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Gemstones Symbols of Beauty and Power
by Eduard Gübelin and Franz-Xavier Erni
Hard cover, 12" x 10", 240 pages, copyright 2000
Sample page
Sample page Gemstones Symbols of Beauty and Power offers the reader deep insight into the fascinating world of gemstones. It provides exact description of the individual gems and goes into their origins and their extraction. In his graphic style, Eduard Gübelin reports on the events deep inside the earth eons ago that lead to the creation of these superlative, sparkling natural products and their colorful radiance. Even if these wonders of nature can be reduced to chemical formulae, they nevertheless lose nothing of the fascination that they have had for humans since time immemorial.
Franz-Xavier Erni offers the reader a spellbinding tale of how gemstones have loyally accompanied humans throughout history. How gemstones have served women as jewelry and men as symbols of their power. The loveliest of gems adorn women's jewelry as well as the crowns and insignia of worldly and spiritual rulers.
Throughout the ages, individual gems have been allocated to the months of the year and to the signs of the zodiac and imbued with special healing powers in popular imagination. This book offers qualified answers to all questions relating to gemstones; it is not only an exciting read but also a reference work that can be consulted as required.
Gemstones: their characteristics and their origin covers 8 The exquisite rarity, 16 The causes of color variety, and 20 A commitment to eternity.
Gemstones: their extraction and processing covers 24 The extraction of gemstones, 32 The cutting of diamonds, 34 The cutting of color gemstones, 36 Polishing Agate, and 37 Glyptography.
Portraits of the gemstones covers 42 The beauty of color gems, 44 The beauty of the phenomena gems, 46 Diamond: King of gemstones, 56 Corundum: the colorful palette, 60 Ruby: divine crystal spark, 66 Sapphire: symbol of the firmament, 72 Beryl the palette of pastel colors, 76 Emerald: glittering like leaves in may, 82 Chrysoberyl: an exquisite trio, 86 Feldspars: a major company, 90 Garnets: a courtly household of noble vassals, 94 Opal: humming bird and firebird, 100 Peridot: green-golden ray of sunshine, 104 Quartz: bustling globetrotter, 108 Spinel: the corundum's disguised twin, 112 Spodumene: phoenix from the ashes, 114 Tanzanite: blue patrician from black africa, 118 Topaz: chalice of golden crystal, 122 Tourmaline: alpha and omega, and 126 Zircon: dizzying quick change artist.
Portraits of ornamental gems covers 132 The beauty of ornamental gems, Agate: fire and flames, 136 Charoite: reed pipes from the russian karst, 138 Jade: Metaphor for luck, 142: Lapis lazuli: incarnation of the starry firmament, 144 Malachite: master of the green shades, 146 Rhodochrosite and rhodonite, 148 Sugilite: budding mallow spur, and 150: Turquoise: morning fresh bloom of heaven.
Gemstones: symbols of authority and power covers 174 Exquisite treasures, 180 Noble gems for the word of god, and 188 Votive and consecretion crowns.
Beauty, magic and medicine covers 194 Famous jewels and their history, 202 Of seals, amulets and talismans, 208 Stones of the month - birthstones and 214 Gemstone medicine.
The fascination of internal life covers inclusions in gemstones.
A passion for collecting covers collecting rare gemstones such as benitoite, andalusite, danburite, sillimanite, kornerupines, sinhalite, sphene, taaffeite, scapolite, and others.
Natural or not? covers synthetics, composites and gemstone imitations.
Anyone interested in the mineralogy, creation, history and lore of gemstones will appreciate Gemstones Symbols of Beauty and Power as an authoritative, must have read and reference for their personal library.
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