National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals (National Audubon Society Field Guides)
by NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
from Knopf
Perfect for mountain climbers and hikers, this valuable reference covers more rocks and minerals in North America than any other available guide. 794 full-color photographs depict all the important rocks, gems, and minerals -- in many variations of color and crystal form -- and the natural environments in which they occur; written descriptions provide information on field marks, similar rocks and minerals, environment, areas of occurrence, and derivation of names. Includes a guide to mineral collecting and a list of rock-forming minerals
Gemstones of the World: Newly Revised & Expanded Third Edition
by Walter Schumann
from Sterling
All the gemstones are treated in their many variations: more than 1,500 full-color photos showcase each precious and semiprecious stone in both its rough, natural, and its polished and cut renditions. Each entry offers complete information on the gemstone’s formation, structure, physical properties, and characteristics, along with the best methods of working, cutting, and polishing it. There are even full treatments of lesser-known gems, from andalusite to vesuvian, and a special section is devoted to rocks as precious stones, including alabaster, onyx, obsidian, and fossils. Organic gem materials are also covered, such as coral, ivory, amber, and pearl. Charts and tables help collectors identify unknown gemstones and check for genuineness.
Beach Stones
by Josie Iselin
from "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
Walking along the water's edge, who among us has not stopped to admire the evocatively patterned, shaped, and multihued stones that beckon? Fun to collect and free for the taking, beach stones are objects of contemplation, beauty, and sentiment. This exquisite volume-at once a gorgeous art book and a nature guide-presents more than 200 exceptional stones from around the world and describes the fascinating natural processes that produced them.
Photographer and installation artist Josie Iselin, who uses a flatbed scanner to generate her imagery, has arranged these stones with great artistry, and nature writer Margaret Carruthers yields their secrets, revealing, for instance, that a pebble from Maine was created 400 million years ago during the birth of a great mountain range. Art lovers and beachcombing spirits everywhere will cherish this gift book.
Peterson First Guide to Rocks and Minerals
by Frederick H. Pough
from Houghton Mifflin
This concise field guide to more than 250 common gems, ores, and other rocks and minerals features beautiful color photographs, information for the beginners on how to identify rocks and minerals, as well as facts and information about rocks and minerals. Author: Frederick H. Pough Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Heart Stones
from Abrams Books
A heart stone is one of nature's gifts. Heart stones are not rare or precious in the typical sense--a good scour of a beach with any stones at all will usually turn up one or two heart-shaped stones. But heart stones, lifted from their obscurity, with all of their cracks and blemishes, lopsided and imperfect, are simply the best find on any beach. Beachcombers collect them, keep them as talismans, and give them to friends and lovers.
Josie Iselin, author of Abrams' very popular Beach Stones, has put together a magical collection of 100 heart stones, and each one expresses a universal feeling. Love, passion, admiration, obsession, reassurance, joy, intrigue, comfort, wonder, and many other human emotions seem to be portrayed in these homely but appealing objects. This little book can bring great pleasure to anyone who has ever sought inspiration and solace in nature.
Lake Superior Rock Picker's Guide
by Kevin Gauthier
from University of Michigan Press/Petoskey
This guidebook is for anyone who has walked along a Lake Superior beach, picked up a stone, and wondered, “What is this?” Bruce Mueller and Kevin Gauthier researched Lake Superior’s entire shoreline to create this thorough and accessible volume. With great detail and helpful illustrations, they describe the kind of rocks you’ll find—including copper, iron, and gold—provide hints for telling the stones apart, and show you the best places to find each stone. Also included are suggestions for handling the stones, including the best polishing methods, and fascinating information on the rocks’ origins.
A section of color photographs is included to help with identification.
Lake Michigan Rock Picker's Guide
by Bruce Mueller
from University of Michigan Press/Petoskey
Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones
by Simon & Schuster
from Fireside
Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones provides both the connoisseur and the casual collector with a compact, easy-to-use volume describing more than 100 rare varieties of minerals whose beauty and mystery have possessed our imaginations from time immemorial. More than 450 brilliant photographs accompany profiles of each gem, covering such aspects as appearance, physical properties -- density, hardness, refraction -- occurrence, and how to judge quality and value. Additional sections describe the process of cutting gemstones and the techniques professional gemologists use to evaluate a stone's weight and optical properties.
Detailed and comprehensive, this book is essential for anyone interested in the study of gems and precious stones.
The Allure of Turquoise
from New Mexico Magazine
This revised second edition of The Allure of Turquoise, originally published 10 years ago, offers an illuminating look at the cherished gemstone that has come to symbolize the culture and history of the Southwest. Two brand new chapters, updated original chapters, additional photographs and a revamped format mark this absorbing, informative and visually stunning book. The powerful allure of New MexicoÂ’s crown jewel comes alive through a diverse collection of feature stories contributed by some of the stateÂ’s best writers. Their work delves into many facets of turquoise, from the miracle of its geological creation and its centuries-old mining history to its significance and use in the lives of Native Americans.Intriguing chapters touch on the mystery of old pawn, the treasures that reside in the worldÂ’s first Turquoise Museum, the innovative artistry of New MexicoÂ’s contemporary native jewelers and how to distinguish the genuine article from cheap imitations. Readers will find plenty of turquoise lore and a fascinating essay on the strange-but-true relationship between ants and the blue-green stone.
Handbook of Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones)
by Walter Schumann
from Houghton Mifflin
This handbook includes more than 600 stunning color photographs showing rocks, minerals, and gems from all over the world. Each specimen is described in detail: its origin and structure, chemical composition, hardness, color, and other properties.
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