Gems are objects of wealth, icons of beauty, and emblems of the very best of everything. Given as tokens of love and affection, they also come in a kaleidoscopic array of hues and can be either mineral or organic. Gems can command a person's gaze in the way they play with light and express rich color. And they can evoke feelings of passion, greed, mystery, and warmth. For millennia, gems have played an important role in human culture: they have significant value, both financially and within folklore and mythology. But just what are gems, exactly? This lavishly illustrated volume - the most ambitious publication of its kind - provides a general introduction to gems and natural gemstones, conveying their timeless beauty and exploring similarities among different species and varieties. "Gems and Gemstones" features nearly three hundred color images of the 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 this October.The book and exhibition's overarching theme will be the relationship between finished gems and their natural origin: while beautiful as faceted and polished pieces of jewelry, gems are often just as lovely - or even more so - as gemstones in their natural state. For example, an aquamarine or emerald as originally found in a mine with its natural crystal faces can be as stunning as any cut and polished gem prepared for a ring, bracelet, or charm. Mindful of both ancient and modern times, "Gems and Gemstones" also includes fun-filled facts and anecdotes that broaden the historical portrait of each specimen. When Harry Winston, for instance, donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1958, he sent it through the U.S. Mail wrapped in plain brown paper. And for anyone who has ever marveled at the innovations of top jewelry designers, "Gems and Gemstones" features a dazzling array of polished stones, gold objects, and creations from around the world. Diamonds, sapphires, rubies, amethysts, pearls, topaz, amber - every major gem gets its due in this invaluable reference.
Along with reproduction, balancing energy expenditure with the limits of resource acquisition is essential for both a species and a population...255,75 zł
"On Tyranny" is Leo Strauss' classic reading of Xenophon's dialogue Hiero, or Tyrannicus, in which the tyrant Hiero and the poet Simonides discuss...156,07 zł
Parker, the ruthless antihero of Richard Stark's eponymous mystery novels, is one of the most unforgettable characters in hardboiled noir. Lauded...68,40 zł
The Damsel begins directly after the Parker novel The Handle. Following a wounded Grofield and his damsel on a scenic, action-packed road trip...68,40 zł
This penultimate volume in Pelikan's acclaimed history of Christian doctine - winner with Volume 3 of the medieval Academy's prestigious Haskins...113,18 zł
It has long been said that clothes make the man (or woman), but is it still true today? If so, how has the information clothes convey changed...179,80 zł
The work that helped to determine Paul Feyerabend's fame and notoriety, "Against Method," stemmed from Imre Lakatos's challenge: "In 1970 Imre...239,07 zł
Few people can write on the English language with the authority of Bryan A. Garner. The author of The Chicago Manual of Style's popular "Grammar...174,53 zł
Parker goes under the knife in The Man with the Getaway Face, changing his face to escape the mob and a contract on his life. Along the way he...68,40 zł
Leszek Kolakowski delves into some of the most intellectually vigorous questions of our time in this remarkable collection of essays garnished...185,95 zł
As policing has recently become a major topic of public debate, it was also a growing area of ethnographic research. Writing the World of Policing...168,48 zł
The vast remote Tibetan steppe, the Chang Tang, is home to a unique assemblage of large mammals, including the Tibetan antelope, gazelle, argali...201,94 zł
Opinie i recenzje użytkowników
Dodaj opinie lub recenzję dla Gems and gemstones. Twój komentarz zostanie wyświetlony po moderacji.