Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide- How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies, and Other Colored Gemstones with Confidence and Knowledge

Colored Gemstones--The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide : How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gems with Confidence and Knowledge

All the Information You Need to Buy, Collect, Sell--or Simply Enjoy--Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gemstones with Confidence and Knowledge

With more varieties than ever before to choose from, including altogether new gems, revolutionary new cuts, and new ways to buy gems--such as internet auctions and TV shopping--there has never been a more exciting time to buy or collect colored gemstones. But there are also new high-tech treatments and sophisticated frauds to look out for. Lack of information, error, or misrepresentation can make the thrill of buying a gem or piece of jewelry confusing, intimidating, overwhelming, and costly. Buyers need a source of expert guidance. This practical, comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide provides all the information you need in order to know what to look for, and what to look out for, including:

* What qualifies as a "gemstone"?
* How to evaluate color--and its impact on price.
* Deciding between a natural gem and an enhanced gem.
* Colored gemstone synthesis and treatment.
* What to ask when buying the stone.
* What to get in writing.
* How to get what you want within your budget.
* Price guides for popular gems, opals, and synthetic stones.

And much, much more! Written by an "insider," this easy-to-read guide is the "unofficial colored gemstone bible" for anyone who wants to get the most for their money and enjoy what they have purchased.