Gemstones have been a source of delight and fascination for many thousands of years. This revised edition explores the nature of gems, their beauty, rarity and durability, and the mineral properties that govern these qualities. It describes the most popular gemstones in detail and looks at how gem minerals form, where they are found and mined, and how they are identified. It includes information about the popular most popular and the lesser known stones, and describes how to distinguish the real from the fake.

Author Biography

Cally Oldershaw worked on the development of exhibitions in the geological galleries at The Natural History Museum. A Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (GAGTL), she now works at the Geological Society. She continues to work as a freelance author, editor and consultant. Christine Woodward prepared and produced geological exhibitions at the Museum until 1990. She still works with the Museum delivering adult education courses. Roger Harding is Director of the GATL, a body providing membership, educational outreach and gem testing services. He was curator of gemstones at the Museum, from 1972-90.