Prepare to be dazzled by this shining and sumptuous visual guide to the world's greatest treasures. Feast your eyes on glittering gemstones, kaleidoscopic minerals, and famous trinkets in this comprehensive exploration of Earth's finest jewels. Following a foreword from Aja Raden, hundreds of pages take a lavish look at precious stones, precious metals, and organic gems in all their natural wonder. From agate to zoisite, everything under the Sun is encapsulated in spectacular photography and accessible text. Trace the history of gemmology and get the inside story on our planet's most famous and fabulous gems, including the mysterious Hope Diamond, the stunning Koh-i-Noor of the Crown Jewels, and exquisite Fabergé eggs. Find out their physical properties, check the price tags, and discover the most remarkable record-breakers. This exceptionally extravagant book is a picture-packed, fact-filled celebration guaranteed to bring sparkle to your life and your library.

This is the story of one man's endeavor to discover precious gems and to lead a life filled with loyal friends and extraordinary adventures. He finds it all in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan but not without risking his life. In this book Gary W. Bowersox spins his tales of thirty two years of discovery both introspective and worldwide. Along the way he encounters danger and intrigue as he builds lasting friendships. He has traded gems and stories with Afghan miners, ethnic peoples, freedom fighters, government officials, scientist, and on a few occasions, international spies.

A comprehensive and compelling portrait of ancient India In Gem in the Lotus, Abraham Eraly, author of The Last Spring, the best-selling and critically acclaimed history of the Mughals, identifies and explores the significant milestones in the evolution of ancient India. Beginning with an enquiry into the enigma that was the Indus Valley civilisation, he writes of the progression from the Vedic Aryan culture to the age of religious and philosophical ferment, culminating in the tenets of Jainism; the founding and consolidation of Buddhism; Alexander's advance into India; the rise of the Mauryan empire; and Ashoka's unusual political career. In the final section of the book, he describes the -clockwork state' of the Mauryas depicted in Kautilya's Arthasastra and in ancient Greek accounts.

Sometimes getting a little lost can help you discover who you really are . . . When her spell at Witchcraft School goes wrong, Gem lands in an unfamiliar, empty cottage, outside a strange, colourful town. Everyone in Ellsworth Pining thinks Gem is their new village witch, even when Gem tries to correct them. And Gem’s new friends do need her. The Weather Worker is missing, and there are tales of a terrifying beast in the woods. Gem might know a spell that could help – if she can get it right.

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.

This is the English translation of the Pali and Hindi chanting by S.N. Goenka from a ten-day Vipassana meditation course. It is formatted so that one can readily find the translations of the chanting from throughout the course, including the opening night, each day's morning chanting, and all other chantings. The Pali and Hindi text appears on pages opposite the English translation.

Effective and healthy remedies produced by infusing water with appealing crystalline energies are carefully described in this informative manual. The first part covers aspects of preparation, featuring deceptively simple processes such as the boiling method, the water vapor method, and the test tube method--all of which can be easily mastered by crystal healing enthusiasts. After outlining the correct methods to use and listing poisonous crystals as a safety precaution, the book examines more than 100 usable crystals and 34 special mixtures, revealing their intended uses and effects for the optimum in therapeutic results.