geology
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Book | Broken Bangle | Jade Nomenclature Order Page
Introducing…
Broken Bangle • The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature
by
Liu Shang-i ('Edward') | Richard W. Hughes
Zhou Zhengyu ('Adam') | Kaylan Khourie
Sponsored byZhuang Qingfang
The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong
On Tung Jewellery
Junhao Gemology
Pinde Xuan
Lotus GemologyBroken 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 Broken Bangle features dozens of color images of both historical documents and spectacular photos of contemporary jade and stone carving in China.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)
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Title Page & Table of Contents
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Book | Jade | A Gemologist's Guide | Limited Edition Order Page
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Jade • A Gemologist's Guide
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Book | Jade | A Gemologist's Guide | Order Page
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 ScienceThe 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…
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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 ThroughoutSpecial Limited Edition of 100 Signed and Numbered Copies Bound in Thai Silk with Slipcase
US$300 (Sold Out)
Title Page & Table of Contents
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Book | Ruby & Sapphire | A Collector's Guide | 2014 | Order Page
Introducing…
Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector’s Guide
by Richard W. Hughes
with photographs by Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie HughesThis 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
Content
1. Résumé
History
2. Source
Geology
Valley of Serpents
Afghanistan
Australia
India
Kenya
Laos
Madagascar
Malawi
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Pakistan
Rwanda
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand & Cambodia
Thailand & Cambodia
USA–Montana
Vietnam
3. Connoisseur
Cutting
From Pigeon's Blood to Peacock's Neck
Ruby & Sapphire Prices
Does Size Matter?
The Tao of Jewelry
4. Forensic
Inner Space
Enhancements
Connoisseurship of Crystals
5. Heart
Gem Cutting in Thailand
The Thai Jeweler's Art
6. Library
Library
Library
7. Portfolio
Portfolio
Index
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Book | Ruby & Sapphire | A Gemologist's Guide | Order Page
Introducing…
Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide
by Richard W. Hughes
with Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie HughesThis 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
Gallery
Title Page
Contents
Contents
Introduction
1. History
2. Chemistry & Crystallography
3. Properties & Phenomena
4. Color & Luminescence
5. Inclusions
6. Treatments
7. Synthetic Corundum
8. Assembled Stones
9. Methods of Fashioning
10. Judging Quality
11. Geology
12. World Sources
Afghanistan
Australia
China
Colombia
France & Greenland
India
Kenya
Laos
Madagascar
Malawi
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal & Nigeria
Pakistan
Rwanda
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand/Cambodia
USA
Vietnam
Appendix A: Tagore's Mani-Mala
Appendix B: Prices & ID Flow Charts
Index
Click on the icon to download a corrected Table of Contents and Errata sheet for the current volume (PDF).
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
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In Search of the Lost Andesine Mines | Part 1 | 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.
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In Search of the Lost Andesine Mines | Part 2 | 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.
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Lao 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.
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Mogok Geology Primer | Rock Talk
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
In search of ruby and sapphire on the lost Isle of Madagascar.