The definitive book for anyone wanting to learn how the best gemologists in the world evaluate precious gems, and what makes one stone merely a good stone versus a truly fabulous museum-quality gem. The author, Richard W. Wise, is one of the world's foremost gemologists.

"See what Gems & Gemology - The Magazine of the Gemological Institute of America - has to say about The Gem Merchant" Every retail jeweler, manufacturer, and gemologist should read this book* What is the "REAL" price?* How could I get a break on the price of that stone?* Is the gem with more green or more yellow in it worth more?* Is that gem merchant treating me fairly?* How can a jeweler sell more high-profit colored stone jewelry and tie up less capital?These are some of the questions answered and some of the secrets revealed by this famous gem merchant/cutter and author. If you have asked questions like these and found evasiveness or silence as your reply, you should read this book.This book is not just a "must for gem merchants, gemologists and appraisers; it is a book particularly for the jeweler who want to make more money with colored stones, and for gem lovers in general. What people in the trade say about this book: "This is unquestionably the best book on "How to Buy and Sell Gems". Although David has been my long time buying agent for Brazilian stones this book helped me make even more money from the gem business."--Richard Wise, G.G., jeweler and author of "Secrets of the Gem Trade" "I wouldn't have known how to locate or even define my market without this book and Mr. Epstein's help. I entered the business with no friends or relatives in the trade. There was no one to help." -Gerard Walsh, F.G.A.A., Sydney, Australia "Whether you are a jeweler, experienced gem merchant or a beginner, this book shows you how to avoid serious pitfalls and how to be successful buying and sell¬ing gems."-Bryan Pavlik, Ambassador to Austriafrom the International Colored Stone Association "I had taken a gemological course in Antwerp but knew nothing about how gems were bought and sold. There is no doubt that David Epstein and his book "The Gem Merchant" made the difference."--Marco Minafra, Catania, Italy "When I started as a gem merchant I had success, but not enough to do it full time. After David let me in on the secrets revealed in this book my business got to the point where it is a successful full time business." --Joe DeCristoforo, New York, USA "We are an AGS, IJO store. Since my father started the store in 1929, we have always placed much emphasis on colored gems. David Epstein and his book "The Gem Merchant" have helped our colored stone sales and profit.--Louis Castiglione, Ph.D., G.G.A., Castaglione Jewelers,Gloversville, New York, USAWhat trade magazines say about this book: "For those interested in learning more about what it takes to deal in gems."--National Jeweler "This book should be carefully read and digested, by those involved in buying and selling gemstones, for advice offered covers the broad spectra of buying and mar¬keting strategies for gemstones and gem rough, survival tips on entering the gem¬stone manufacturing industry, and a range of general information that could be successfully applied to trading in gemstones. Importantly, the advice offered is sensible, practical, honest, and straightforward."-Australian Gemmologist "David Epstein is eminently qualified to write this book." -Alice Keller, Editor-in-Chief, Gems and Gemology "This is a delightful account of the difficulties to be borne in mind when setting up (or out) as a peripatetic gem dealer. There is a good deal of common sense."-Gemmological Association & Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain

The tale begins over three-hundred years ago, when the Fair People—the goblins, fairies, dragons, and other fabled and fantastic creatures of a dozen lands—fled the Old World for the New, seeking haven from the ways of Man. With them came their precious jewels: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls... But then the Fair People vanished, taking with them their twelve fabulous treasures. And they remained hidden until now... Across North America, these twelve treasures, over ten-thousand dollars in precious jewels, are buried. The key to finding each can be found within the twelve full color paintings and verses of The Secret. Yet The Secret is much more than that. At long last, you can learn not only the whereabouts of the Fair People's treasure, but also the modern forms and hiding places of their descendants: the Toll Trolls, Maitre D'eamons, Elf Alphas, Tupperwerewolves, Freudian Sylphs, Culture Vultures, West Ghosts and other delightful creatures in the world around us. The Secret is a field guide to them all. Many "armchair treasure hunt" books have been published over the years, most notably Masquerade (1979) by British artist Kit Williams. Masquerade promised a jewel-encrusted golden hare to the first person to unravel the riddle that Williams cleverly hid in his art. In 1982, while everyone in Britain was still madly digging up hedgerows and pastures in search of the golden hare, The Secret: A Treasure Hunt was published in America. The previous year, author and publisher Byron Preiss had traveled to 12 locations in the continental U.S. (and possibly Canada) to secretly bury a dozen ceramic casques. Each casque contained a small key that could be redeemed for one of 12 jewels Preiss kept in a safe deposit box in New York. The key to finding the casques was to match one of 12 paintings to one of 12 poetic verses, solve the resulting riddle, and start digging. Since 1982, only two of the 12 casques have been recovered. The first was located in Grant Park, Chicago, in 1984 by a group of students. The second was unearthed in 2004 in Cleveland by two members of the Quest4Treasure forum. Preiss was killed in an auto accident in the summer of 2005, but the hunt for his casques continues.

The Secret Teachings of Gemcutting is a collection of classic gemstone designs spanning 500 years. The designs are presented with full color photos, historical information, cutting advice, and design information. These are industry standard designs for the gem and jewelry trade for all the major gemstone cutting centers around the world. This collection marks the first time the designs have been compiled for public consumption. This volume will prove useful to both gemcutters who want to cut these essential designs and to jewelers who would like a visual aid to present different gemstone styles to their customers. Aside from the designs, the introductory chapters of the book contain invaluable information about gemstone design, optics, gem physics, modifying designs, pairing rough gems with an appropriate design, and more.

Escaping her shattered past is much more difficult than she imagined. Julia Schultz has a reputation for being a storyteller, or as others see it, a liar. But with her dark and painful past, stories are all that have kept her company throughout her life. Longing for a fresh start and a second chance to earn real trust, Julia takes a job as a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Hotel, where she's challenged to be her true self. Learning the trade of a master jeweler is hard work, but Christopher Miller takes pride in running his family's small shop and earning the respect of the people around him. But when he discovers that he has six weeks to buy his building from his landlord before it is sold, he must find a way to save his grandfather's legacy. United by the discovery of a legendary treasure, Chris and Julia find hope in each other. But when Julia's past catches up with her, doubt creeps into Chris's heart. Can he really trust her and her stories?