value is a "must have" for all appraisers, opal buyers and opal lovers. Learn to properly identify opals from all over the world. Many new locations have been added along with new methodology to determine the characteristics that affect value, then determine price from updated value tables. Ascertain if the opal is a natural solid, boulder, doublet, triplet, dyed or lab-created. Be able to ask definitive questions when considering an opal. Learn what to look for in properly set jewelry. Become a confident buyer, seller or appraiser by distinguishing an ordinary opal from an outstanding one. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

In depth reference
This is a well written book and is a good reference for opal shoppers. However, if trying to determine an opal's worth, the listed formulas are too in depth and cumbersome to use. A person who seriously shops for opals will already have a good idea of value and worth based on their own experiences.

Great information, wonderful photos
This book answers all the who, what, when, where and how's of opals, directly, with fantastic photos to illustrate the information.

Opal Identification & Value (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones)
While visiting Australia, I fell in love with precious opal and purchased a few pieces of jewelry and some loose gemstones for my collection. Although I was able to find basic information on evaluating and grading precious opal on the World Wide Web, I was frustrated by the lack of comprehensive content on this subject, that is, until I found this opus written by Dr Paul Downing.

This book is perhaps the only comprehensive printed resource on evaluating and valuing precious opal gemstones. In addition, the book contains a large number of beautiful, full-color photos of all types of opals including loose gemstones, gemstones set in jewelry, examples of the various types of opals and opal carvings.

About 90 percent of all opal is mined from Australia and accordingly the majority of this marvelous book focuses on Australian precious opal.

Below is a chapter-by-chapter summary of the text.

CHAPTERS 1 - 4 provide a general background of opals; its history, where they are sourced, the different cuts, early myths, the types of opals and how to distinguish between natural vs synethetic, simulated or dyed opals.

CHAPTERS 5 - 10 go into detail on how to evaluate six attributes used to determine precious opal value.

CHAPTERS 11 & 17 provide invaluable details on opal jewelry and how to evaluate opal jewelry, e.g., the different types (custom designs vs. mass produced) and determining whether it is properly designed to protect the opal.

CHAPTERS 12 - 14 discuss the methodology on pricing various opal types and offers a step-by-step process for filling out the evaluation forms (invaluable information for an amateur collector such as myself).

CHAPTERS 15 & 16 discuss opals mined from locations other than Australia and their particular characteristics.

CHAPTER 18 goes over other types of collectible opal--fossils formed from opal, opal carvings (which are different from opal gemstones)-- and "collectible opal" or in other words, uniques pieces of opal that are sought after by collectors.

CHAPTER 19 discusses how to buy precious opal.

Sorry for the length of the review. I tried breaking the text into bite-sized segments for easy consumption.

Opal cutting basics
A nice book but half of it is not really about opal cutting - 40% is padded out with stone setting, a skill the author admits he is limited in, this is the second in the two titles of a similar name and has a fair mount of waffle, its got some good bits but certainly not as good as I would have hoped for.
The two books should have been combined into one, the author seems to have padded the subject out into two books.

Best Opal Book ever
If you ever wanted to know about Opals, this is the book for you. It is rather pricey and is never sold used. That should tell you something. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a new edition of the clearest, most authoritative guide to gemstones you will find. From Amber to Rubellite, discover over 130 varieties of cut and uncut stones, organic gemstones and precious metals. 800 incredible photos, precise annotations and detailed descriptions, including everything from gemstone shapes to their composition, will help you to identify different stones quickly and easily. It covers everything from what a gemstone is and where they occur to the natural properties they have and how they have been fashioned and imitated through the ages. It is perfect for gemstone lovers - a comprehensive guide for collectors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

gemstones book
i got this for my best friend, and he just loves it. he loves to collect and make things with the gemstones...and give them as gifts. thanks

Great Book For The Photos
The book has excellent photographs and information. Great for the beginner gemstone or jewelry enthusiast. I highly recommend it.

Gemstone Identification
This book is OK but for the beginner trying to get the most for your money in explanation of precious gemstones, I don't really recommend this book a necessity for right away.You can enter it to your reference library at a later time.It is a good book but doesn't have enough details needed at first for identifications.

WOW!
I took out this book in the middle of fourth grade. I loved it so much I kept it till the end of the year. Then I took it out again in fifth grade, along with the Moths and Butterflies book from the same series. These books are wonderful tools for projects, assignments, or just plain fun! I'm planning on buying this book soon once I earn enough money. (I'm broke T_T)

A brilliant articles on diffrent sort of gemstones. A must f
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CALLY HALL PERSONALY FOR SUCH A EXCELLENT WORK ON GEMSTONES. THE WORK CANNOT BE DESCRIBED IN WORDS. I AM A JEWELLER AS WELL AS GEMOLOGIST, GOT QUIET IMPRESSED WITH SUCH PIECE OF ART. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Superb fun!
As a crystal lover, just the title of the book caught my attention.Reading it, I was hooked.This lady knows her gems and she uses them brilliantly in this first fantasy novel!Interesting characters, intrigue aplenty, almost verging on magical realism, Rumor of Gems is a must read for those who like strong women characters, mysterious sorcerers, their fantasy mixed with reality, and a new world (Arcato) to visit and relish.Can't wait for the second novel in the series to be ready - soon, I hope!

a gemstone infomercial

Heroine Lucinda lives in a world like ours, except that gods are real and all the various gemstone lore is literally true. Her boss and friend Tyrone dresses up like one of those gods, incurring the god's wrath, and endangering his life. She meets Sebastian, a shapeshifter, who enlists Eros's aid in seducing her.

Meanwhile, there's Alasdair, who has such an affinity for gemstones that they follow him around and are always falling out of his pockets, etc. He's there because something evil is loose in the world and he's trying to stop it. It's already affected the young boy Michael, and Alasdair is trying to rescue him.

Oh, yes. In addition to gemstone magic, gods, and shapeshifters, there's also a bit of time travel.

I'd complain about stuffing so many disparate fantasy elements into one story, but I've seen it done elsewhere to good effect, and I was intrigued by the various concepts, though I'd really have liked there to be some sort of connection between them. The gemstones had nothing to do with the gods, which had nothing to do with shapeshifters, which had nothing to do with time travel. It was almost like a few separate stories mashed together.

Unfortunately, and this is a problem with a lot of fantasy novels, the worldbuilding took the form of long discourses, mostly in this case about the properties of various gemstones. I got the disconcerting feeling that I was in a gemstone infomercial, because every time I'd start getting involved in the story, it would stop and I'd get another lecture on another gemstone.

Even the time period seemed confused. I know from the book jacket that it's supposed to be a contemporary fantasy, but the feel of the story is more like a swords-and-sorcery kind of fantasy, except that characters do have a few modern conveniences like telephones. They don't seem to have cars, though. And when Lucinda goes into the past, there's almost no difference at all. Certainly, nobody notices anything unusual about her.

But even that I could have tolerated if I'd liked the characters. Lucinda is distinctly unlikeable. She's a bitchy, promiscuous man-hater. Promiscuity I can handle, but not when it's as mean-spirited as it was with Lucinda. I read plenty of erotica and sex-scene-filled romances. But Lucinda was just crude.

Worst of all, though, was that there was no change. She learns some things, but nothing that changes her. She warms up to one or two individuals, but that's not even close to being the same thing as learning not to be so nasty in general.

And what really, really made me throw the book against the wall, especially because I kept reading until the end hoping it wasn't true, is the book's message of intolerance, bitterness, and never forgiving anyone.

Beautiful and enchanting
As one of the reviews on the back of the book stated, steiber's prose IS flawless.The words flow as a magical stream.Love it!

My New Favorite Author!
A Rumor of Gems is a great new fantasy novel by an excellent writer. I can't get enough of this book. Like most people, I didn't want it to end. I felt as if I have been in Arcato now.

The main story is about Lucinda, who finds herself on a journey as she discovers more about herself and helps her friends. There is romance, adventure and lots of fun.

The story has a wonderful cast of colorful characters. The gemstone theme throughout the book is so cool. Gods wander the streets among humans, shape shifters cause trouble. With so much going on, it was a lot of fun to read.

I highly recommend this and I hope there will be a second book set in Arcato. I can't wait to go back again.

Magical spell binder
I have never read fantasy before. This book is magical and wonderous. It held my interest throughout and made me want to look up more about the gods and gems on the web. I can't wait for the sequel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Book on how crystals can help your life in many ways.
I was looking for a crystal book that had a section about how to bring more wealth, money and prosperity in to my life, then I found this book and it was exactly what I was looking for.

Rock On!
I didn't read this book straight through like a work of fiction, but have used it as an easy resource and reference book for the past year and a half while working on novels and short stories. I sometimes pick it up and read a chapter; sometimes just flip to the index and look up a specific topic. A four-page glossary clarifies terms that might throw the average reader who doesn't come into the book with a degree in mineralogy, and an appendix lists common trade names to watch out for when purchasing stones. The information is divided into 10 chapters, six appendices, and the aforementioned glossary and index. Of the chapters, nine of them categorize the stones into subsets such as love stones, stones of protection, power stones, stones of creativity, etc.

Despite the suggestions of these chapter headings, I found the "spiritualism" of the book fairly relaxed, which was a relief for me. My interest was in gleaning symbolism, history, and mythological information about different gemstones for use in writing. With any "practical guide to how gemstones, minerals & crystals can enhance your life" a reader will be confronted with a sense of magic and "power" from the rocks. While Ms. Kennedy states what each gemstone is supposed to be capable of doing to enhance the reader's life, I never got the impression that she was trying to force a New Age religion on me. I merely felt that she was presenting information that she had learned about the origins and beliefs surrounding the different gemstones on her pages, and was doing so in good faith.

For anyone interested in a calm, well-informed, and colorful reference book, I can recommend Gems of Wisdom, Gems of Power for its information and easy formatting.

From Fantasy Author Sandy Lender

Something for every crystal lover
Teresa Kennedy has brought us a lovely book on crystals. there is certain to be something in here for us all. The stones themselves are categorized by similar effects, making it a nice reference for the beginner to start noticing trends in the mineral kingdom. Chapters for love, healing, spiritual growth and the like are littered with helpful hints, buyers' tips, scientific fact, spiritual uses, and folklorical properties of rocks. Each section is littered with beautiful photos of many common and uncommon gems, in raw as well as polished forms.

Prior to the afforementioned sections, this text contains much scientific and historical information, in addition to numerous articles ranging from crystal skulls to famous gems. This is one of the relatively few works to include original information about the seven crystal systems into which all minerals are categorized and how these sacred geometries apply to the crystals' spiritual and healing uses.

Overall, this is a great book, and I think that beginners will love its gentle introduction, and those already familiar with all things crystalline will enjoy the fresh material.

From Spirit Side Magazine: (used by permission)
Obviously a great number of books of crystals have appeared in the last twenty years since the resurgence of interest in crystal healing occurred in the early 1980s. Therefore when a new title comes along which clarities existing knowledge, has a pleasing layout, and includes large clear photographs of each specimen, then it warrants inclusion on the bookshelf of any stone enthusiast or healer. However, when it goes beyond meticulous organization of information and ease of use, and also has its information presented by a level headed narrator with pleasing tone and seems to offer just the right amount of information on each stone, it just may be the book you find yourself reaching for first.

Starting with the premise that her readers are intelligent, reasonably open-minded and interested in the practical application of the stones into their lives, Teresa quickly establishes a down-to-earth sensibility that encourages a combination approach to the use of stones. She advocates understanding stones from a structural as well spiritual perspective before selecting your healing stones. She also includes a lot of very practical advice in highlighted in pink "Buyer Beware" sections so that you stand the best chance of avoiding some of the inferior or inauthentic merchandise that is on the market.

The layout of the book undertakes to guide the reader quickly to the correct stone by arranging the stones into categories such as "love stones" or "stones of transformation" so you can find what you need quickly. If you already have a stone or a specific idea of the stone you would like, no problem -- there is an extensive index at the back.
Reviewed by Megan Mitchell

A musthave!One of the best crystal books yet !
Teresa Kennedy has written abook with very good, clear and practical information addressing both mystical and scientific aspects of crystals and gemstones. The book is divided into sectionssuch as "The Love Stones" "Stones of protection ", "Stones for physical healing ", etc., with some stones occurring in more than one of the nine categories. This is an extremely useful book for a beginner and will be a valuable addition to any crystal library.
I have over 50 crystal healing books and have written quite a bit about crystal healing myself. This book is one I'll recommend highly. There is no perfect crystal healing book and there probably never will be, but this is one of the best I have seen yet. I practice different stylesof crystal healing and use some more intuitive methods than the author, so a few of my personal recommendations might be different.This is a very good book and if you can get only one book about crystals, this is the one I'd suggest.This book has relatively little information about detailed methods of working with crystals but that is probably an asset. The Authorgives sound advice and guidance based on her experience and allows the reader to determinethe way they will work with the stones. Each stone entry has a color photograph of the stone. This book could bevery useful for helping someone choose stones to work with for specific purposes.This is a very solid guide with a lot for both beginners and as a reference for more advanced practitioners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

This Title is Incorrect
Please be aware that this oracle was devised by the author of this book and is not Tibetan.The gemstones are not Tibetan, either. So, to call it Tibetan Gemstone Oracle is not correct!

The Tibetan Oracle Pack, however, is derived from a Tibetan oracle text and is genuine.Also, you can tryThe Tibetan Oracle or Mo: Tibetan Dice Divination; both noteworthy and authentic texts.

This book is Gemstone Oracle, even though it is called Tibetan.Maybe there was a typographical error at the printing press.Use your own scrutiny to find a good Tibetan oracle method.

Thank you.

Beautifully illustrated and written
A great book to learn about healing and channeling your energies in a more positive way.The book has many 'gems' in terms of ideas, thoughts, and basic healthly, positive principles of living -- for the novice to the expert person who is on a spiritual quest to a more fulfilling life.Buy it!

precise development & uplifting art!
The colors & tones of this deck are SO different from any other products I have purchased/reviewed. A photo of the stone is imposed upon the painted artwork. The 6 stones unique to this set are: Earth Keeper crystal, iolite, apatite, shiva lingam, star quartz, & boulder opal. The division by elements/areas is similar to The Crystal Ally Cards & the Crystal Journey Cards, but is a completely "new" system of association. To my knowledge, there is no other deck so precisely built around a specific discipline. The skandhas are from sacred geometry: cube, icosahedron, (merkabah)star tetrahedron, octahedron & dodecahedron. The lotus blossom on each of the 8 cards per elemental "suit" are that chakra's color: red, orange, yellow, *emerald, *rose, blue, indigo, purple. (note: the heart chakra uses these 2*) There are 10 readings/layouts.

Jewels of the Lotus:Tibetan Gemstone Oracle
I love this book and card deck!Of all the books I've read about crystals, this is the most comprehensive book I've seen!The card deck is great for readings!This book links crystals to the metaphysical andphysical parts of human beings in a way that makes so much sense.Now Ireally understand why crystals affect us.

And the cards are great! Whenever I get a cold or feel down about something, I just get out the deckof cards and give myself a reading from the "Jewels of theLotus."The reading is always right on track - I come away withinsights into the situation and then I make progress by using what Ilearned.

This is a long overdue book and card deck - it is definitely onmy gift list for my favorite people!

-Gena Parkhurst Chicago, IL

Very Enthralling In Depth Study Of Crystals...Beautiful
I was very pleased to recieve this Tarot as a gift and I have been using it ever since.I read tarot quite a bit and am absolutely thrilled to come across a tarot deck that combines crystals and Buddhism. I am not aparticularly interested in Buddhism, but after reading the booklet I havecome across many insightful "gems" and a new appreciation forBuddhism.I am now much more knowledgable about the properties of crystalsand minerals. I highly recommend this deck. ... Read more

Product Description
If you love the beauty of gems but have trouble distinguishing a topaz from a sapphire, this book is for you. How can you make sure you are getting good value for your money? Just buy this book! Dan Dennis, the gem show host whose popularity with Home Shopping Network viewers nationwide has helped to fuel the recent explosion in the gem collecting market, offers a wealth of useful facts and fascinating lore about gems in this funny yet practical illustrated guide.

With the same passion and entertaining, informative style that has marked his television appearances over the past 15 years, Dennis covers in detail more than 100 different gems-from diamonds, pearls, and rubies to emeralds, jade, opals, and a host of less-familiar stones as well. The book describes the often surprising route a gem takes from rough stone to polished and set jewelry; lists birth and astral stones; and offers helpful tips on how to buy jewelry and how to care for your treasures once you do.

60 illustrations, 55 in full color, 8 x 10"

DANIEL J. DENNIS, JR., is a gemstone specialist and senior gem show host for the Home Shopping Network. Dennis, his wife Linda, and family reside in St. Petersburg, Florida. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Reference on Gems
This book is another great reference book on gems.It provides very useful information if you are a gem collector or are considering purchases of certain gems.It is very complete with good pictures.

good imformation about gems
I got this book cause I have a small collection of stones. And gems that I just bought. This book has alot of information, but I did not like that some people claim lots of pictures. That is not true. This is more about the name of gem, where they came from. And imformation in back how to care for them in cleaning. A list for birthstones different kinds really.I would try to find something that has pictures if your not sure of a gemstone and alot more information on more stones.

Gems:A LIvely Guide...review
This book is just what the title says - the author uses some humor and information is aimed toward a casual collector rather than a scientist or a super-rich collector.Besides the usual information about the make-up of a gemstone, there is also comparisons of the gem if it is found in more than one location, a bit of history of the discovery of a gemstone, and even a bit of information about the beliefs in the health benefits of some stones.It is not absolutely a complete guide, but more than just an overview of the main gems such as diamonds, sapphires, etc.The photos are very good, although not all are labeled.

Very Informative
I very much enjoyed this book mostly because it is written in plain ordinary English for the average person.With all the internet shopping that is now available, it is advisable to know something about the various gems so you know what you're getting.
This book fills the bill perfectly!

This man romances the stones!
This man knows his gems and he has great stories behind each piece.He has great ways of romancing the stones like no one else.I get so excited hearing the little background stories he tells about each gem and the history behind the locations they come from.A great book by a renowned expert of gemology.I highly recommend this book. ... Read more