Gemmology
, by Read, Peter G.Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
- ISBN: 9780750610667 | 0750610662
- Cover: Hardcover
- Copyright: 2/1/1991
Preface | p. ix |
Acknowledgements | p. x |
Introduction | p. 1 |
The evolution of the science of gemmology | p. 1 |
Highlights of the last 160 years | p. 1 |
The essential qualities of a gem material | p. 9 |
Organic and inorganic gems | p. 10 |
The geological formation and occurrence of gemstones | p. 11 |
The Earth's structure | p. 11 |
Minerals and rocks | p. 12 |
The formation of gemstones in the Earth's crust | p. 12 |
Groups, species and varieties | p. 15 |
The major gem occurrences of the world | p. 16 |
Mining techniques | p. 18 |
The chemical composition of gemstones | p. 21 |
Atoms, elements, molecules and compounds | p. 21 |
Valency | p. 23 |
Bonding | p. 24 |
The relationship between chemical composition and durability | p. 26 |
Crystallography | p. 28 |
Crystalline and non-crystalline materials | p. 28 |
The atomic structure of a crystal | p. 30 |
Classification of crystals by symmetry | p. 32 |
The seven crystal systems and their elements of symmetry | p. 33 |
Crystal forms | p. 37 |
Crystal habits and their use in identification | p. 38 |
Twinned crystals | p. 40 |
Polycrystalline and microcrystalline minerals | p. 41 |
Metamict minerals | p. 42 |
Defining crystallographic features by indices | p. 43 |
Cleavage, parting and fracture | p. 44 |
The mechanism of cleavage | p. 44 |
Lapidary problems caused by cleavage planes | p. 45 |
The use of cleavage in the fashioning of diamond | p. 47 |
Parting (false or pseudo-cleavage) | p. 47 |
Fracture and its use as an aid to identification | p. 47 |
Hardness | p. 49 |
The durability of a gemstone | p. 49 |
Mohs' scale of comparative hardness | p. 49 |
Hardness tests (using hardness pencils and plates) | p. 50 |
Directional hardness | p. 52 |
Engineering hardness tests | p. 53 |
The influence of hardness on mining techniques | p. 54 |
Specific gravity, density and relative density | p. 55 |
Definitions | p. 55 |
Archimedes' principle and the measurement of SG | p. 55 |
Measurement of SG by displacement | p. 56 |
Hydrostatic methods of SG measurement | p. 58 |
Approximation of SG using heavy liquids | p. 62 |
Safety precautions | p. 67 |
Precise measurement of SG using heavy liquids | p. 68 |
Colour, lustre and sheen | p. 69 |
The electromagnetic spectrum | p. 69 |
The photon | p. 70 |
Colour and selective absorption | p. 71 |
Allochromatic and idiochromatic gems | p. 72 |
The transition elements | p. 72 |
Colour-change gemstones | p. 73 |
Interference colours | p. 74 |
Dispersion | p. 74 |
Colour centres | p. 75 |
Lustre | p. 76 |
Sheen | p. 76 |
Colour, transparency and identification | p. 80 |
Reflection and refraction | p. 81 |
Snell's laws of reflection and refraction | p. 81 |
Refractive index | p. 82 |
Double refraction | p. 83 |
The refractometer | p. 84 |
Contact fluid | p. 86 |
Sources of illumination | p. 86 |
Using the refractometer | p. 88 |
Optic axes, optic sign and optical character | p. 90 |
Distant vision method | p. 93 |
Special refractometer versions | p. 94 |
Fresnel's reflectivity equation | p. 95 |
The reflectance meter | p. 96 |
Other methods of RI measurement | p. 99 |
Polarization and pleochroism | p. 107 |
The polarization of light | p. 107 |
Polarizing filters | p. 107 |
The polariscope | p. 109 |
Using the polariscope | p. 111 |
The conoscope (interference figures) | p. 112 |
Pleochroism (differential selective absorption) | p. 113 |
The dichroscope | p. 114 |
Spectroscopy | p. 117 |
Absorption and emission spectra | p. 117 |
The prism spectroscope | p. 118 |
The diffraction grating spectroscope | p. 120 |
Using the spectroscope | p. 122 |
Fine line spectra | p. 126 |
Fraunhofer lines | p. 127 |
Other spectroscope versions | p. 127 |
Raman spectroscopy | p. 129 |
Spectrophotometers | p. 129 |
Luminescent, electrical and thermal properties of gemstones | p. 131 |
Luminescence (fluorescence and phosphorescence) | p. 131 |
Photoluminescence and Stokes' law | p. 132 |
Crossed filters | p. 132 |
LW and SW UV radiation | p. 133 |
X-ray radiation | p. 135 |
Photoluminescent properties of gemstones | p. 136 |
Other forms of luminescence | p. 136 |
SW UV transmission test | p. 138 |
Electrical properties | p. 139 |
Thermal conductivity and thermal inertia | p. 141 |
Thermal conductance testers | p. 142 |
The hand lens, microscope and Chelsea filter | p. 145 |
Types of hand lens | p. 145 |
Types of microscope | p. 147 |
Light-field, dark-field and incident illumination | p. 150 |
Pin-point illumination and shadowing techniques | p. 151 |
Pin-point illumination and shadowing techniques | p. 151 |
Immersion techniques | p. 152 |
Additional uses for the microscope | p. 153 |
Care in the use of the microscope | p. 154 |
The Chelsea filter | p. 155 |
Handling gemstones | p. 156 |
Gemstone enhancement | p. 160 |
Foils, colour backing and dyeing | p. 160 |
Implanation | p. 161 |
Heat treatments | p. 162 |
Surface diffusion | p. 165 |
Irradiation methods | p. 166 |
Glass filling | p. 169 |
Laser drilling of diamond | p. 170 |
Disclosure of enhancements | p. 170 |
Synthetic gemstones and gemstone simulants | p. 172 |
A brief history of early gemstone synthesis | p. 172 |
Definitions | p. 173 |
The Verneuil flame-fusion process | p. 173 |
The Czochralski method | p. 177 |
Flux-melt growth | p. 178 |
Zone melting | p. 180 |
The hydrothermal process | p. 180 |
The skull-crucible process | p. 184 |
Diamond synthesis | p. 185 |
'Synthetic' lapis lazuli, turquoise and opal | p. 188 |
Synthetic jadeite | p. 189 |
Gemstone simulants | p. 189 |
Composite gemstones | p. 189 |
Thin diamond films | p. 192 |
Distinguishing between synthetic and natural gemstones | p. 193 |
Growth lines and colour zoning | p. 193 |
Twinning | p. 193 |
Types of inclusion | p. 194 |
Identification features of natural and synthetic gemstones | p. 194 |
Colour zone diffusion and induced feathers/fingerprints | p. 208 |
Use of the polariscope (identifying synthetic quartz and Verneuil corundum) | p. 208 |
Laboratory equipment and methods | p. 209 |
Identifying inorganic gemstone simulants | p. 216 |
Alexandrite | p. 217 |
Aquamarine | p. 217 |
Diamond | p. 218 |
Additional tests for diamond | p. 219 |
Emerald | p. 222 |
Jade | p. 222 |
Lapis lazuli | p. 223 |
Turquoise | p. 223 |
Opal | p. 224 |
Quartz | p. 225 |
Ruby | p. 225 |
Sapphire | p. 226 |
Organic gem materials and their simulants | p. 227 |
Natural pearls | p. 227 |
Cultured pearls | p. 229 |
Distinguishing natural from cultured pearls | p. 232 |
Imitation pearls and their identification | p. 236 |
Shell | p. 239 |
Amber | p. 240 |
Ivory | p. 242 |
Odontolite | p. 243 |
Tortoiseshell | p. 243 |
Jet | p. 244 |
Coral | p. 245 |
The fashioning of gemstones | p. 247 |
Critical angle | p. 247 |
Cutting styles | p. 250 |
Gemstone polishing | p. 256 |
Lapidary techniques | p. 256 |
Gemstone carving | p. 258 |
Diamond polishing methods | p. 259 |
Diamond grading | p. 263 |
Appendices | p. 267 |
Bibliography | p. 267 |
The organic gems | p. 268 |
The inorganic gems | p. 270 |
Man-made gems not occurring in nature | p. 291 |
Colour theory | p. 293 |
Examination notes and sample examination papers | p. 295 |
Gemstone constants | p. 302 |
Units of measurement | p. 306 |
Table of elements | p. 307 |
Table of principal Fraunhofer lines | p. 310 |
Gemstone weighing | p. 310 |
Index | p. 313 |
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