Secrets of the Gem Trade 2nd edition quote was the gem of choice

was the gem of choice for engravers from the Bronze Age until late Roman times

the UV Colorscope features a darkfield viewing system that enhances contrast and allows even low levels of fluorescence to be detected with precision

Experts in this craft enjoyed high status

placed diamond at number three

Jadeite or Nephrite Jade

Secrets of the Gem Trade 2nd edition quote was the gem of choicePART I, Chapter 1 Becoming A Connoisseur: Essentials Imagine a time before the existence of the world we know, long before the invention of artificial colors, aniline dyes or LED lighting. Picture a group of our remote ancestors, a party of Neolithic hunters, clothed in animal hides and armed with spears, picking their way single file, across a shallow mountain stream. One man stoops to drink. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches a tiny flash of