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By Frank B. Wade
Diamonds
A Text-Book of Precious Stones
A TEXT-BOOK
OF
PRECIOUS STONES
FOR JEWELERS
and
THE GEM-LOVING PUBLIC
BY
FRANK B. WADE, B.S.
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, SHORTRIDGE HIGH
SCHOOL, INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
AUTHOR OF "DIAMONDS: A STUDY OF THE FACTORS THAT
GOVERN THEIR VALUE"
ILLUSTRATED
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
The Knickerbocker Press
Copyright, 1918
BY
FRANK B. WADE
First printing, January, 1918
Second " March, 1924
Made in the United States of America
PREFACE
In this little text-book the author has triedto combine the trade information whichhe has gained in his avocation, the study ofprecious stones, with the scientific knowledgebearing thereon, which his vocation, the teachingof chemistry, has compelled him to master.
In planning and in writing the book, everyeffort has been made to teach the fundamentalprinciples and methods in use for identifyingprecious stones, in as natural an order as possible.This has been done in the belief that thenecessary information will thus be much morereadily acquired by the busy gem merchantor jeweler than would have been the case hadthe material been arranged in the usual systematicorder. The latter is of advantagefor quick reference after the fundamentals ofthe subject have been mastered. It is hoped,however, that the method of presentation used[iv]in this book will make easy the acquisition ofa knowledge of gemology and that many whohave been deterred from studying the subjectby a feeling that the difficulties due to their lackof scientific training were insurmountable, willfind that they can learn all the science that isreally necessary, as they proceed. To that endthe discussions have been given in as untechnicallanguage as possible and homely illustrationshave in many cases been provided.
Nearly every portion of the subject that agem merchant needs to know has been consideredand there is provided for the interestedpublic much material which will enable themto be more intelligent purchasers of gem-setjewelry, as well as more appreciative lovers ofNature's wonderful mineral masterpieces.
F. B. W.
- Indianapolis,
- December 26, 1916
INTRODUCTION
Because of the rapid increase in knowledgeabout precious stones on the partof the buying public, it has become necessaryfor the gem merchant and his clerks and salesmento know at least as much about t