geology

  • Book | Broken Bangle | Jade Nomenclature Order Page

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature | Cover image

    Introducing…

    Broken Bangle • The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature

    by

    Liu Shang-i ('Edward')  |  Richard W. Hughes
    Zhou Zhengyu ('Adam')  |  Kaylan Khourie


    Sponsored by

    Zhuang Qingfang
    The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong
    On Tung Jewellery
    Junhao Gemology
    Pinde Xuan
    Lotus Gemology

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature takes readers through the entire tortuous history of jade nomenclature, detailing how the current monikers were based on misinformation and misunderstanding of the gems’ true natures. Thus, the Chinese gem yù (amphibole jade) was named “nephrite” by French mineralogist Alexis Damour in the mistaken belief it was the same as the Mesoamerican pyroxene jade that a 16th Century Spanish doctor himself misinterpreted as being used to treat kidney disease (‘nephritus’). Later, Damour created a mineral species he called “jadeite” for what was actually a gem rock already known in China as fei cui.

    But this gemological whodunit is much more than a dry recitation of jade nomenclature. It includes a detailed section on the occurrence and mineralogy of both yù (nephrite) and fei cui. Because jade is so intimately connected with Chinese culture, much of the Middle Kingdom’s fascinating history is also woven through its pages.

    Did we mention the illustrations? Broken Bangle features dozens of color images of both historical documents and spectacular photos of contemporary jade and stone carving in China. For those whose mental picture of jade sculpture is a cliché Chinese goddess statue, prepare to have your minds blown.

    Lead author Liu Shang-i summed up the book’s major aim:

    Our understanding of the world is deeply influenced by the names we assign to things. As history, culture, and scientific inquiry evolve, it becomes essential to assign accurate and fitting names to these unique types of jade that embody Chinese heritage. This nomenclature should reflect its cultural significance and resonate with both historical context and contemporary understanding.

    Co-author Zhou Zhengyu added:

    There is an ancient saying in China termed “casting a brick to attract jade.” Any book or article is only a stage of understanding, and this understanding, if it can be better than before, is progress. Our work is certainly not the last word on the subject, but we hope it will help improve people’s understanding of this gem’s fascinating history and inspire others to research the subject further. Not unlike a brick thrown in the hopes of attracting jade.

    This edition of Broken Bangle is limited to just 600 copies. Don’t miss this chance to enjoy not just superb scholarship, but also extraordinary examples of China’s modern jade culture.

    Comments from reviewers…

    A readable work of art…John Koivula, Gemological Institute of America
    This book [is] not only a work of scholarship but of art…Anne Carroll Marshall, Journal of the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong
    Beautifully illustrated and a pleasure to read… a valuable contribution not only for the gemologist, but for all who deal with jade jewelry.Eric Hoffman, Hoffmanjade.com
    Whether you are a hardcore gemologist or just a garden-variety jade lover, Broken Bangle is the book for you. Buy it, read it yourself, and give it away. I enthusiastically give Broken Bangle two thumbs up!Jeffery Bergman, International Gem Society
    …a splendid bookJohn Saul, geologist and author
    Wow, beautifully done, a must have to expand one's knowledge of jade.Georg Schmerholz, master jade carver and author
     

    Hardcover  |  Published September 2024
    THB2100 (~US$60)

    120 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches), 1 kg (2.2 lb)
    Full Color Throughout

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    Title Page & Table of Contents

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature contents page

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Authors

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature sponsors

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature preface

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature | Jade in China 

    Sample Interior Spreads 

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 1

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 2

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 3

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 3

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 4

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 5

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 5

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 5

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature | Chapter 6 | References

     Broken Bangle 114 115

     

  • Book | Jade | A Gemologist's Guide | Limited Edition Order Page

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Cover small

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    Jade • A Gemologist's Guide
    Limited Edition

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  • Book | Jade | A Gemologist's Guide | Order Page

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Cover small

    Introducing…

    Jade • A Gemologist's Guide

    edited by

    Richard W. Hughes

    featuring contributions from…

    Ahmadjan Abduriyim • Dale Blankenship • George E. Harlow • Eric J. Hoffman • E. Billie Hughes • Richard W. Hughes • Jiang “Chris” Chenglong • John I. Koivula • Nikolai Kouznetsov • Liu Yicen • Kirk Makepeace • Jeff Mason • Dominic W.K. Mok • Qi Lijian • Mary Lou Ridinger • Donn Salt • Roland Schluessel • Andrew Shaw • Shi Guanghai • Susan Stronge • Wang Mingying • Stewart Young • Zhou "Adam" Zhengyu
    with…
    Rudolph I. Estrada • Tao Hsu • Jason C.H. Kao • Michael S. Krzemnicki • William F. Larson • Wim Vertriest


    Sponsored by the Houston Museum of Natural Science

     

    The study of jade is unlike that of any other gem, trespassing across conventional boundaries, particularly those of the gemological and mineralogical realm. Despite the march of mineralogical orthodoxy and conformity, the word “jade” is a fist in the air of protest, crying out not for further reduction and definition, but an expansion of the mineralogical canon to include the cultural aspects of human civilization and life. Because jade is so much more than a simple census of atoms, valence states, and places of residence. Jade is a lexicon liberator.

    While the literature on jade is vast, perhaps greater than any other gem, there is a distinct lack of a volume in English that treats jade as a gemological material. This book is designed to fill that gap, with extensive information on the history, sources, appraisal and identification of both treated and imitation jades. All of this is together in a single volume for the first time, making it a must-have for collectors, dealers, gemologists, appraisers, curators and anyone else with an interest in this fascinating gem.

    An understanding of jade is not limited to the technical or exacting; it also incorporates a feeling for the cultural, textural, and ephemeral qualities that make the study of this gem unlike any other. This volume will not just fill the “traditional gemological” gap, but will open readers’ eyes to a world beyond. Because jade is so much more…

    Publishing: 2022

    Standard Edition Hardcover with Dust Jacket
    US$200

    534 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches), 2.75 kg (6 lb)
    Full Color Throughout

    Special Limited Edition of 100 Signed and Numbered Copies Bound in Thai Silk with Slipcase
    US$300 (Sold Out)

    Standard & Limited Editions: Sold Out

    Check out our coffee-table style book Inside Out.

     


     

    Title Page & Table of Contents

    Jade A Gemologists Guide title page

    Jade A Gemologists Guide table of contents

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Authors

    Sample Interior Spreads

     Jade A Gemologists Guide Conundrum

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Conundrum3

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Introduction

    Jade A Gemologists Guide History in China

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Geology

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Hetian

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Myanmar

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Mayan

    Jade A Gemologists Guide New Zealand

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Mughal

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Canada

    Jade A Gemologists Guide USA

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Russia

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Japan

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Archaic Identification

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Nephrite ID

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Jadeite ID

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Inclusions

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Jadeite Quality

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Auctions

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Carving History

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Modern Carving

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Symbolism Color

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Books

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Glossary

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Bibliography

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Index 

     

     

     

  • Book | Ruby & Sapphire | A Collector's Guide | 2014 | Order Page

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide

    Introducing…

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector’s Guide

    by Richard W. Hughes
    with photographs by Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie Hughes

    This impressive coffee-table style volume takes readers into the secret world of ruby and sapphire, through the pen and lens of international expert, Richard Hughes. The author guides readers with the steady eye of a connoisseur, explaining what collectors should look for in ruby and sapphire. Many pictured pieces feature actual auction prices, aiding collectors in their buying decisions. Illustrated with more than 400 magnificent color photographs, for anyone with an interest in precious stones, this is a visual and intellectual feast of the most delicious order.

    Published 2014; Sold Out

    Hardcover with Dust Jacket
    384 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches); 2.4 kg shipping weight
    Full Color Throughout

    Sold Out

    Check out our coffee-table style book Inside Out.


     

    Content

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Résumé

    1. Résumé

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Résumé

    History

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Source

    2. Source

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Source

    Geology

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Valley of Serpents

    Valley of Serpents

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Valley of Serpents

    Afghanistan

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Australia

    Australia

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – India

    India

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Kenya

    Kenya

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Malawi

    Laos

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Madagascar

    Madagascar

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Malawi

    Malawi

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Mozambique

    Mozambique

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Myanmar

    Myanmar

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Nepal

    Nepal

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Nepal

    Pakistan

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Rwanda

    Rwanda

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Sri Lanka

    Sri Lanka

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Tajikistan

    Tajikistan

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Tanzania

    Tanzania

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Thailand & Cambodia

    Thailand & Cambodia

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Thailand & Cambodia

    Thailand & Cambodia

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Montana

    USA–Montana

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Vietnam

    Vietnam

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Connoisseur

    3. Connoisseur

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Connoisseur

    Cutting

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Connoisseur

    From Pigeon's Blood to Peacock's Neck

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Connoisseur

    Ruby & Sapphire Prices

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Connoisseur

    Does Size Matter?

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Connoisseur

    The Tao of Jewelry

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Forensic

    4. Forensic

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Forensic

    Inner Space

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Forensic

    Enhancements

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Forensic

    Connoisseurship of Crystals

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Forensic

    5. Heart

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Forensic

    Gem Cutting in Thailand

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Forensic

    The Thai Jeweler's Art

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Library

    6. Library

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Library

    Library

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Library

    Library

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Portfolio

    7. Portfolio

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Portfolio

    Portfolio

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide – Index

    Index

     

  • Book | Ruby & Sapphire | A Gemologist's Guide | Order Page

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide

    Introducing…

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide

    by Richard W. Hughes
    with Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie Hughes

    This massive volume is the most comprehensive book ever written on a single precious stone. Designed as a companion volume to Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide, it is aimed specifically at working gemologists, appraisers and students. Based on Richard W. Hughes' 1997 classic, Ruby & Sapphire, this edition is fully updated. The product of nearly 40 years of firsthand experience and research, it covers every aspect of the subject from A–Z. History, sources, prices, quality analysis, synthetics and treatments, everything is here. Ruby & Sapphire—A Gemologist’s Guide represents the definitive reference on the subject. With over 1000 photos, maps and illustrations and 3500 references, it is nothing less than a tour-de-force of gemological scholarship.

     

    Published 2017; Sold Out

    International Shipping & Handling from Thailand
    Ships via International Parcel Air (2-3 weeks)

    Hardcover with Dust Jacket
    816 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches); 4.6 kg shipping weight
    Full Color Throughout

    Standard & Limited Editions: Sold Out

    Check out our coffee-table style book Inside Out.


     

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Gallery

    Gallery

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Gallery

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Gallery

     

    Title Page

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Title Page

     

    Contents

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Contents

     

    Contents

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Contents

     

    Introduction

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Introduction

     

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – History

    1. History

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – History

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – History

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Chemistry & Crystallography

    2. Chemistry & Crystallography

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Chemistry & Crystallography

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Chemistry & Crystallography

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Properties & Phenomena

    3. Properties & Phenomena

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Properties & Phenomena

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Properties & Phenomena

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Color, Spectra & Luminescence

    4. Color & Luminescence

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Color, Spectra & Luminescence

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Color, Spectra & Luminescence

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Inclusions

    5. Inclusions

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Inclusions

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Inclusions

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Treatments

    6. Treatments

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Treatments

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Treatments

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Synthetic Corundum

    7. Synthetic Corundum

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Synthetic Corundum

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Synthetic Corundum

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Assembled Stones

    8. Assembled Stones

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Assembled Stones

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Assembled Stones

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Methods of Fashioning

    9. Methods of Fashioning

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Methods of Fashioning

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Methods of Fashioning

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Judging Quality

    10. Judging Quality

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Judging Quality

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Judging Quality

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Geology

    11. Geology

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Geology

     

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Geology

     

     

    12. World Sources

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources

     

     

    Afghanistan

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Afghanistan

    Australia

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Australia

    China

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: China

    Colombia

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Colombia

    France & Greenland

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: France & Greenland

    India

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: India

    Kenya

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Kenya

    Laos

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Laos

    Madagascar

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Madagascar

    Malawi

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Malawi

    Mozambique

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Mozambique

    Myanmar

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Myanmar

    Nepal & Nigeria

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Nepal & Nigeria

    Pakistan

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Pakistan

    Rwanda

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Rwanda

    Sri Lanka

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Sri Lanka

    Tajikistan

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Tajikistan

    Tanzania

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Tanzania

    Thailand/Cambodia

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Thailand/Cambodia

    USA

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: USA

    Vietnam

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – World Sources: Vietnam

     

    Appendix A: Tagore's Mani-Mala

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Appendix A: Tagore's Mani-Mala

     
     

    Appendix B: Prices & ID Flow Charts

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Appendix B: Prices & ID Flow Charts

     
     

    Index

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Index

     

     

    Click on the icon to download a corrected Table of Contents and Errata sheet for the current volume (PDF).

    Errata

    Comments from reviewers…

    Voilà un livre de poids, 735 pages et plus de 4 kg qui enrichira vos connaissances historiques comme scientifiques et gemmologiques. L' auteur, bien connu des gemmologues, nous offre un nouveau voyage dans l' univers des corindons. C' est un livre à regarder, approcher, toucher, feuilleter, découvrir enen l' ouvrant avec à la fois impatience et retenue, pour finalement s' y abandonner. C' est une leçon de vie, un livre-compagnon à déguster sans modération.

     —Association Française de Gemmologie

     
     
     
  • In Search of the Lost Andesine Mines | Part 1 | Hunting Barack Osama in Tibet

    In Search of the Lost Andesine Mines  |  Part I  •  Hunting Barack Osama in Tibet

    The subject of andesine in Tibet has been one of controversy since 2008. This article examines the history of the issue, along with detailing an October 2010 visit to the Tibetan andesine deposit.

  • In Search of the Lost Andesine Mines | Part 2 | Faith

    In Search of the Lost Andesine Mines  •  Part II  •  Faith

    The mining of natural red andesine in Tibet has been a subject of controversy. This article describes RWH's second visit to the Tibetan deposit.

  • Lao Sapphires | Laos – Land of a Million Elephants... & Sapphires

    Laos Sapphires • Laos – Land of a Million Elephants... & Sapphires

    The history of the Lao sapphire mines at Ban Huay Xai is detailed, along with modern mining by Hong Kong based Sino Resources Mining Corp. Ltd. from 2006–2012.

  • Mogok Geology Primer | Rock Talk

    Rock talk  |  A Mogok Geology Primer

    A look at the geology of Myanmar's Mogok Stone Tract, home to pigeon's blood rubies and so much more…

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    Sorcerers & Sapphires • A Visit to Madagascar • Lotus Gemology

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