The
Diamond Handbook: 3rd Edition
updates jewelry professionals and serious diamond buyers on new developments in diamond grading, treatments, synthetic diamonds, imitations, branded diamonds and fancy-color diamonds. Using close-up photos, it shows how to make visual judgments about clarity, transparency, brilliance and cut quality. As the Journal of Gemmology has stated in its review of the previous edition, the
Diamond Handbook
“gives the trade reader virtually all the essential information needed to buy and sell diamonds.”
A chapter on how to distinguish transparent and black diamond imitations from real natural diamonds has been added. The chapter on synthetic diamonds has eleven new pages, seven of which are photo pages that help trade members identify HPHT- and CVD-grown diamonds with magnification, fluorescence and crossed Polaroid filters. Photos and information have been updated in the chapters on fancy color diamonds, antique cuts and jewelry, diamond fluorescence, diamond treatments and recutting diamonds. A review in Gems & Gemology described the previous edition of the
as “an entire course on judging diamonds . . . useful to both the jewelry industry and consumers.”
Illustration Details: 392 photos (178 of the are new), plus diagrams, tables and charts
Reviews of previous edition:
“a delight to read from cover to cover. . . With the jewellery industry placing such importance on the cut grade for diamonds, I found it very useful to see two chapters dedicated to judging the cut of fancy shapes and the standard round brilliant. Wherever possible, diamond photos include their grading information. This gives the reader a visual reference for comparing colour, clarity and cut. Both the GIA and AGS cut grading factors are compared in chart form. The topics of windowing, bow-ties, thick girdles, inclusions, polish and ideal proportions are well presented. . . This book will be purchased by the consumer who wants more detailed information than just the 4C’s. For the gemology student, trade professional or industry employee, this book will be very helpful in upgrading or adding to your knowledge of diamonds and this industry. A great deal of effort has gone into producing this edition and it shows!”
Canadian Gemmologist
“Gives the trade reader virtually all the essential information needed to buy and sell diamonds. . . "The text covers everything the buyer needs to know, with useful comments on lighting and first-class images. At all relevant points the author gives an up-to-date list of references. . . "No other text in current circulation discusses re-cutting and its possible effects, and the author’s discussion of the new topic of branded diamonds conveniently brings together a number of examples of particular cuts peculiar to different firms. . . . Brief and useful notes describe the present position of synthetic gem diamond and treated diamond.This is a must for anyone buying testing or valuing a polished diamond and for students in many fields.”
Journal of Gemmology
“All of the material is presented in a very readable and intuitively structured format. The photographs are of high quality and provide good illustrations of the information that is covered. The tables are excellent. and provide a concise, at-a-glance overview of some of the things I find myself having to look up on occasion, e.g. cause of color in natural fancy colored diamonds . . . I believe that the
would be a valuable addition to any appraiser’s bookshelf. It’s compact size and clear layout make it perfect to grab for a quick reference during an appraisal, and it’s readability makes it accessible to the layperson. I can easily see pulling it off the shelf to help illustrate an explanation to a client or customer, or to use one of the fine photographs as an example of a particular inclusion. At $19.95, I think the
is too well priced to pass up.”
Jewelry Appraiser
“Impressively comprehensive. . . . a practical, well-organized and concisely written volume, packed with valuable information. . . . Newman familiarizes us with some diamond-district jargon and supplies us with a survival kit for our journey into the jewellery jungle. And of course, she walks us through the 4 Cs. In fact, Newman has given us a fifth C: Cut quality. She explains the importance of proportions and finish to the brilliance, fire and overall beauty of a diamond, and how these factors can affect the price of a stone by as much as 50%.
As a facetor, I am always pleased to see the critical importance of good cutting not only acknowledged but emphasized. In this respect, Newman has made me very happy. She covers the history of diamond cuts and cutting styles, and even devotes an entire chapter to the re-cutting of diamonds (information I have not seen elsewhere) and how the cutter works his magic. Even more valuable, however, are two chapters about how to judge the cut of fancy shapes and round brilliants. Here the reader learns about the consequences of bad cutting (bow ties, windows, fisheyes and nailheads) and how to recognize them. The "anatomy" and proper proportions of a round brilliant are discussed in detail, along with symmetry and polish.
In addition to his fifth C, we are also given two T’s: transparency and Treatment status. Newman feels that these three factors, taken in conjunction with the traditional 4 C’s, supply us with a more complete and reliable set of pricing parameters. I agree. In particular, transparency (and its relation to clarity) has been little understood and seldom addressed in most popular publications. .
As you have probably gathered by now, I like this book a great deal. . . .The
is destined to become an indispensable reference for the consumer and trade professional alike.”