Product Description

New edition of the "unofficial" bible for jewelry and gem buyers--completely updated, expanded and revised!

Purchasing gems and jewelry can be a magical experience, filled with excitement and anticipation. But lack of information, error, or misrepresentation can make the thrill of buying a gem or piece of jewelry confusing, intimidating, overwhelming, and costly.

To help you avoid the pitfalls and keep the magic, two internationally respected experts on buying gems and jewelry put their inside knowledge to work for you in this easy-to-read, easy-to-use guide. It is filled with practical advice and is designed to make it easy for you to have all the information you need to buy gems and jewelry with confidence.

Recommended by consumer and jewelry trade reviewers around the world, it is already in use in over 100 countries and has been translated into Spanish, Arabic, Greek, Hungarian, Russian and Japanese. Over 400,000 copies are now in print and this revised, updated, expanded edition covers even more: buying and selling on the internet, dazzling new diamond cuts, recently discovered gems ... and new treatments and trickery to look out for. There are fascinating mythical and magical tidbits, and practical tips that could only come from an insider. In simple, straightforward terms you'll learn about the four Cs and how to juggle them to get what you want, at the price you want to pay; what to look for, and look out for; all about gold and platinum, jewelry design, and some of the country's leading designers. You'll learn what questions to ask and what to get in writing, and even how to select the jeweler, appraiser, and insurer.

The authors leave no stone unturned to give you everything you need to know--whether you are a novice or a connoisseur. With Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide, you'll find the experience can be a joy, and the gems and jewelry you select a source of lasting pleasure!

"An appropriate book for the uninformed public, but more than that, it is a good reference book for jewelers and their staffs, gem collectors, students of gemology, travelers, teachers, and even those who know gemology but want a state-of-the-art review."
-- Lapidary Journal

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #159750 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 306 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780943763712
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Library Journal
Matlins and Bonanno's guide is as clear and easy to understand as their previous, well-received Gem Identification Made Easy (LJ 9/1/90) and Complete Guide to Buying Gems (LJ 5/15/84). They have updated, expanded, and revised these works to include cautionary advice to the gem-buying consumer about new advancements in fraudulent enhancements of diamonds and especially colored gemstones. Updated price guides and advice on cut, settings, and metals; questions to ask before purchase; advice on selecting a jeweler, appraiser, and insurer; and charts of diamond gradings, gem names, and alternatives point out just how much a consumer needs to know to avoid costly mistakes. Newman concentrates on gold jewelry craft and value. With the aid of her own excellent photographs (showing what can be seen through the indispensable 10X loupe), she describes what to look for in gold jewelry fabrication: mountings, settings, marks, fineness, and quality. Consumers will learn how to test for fakes and karat value, though some of the testing methods using acids are best left to professionals. Safer tests, like the squeeze test for rings and bracelet strength, will empower the buyer who is deluged with too-good-to-be-true jewelry sales. Especially useful is the section on evaluating gold chains. This is another easily read and understood guide by a respected gemologist. Both books are highly recommended, and public libraries might wish to consider purchasing more than one copy of each.
Therese D. Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap
Know What You Want, Know What You're Buying,
Learn the Secrets to Get the Most for Your Money
Easy to Read u Easy to Understand
Practical & Complete
Instant Answers ... to All Your Questions
Completely Updated & Expanded 7th Edition!

Praise for Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide

"Includes all kinds of fun facts to know and tell ... an essential resource for the gem buyer."
-- Art & Antiques

"Restores the magic! [Will] entertain and enlighten all its readers and save some from heart-break. Recommended reading."
-Paul Harvey, Paul Harvey News

"Takes the guesswork out of this important decision ... obtain the best value for your money."
--Modern Bride

"A book designed to build trust between jewelry retailers and consumers."
-National Jeweler

"We have seen no work more practical and accurate than [this book] ... the investor, or engagement ring buyer, who follows the dictates ... which are well explained and illustrated, will surely avoid being burned ... the best of its kind and likely to be of enormous value to anyone."
-- Frederick H. Pough, PhD, Former Curator of Gems and Minerals, American Museum of Natural History, N.Y.C.

"Most certainly achieves its aim of helping consumers buy gems and jewelry with confidence and knowledge ... highly recommended."
-- Asian Jewelry "Especially useful to service members shopping overseas."
-- Financial Planning Guide Supplement to Army, Navy and Air Force Times

"A very comprehensive book on buying jewelry and gems ... well laid out and an easy read with tons of information."
-- The Jewelry Appraiser

About the Author
Antoinette Matlins, P.G., is an internationally respected gem and jewelry expert, author, and lecturer. Honored with the international Accredited Gemologists Association's highest award for excellence in gemology, Ms. Matlins is the author of many books that are widely used throughout the world by consumers and professionals in the gem and jewelry field. Her books include Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide (over 400,000 copies now in print--the only book of its kind ever offered by Consumer Reports); The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide; Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide; Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide; Engagement & Wedding Rings: The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love; and Jewelry & Gems at Auction: The Definitive Guide to Buying & Selling at the Auction House & on Internet Auction Sites (all GemStone Press).

Former gemology editor of National Jeweler magazine, her articles and comments on buying and selling gems and jewelry and on gem investment have appeared in many national and international consumer and trade publications. She is also the author of the "Gemstones" chapter in the Encyclopedia of Investments, 2nd Edition.

Ms. Matlins has gained wide recognition as a dedicated consumer advocate. She has spearheaded the Accredited Gemologists Association's nationwide campaign against gemstone investment telemarketing scams. A popular media guest, she has been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, educating consumers about gems and jewelry and exposing fraud.

In addition to her educational work, Ms. Matlins is retained by clients worldwide to seek fine, rare, or unusual gems and jewels for acquisition.

Antonio C. Bonanno, F.G.A., P.G., A.S.A., noted gemologist and appraiser, was president of National Gem Appraising Laboratory, and director of Columbia School of Gemology near Washington, D.C. He held the coveted "Master Gemologist Appraiser" title (M.G.A.), the highest distinction awarded to gem and jewelry appraisers of the American Society of Appraisers. He worked with gems and minerals for over fifty years, specializing in forensic gemology. One of the first Americans to become a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain "With Distinction," he also was an Associate of the Alumni of the Gemological Institute of America. Highly esteemed in the field, he was president of the Accredited Gemologists Association. Today, three daughters and one son, all professional gemologists, carry on his dedication to gemological research and educating professionals and consumers alike.

Customer Reviews

Recommended by Gemologist
I bought a diamond in the NY wholesale diamond center and after taking it to an appraiser recommended by a friend, found out it was treated (it had cracks that were filled with glass so that you wouldn't see them)! The appraiser ordered me not to buy any more diamonds, or any other gem, until I went out and bought a book called "Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide." If I had read this book BEFORE I purchased the diamond, I would never have made such a mistake. First, the book tells about the exact treatment used on the diamond I bought, along with all kinds of treatments used on diamonds and other gemstones. Bit I really couldn't believe it as I read an example of EXACTLY what happened to me on 47th street. There is was, my story! I now enjoy shopping for jewelry more than ever, have discovered gemstones I never knew about before, and more importantly, following the information the authors provided, I now know exactly what to do to ensure I'll never be cheated again. I can't thank them enough, or praise this book enough.

A MUST HAVE BOOK for anyone interested in buying gems.
This is an excellent book that will teach you virtually everything you need to know about buying gemstones. Unfortunately the world isn't a perfect place and there are unscrupulous people that will try to sell you gems that are treated, or outright fake.

Don't let this happen to you!

Buy this book and learn what you need to know to protect yourself. The book starts off with getting to know gems, how to use a loupe, and why the cut of a stone is important.

It has several chapters on Diamonds and will teach you how to judge a good cut, what color is and how to judge it, clarity and various imperfection, weighting and most importantly how to spot fraud and avoid misrepresentation.

If this was all the book did it would still be worth the money. But the book goes on to teach you about colored gemstones. This section teaches you how to determine the value in colored gems, the various synthetic and treated colored stones, how to judge peals and finally how to avoid fraud and misrepresentation with colored gemstones.

Finally the book tells you the stuff you need to know when buying, from what to ask the seller, to finding a reputable jewelry and choosing an insurer and appaiser.

This book can save you many times the cost of it on your first gemstone purchase.

All in all this is a MUST HAVE BOOK for the gemstone buyer.

Choices Without Fear!
I bought this book after reading another review, and it was one of the smartest things I've ever done. I love jewelry, but after reading this book, I'm now much smarter about what I'm doing and I'll never buy jewelry again the way I used to go about it! I was recently ripped off, but now I now know what to aak, what to get in writing, and where and how to confirm the facts!In short, how to avoid ever being ripped off again. I also have a much better idea of what the price should be (thanks to the excellent price guides). It is also filled with great tips to help you get the stone YOU want rather than what the saleperson thinks you should buy, and wonderful design ideas too. And there is also great info on stuff like gold (for example, did you know that white gold has nickel in it, which some people are allergic to!). I also learned how to take care of my jewelry, especially pearls, which jewelers seem to know nothing about. In fact, I've just ordered "The Pearl Book" by one of the authors of this book.

I never knew there was so much to know, or how many choices were available to me. Now I do, and I can't thank the authors enough for the great service this book provides for people like me who love it all--diamonds, gemstones, and jewelry of all kinds.