"Learn to combine precious gemstones and wire-wrapping techniques to create, beautiful, wearable works of art"--From publisher description.

"Gems and Gemstones" features nearly 300 color images of cut gems, precious and semiprecious stones, gem-quality mineral specimens, and fine jewelry to be unveiled in the new Grainger Hall of Gems at the Field Museum in Chicago.

Twist, curl and wrap wire into one-of-a-kind jewelry! Follow along with author Gayle Bird as she teaches you everything you need to know to create her signature jewelry designs. First learn the basics of color and design, then move into essential wire tutorials. From there, you'll work your way through 20 step-by-step jewelry projects, including earrings, rings and necklaces. By the time you finish the book, you'll be ready to design your own statement jewelry, complete with swirling wire and dazzling gems. Features: • Tutorials on the essential wire techniques, including spirals, curls and more. • Chapter on design gives the foundation for creating unique pieces. • Step-by-step directions for 20 projects.

Throughout history, precious stones have inspired passions and poetry, quests and curses, sacred writings and unsacred actions. In this scintillating book, journalist Victoria Finlay embarks on her own globe-circling search for the real stories behind some of the gems we prize most. Blending adventure travel, geology, exciting new research, and her own irresistible charm, Finlay has fashioned a treasure hunt for some of the most valuable, glamorous, and mysterious substances on earth. With the same intense curiosity and narrative flair she displayed in her widely-praised book Color, Finlay journeys from the underground opal churches of outback Australia to the once pearl-rich rivers of Scotland; from the peridot mines on an Apache reservation in Arizona to the remote ruby mines in the mountains of northern Burma. She risks confronting scorpions to crawl through Cleopatra’s long-deserted emerald mines, tries her hand at gem cutting in the dusty Sri Lankan city where Marco Polo bartered for sapphires, and investigates a rumor that fifty years ago most of the world’s amber was mined by prisoners in a Soviet gulag. Jewels is a unique and often exhilarating voyage through history, across cultures, deep into the earth’s mantle, and up to the glittering heights of fame, power, and wealth. From the fabled curse of the Hope Diamond, to the disturbing truths about how pearls are cultured, to the peasants who were once executed for carrying amber to the centuries-old quest by magicians and scientists to make a perfect diamond, Jewels tells dazzling stories with a wonderment and brilliance truly worthy of its subjects.

This guide provides concise, interesting and practical details on uncommon gems that are now being used by designers to create distinctive jewelry. It also lists the identification properties of the gems, where they are found, how they are used, why they are unique, how they are priced, and how to care for them.

To my dear sisters and cherished friends, We as women get so busy! We go to work, take care of our children and husbands, and do all the errands to keep the house running. On and on it goes. We see our friends at church, in passing, or at the grocery store, and always comment on how we should get together- but then we don't. And we say the same thing the next time we see them. Does this sound familiar? Friends and Gems Wire Wrapped Opalite Pendant is a wonderful combination of spiritual lessons ("gems") and an actual wire wrapping jewelry lesson. This is book number Fifteen in the Friends and Gems series; it is designed to be used by women either in a small-group setting or alone in your own personal quiet time. The course includes simple step-by-step instructions and to create the beautiful wire wrapped opalite featured on the cover. You can use any bead that has a hole drilled in the top. I wanted to make this not only a painting tutorial but a relaxing time of peace and inner reflection. So I have included stories, poetry, simple bible lessons, scriptures and places for you to record your thoughts while you work on your project either alone or in a group. Along the way, you will learn life changing spiritual truths that you can apply to your own life, all while spending time with your friends. Sound like fun? Let's get started!

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.