DIAMONDS

Product Description Diamonds is the popular best-selling guide for everyone with an interest in these fascinating gems. Clearly written and attractively designed for ease of use, this book aims to help the reader acquire a basic knowledge of diamonds and an understanding of the main factors that determine their quality and value. Written in clear, jargon-free language, Diamonds has been praised for its comprehensiveness and usefulness as a practical guide. The reader will also find information on the history of diamonds and the growth of the diamond industry, including recent developments such as branding and inscriptions. The book is richly illustrated in full colour, with images of some of the world's most beautiful diamonds – including the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond – as well as illustrations of the different types of cut and shape used in the diamond trade. The reader will also find grading scales for colour, cut and clarity, a chart of carat weights and corresponding sizes, examples of diamond grading reports, and a directory of international organizations and gem laboratories. One of the main features of the book is the chapter on natural fancy colour diamonds, which provides a useful guide to this important sector of the diamond trade. Information and illustrations on each main colour group give the reader a solid introduction to natural fancy colour diamonds. This is one of the few books on the market that offers readers such a comprehensive guide to the increasingly popular coloured diamonds. A special bonus is a chapter on the life story of one very special diamond, the Lesotho Promise, from its discovery to finished jewel, documented through both images and text.