Compact and easy-to-use, Nature Guide: Gems provides a thorough introduction and detailed, clearly illustrated profiles of hundreds of examples of precious metals, cut stones, and organics. This Smithsonian guide is packed with stunning photography and key information provided by expert contributors. Nature Guide: Gems is carefully structured, with catalog entries organized into easily understood groups that the newcomer will have no difficulty in navigating and the more experienced reader will appreciate.
Birds is a beautiful introduction to 75 diverse species of birds, filled full of facts on biology and lifestyle, as well as stunning illustrations. Birds are some of the most colourful and melodious creatures in nature, from the backyard birds we see and hear every day to the rare species we might never catch a glimpse of. Living in every type of habitat on every continent, their diversity is vast, and their lifestyles are just as varied, from penguins that manage avian creches in the Antarctic, to jacanas that appear to walk on water, and flamingos that can live for 40 years. Here are 75 examples of birds from around the world, each shown in a beautifully coloured natural history engraving. From seabirds to songbirds, birds of prey to wetland geese, each species here has a story to share about how it lives and breeds. With information about courtship displays, breeding strategies, nesting habits and egg types, Birds is a handy guide to their lifestyles, habitats, plumage, and anything else you could possibly need to know.
Prepare to be dazzled by this shining and sumptuous visual guide to the world's greatest treasures. Feast your eyes on glittering gemstones, kaleidoscopic minerals, and famous trinkets in this comprehensive exploration of Earth's finest jewels. Following a foreword from Aja Raden, hundreds of pages take a lavish look at precious stones, precious metals, and organic gems in all their natural wonder. From agate to zoisite, everything under the Sun is encapsulated in spectacular photography and accessible text. Trace the history of gemmology and get the inside story on our planet's most famous and fabulous gems, including the mysterious Hope Diamond, the stunning Koh-i-Noor of the Crown Jewels, and exquisite Fabergé eggs. Find out their physical properties, check the price tags, and discover the most remarkable record-breakers. This exceptionally extravagant book is a picture-packed, fact-filled celebration guaranteed to bring sparkle to your life and your library.
Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones provides both the connoisseur and the casual collector with a compact, easy-to-use volume describing more than 100 rare varieties of minerals whose beauty and mystery have possessed our imaginations from time immemorial. More than 450 brilliant photographs accompany profiles of each gem, covering such aspects as appearance, physical properties -- density, hardness, refraction -- occurrence, and how to judge quality and value. Additional sections describe the process of cutting gemstones and the techniques professional gemologists use to evaluate a stone's weight and optical properties. Detailed and comprehensive, this book is essential for anyone interested in the study of gems and precious stones.
Dig deep to discover our rocky planet, packed with natural wonders. Earth's extraordinary minerals, gems, shells, and fossils are all on dazzling display in this essential visual encyclopedia for children. Feast your eyes on the ultimate treasure trove that any pirate would envy. More than 1,000 stunning photographs showcase rocks and gems in glorious detail, ensuring you can recognise sedimentary from sandstone, metamorphic from marble, and pyrite from pearl. The unique qualities of each eye-catching material are described in-depth, together with their broad range of uses in art, industry, architecture, and science. Keep your eyes open for rainbow rocks, fluorescent minerals, priceless diamonds, and meteor showers on your geological journey of discovery. Meet dinosaurs in the prehistoric period to understand how fossils form, join the pyramid builders of ancient Egypt to investigate the limestone bricks, and take a dip in the ocean on the hunt for clams, cowries, and cockles. Treasure seekers, get set to start your own collection with The Rock and Gem Book.
“Profiles 600 of the most stunning, most wonderfully adapted beetles around . . . The result is a work that is nothing short of magnificent.” —Wired When renowned British geneticist J. B. S. Haldane was asked what could be inferred about God from a study of his works, Haldane replied, “An inordinate fondness for beetles.” With 350,000 known species, and scientific estimates that millions more have yet to be identified, their abundance is indisputable as is their variety. They range from the delightful summer firefly to the one-hundred-gram Goliath beetle. Beetles offer a dazzling array of shapes, sizes, and colors that entice scientists and collectors across the globe. The Book of Beetles celebrates the beauty and diversity of this marvelous insect. Six hundred significant beetle species are covered, with each entry featuring a distribution map, basic biology, conservation status, and information on cultural and economic significance. Full-color photos show the beetles both at their actual size and enlarged to show details, such as the sextet of spots that distinguish the six-spotted tiger beetle or the jagged ridges of the giant-jawed sawyer beetle. Based in the most up-to-date science and accessibly written, the descriptive text will appeal to researchers and armchair coleopterists alike. The humble beetle continues to grow in popularity, taking center stage in biodiversity studies, sustainable agriculture programs, and even the dining rooms of adventurous and eco-conscious chefs. The Book of Beetles is certain to become the authoritative reference on these remarkably adaptable and beautiful creatures. “Photographs of more than 600 colorful, glossy species, resembling bejeweled broaches morethan creepy crawlies, are presented at actual size.” —Publishers Weekly
