Myanmar
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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 Broken Bangle features dozens of color images of both historical documents and spectacular photos of contemporary jade and stone carving in China.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…
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
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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All prices are in Thai Baht and will be charged in Thai Baht. Exchange rates fluctuate daily. See this link for current exchange rates.
Title Page & Table of Contents
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Book | Halford-Watkins | Book of Ruby & Sapphire | 2012
The Book of Ruby and Sapphire
J.F. Halford-Watkins | 2012
Prior to the 1930s, ruby and sapphire were mysteries, arcane gems oft-confused with spinel and other look-alikes. Enter Col. J.F. Halford-Watkins. Living in Mogok for more than two decades, he penned several articles and an entire monograph on the subject of these rare gems. Sadly he passed away before it could be published. In 1994, Richard Hughes came across a reference to the manuscript. Patrick Streeter, grandson of G. Skelton Streeter, and great grandson of the famed London jeweler, Edwin Streeter, had mentioned the Halford-Watkins manuscript while writing his book, Streeter of Bond Street. Following up on that obscure reference Richard Hughes stumbled upon something truly fantastic, an undiscovered treasure of the gemological literature. Over ten years in the making, The Book of Ruby and Sapphire is the realization of Halford-Watkins’ vision. Professionally edited and illustrated, it represents a gemological tour de force.
Still in Print. To order this book click this link
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Book | Inside Out | Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses | Order Page
Introducing…
Inside Out: GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses
by
E. Billie Hughes | Richard W. Hughes | Wimon Manorotkul
with a foreword by Paolo Minieri
Chinese translation by Jason C.H. Kao (高嘉兴), with Jinding Yu (俞瑾玎) and Bonnie Chao (晁艳)
From the dawn of time, precious stones have both attracted and fascinated humans in ways that few other items could. For while objects of desire are found throughout the natural world, physical beauty is too often ephemeral. From the allure of a man, woman, flower or butterfly, through the fleeting moments of a sunset, there is little that lasts and practically nothing that can be passed down to our descendants. The exception is precious stones. Not only are they the most durable creations of Mother Nature, but their visual splendor is truly eternal.
This book presents a completely fresh approach to the subject. Dubbing it humanistic gemology, the authors take readers around the world, showing the places they have explored in their search for gems, along with the people and cultures encountered along the way.
Within this volume, remarkable photographs of the human world are interwoven with images of the microscopic realm of the gems themselves. In a lifetime beset by time control, where living is broken into ever smaller bits, as you browse through these pages suddenly you plunge into a domain of frozen time, one that affords vistas of millions or even billions of years. For jewels offer not just superficial beauty, but a window on the primordial forces that birthed both our planet and universe.
Inside Out – Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses represents a fascinating new direction for gemology, linking the external and internal worlds of precious stones for the first time.
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Published 2020; Now shipping
Standard Edition – Hardcover
Price: Thai Baht 3000 + Shipping & Handling•
International Shipping & Handling from Thailand
Ships via International Parcel Air (2–3 weeks)Hardcover with Dust Jacket
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Full Color Throughout | Bilingual text in English & Simplified ChineseOnce you click the "Add to Cart" button below, you can select the quantity on the next page.
Discounts available for orders of 16 copies or more; please contact us.Order This Book Here
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. directly with a list of the books you want to order and your shipping address, and we will provide you with a shipping quotation. - Please note that some delays may be expected for handling & delivery at the destinations.
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Shipping cost by destination (THB)
Americas Canada ฿3000 Mexico ฿3000 USA ฿3300 Asia Pacific Australia ฿2500 China (mainland) ฿1500 Hong Kong ฿1500 Japan ฿1700 Singapore ฿1500 Taiwan ฿1700 Europe Austria ฿2000 Belgium ฿2500 Denmark ฿2500 France ฿2500 Germany ฿2300 Italy ฿2500 Netherlands ฿2500 Norway ฿2500 Sweden ฿2300 Switzerland ฿2500 UK ฿2500
All prices are in Thai Baht and will be charged in Thai Baht. Exchange rates fluctuate daily. See this link for current exchange rates.
Title Page
Introduction
Sample Interior Spreads
A few comments from reviewers…
I am doubtless readers both inside and outside of the gem trade will enthusiastically welcome Inside Out. Buy it, read it, give it away. I am fully confident you will be satisfied, ingratiated and inspired.
Jeffery Bergman – InColor MagazineThis book fills a gap in the literature on gems by pictorially exploring the relationship between humans and gems on an artistic and emotional level. It is a work of art that lives from the quality of the photographs and gets by with minimal textual commentary on the images.
Michael Hügi – Journal of GemmologyInside Out is a truly stunning work reflecting the combnied personalities, skills, knowledge and philosophy of the authors, who have created something exceptional and innovative for the world of gemmology.
Terry Coldham – Australian Gemmologist -
Book | Jade | A Gemologist's Guide | Limited Edition Order Page
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Jade • A Gemologist's Guide
Limited EditionTo proceed with your order, please select your shipping destination below.
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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
Sample Interior Spreads
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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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Book Review | Imperial Jade of Burma & Mutton-Fat Jade of India | Lotus Gemology
Samuels, S.K. (2014) Imperial Jade of Burma and Mutton-Fat Jade of India: Mining, Trade, and Use from Antiquity to the Present. SKS Enterprises, Inc., Tucson, AZ, USA, 248 pp. ISBN: 978-0-9725323-4-1
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Burma's Jade Mines | An Annotated Occidental History
The history of Burma's jade mines, as seen through Western eyes, from the earliest accounts through World War II.
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Burma’s Jade Mines | Tracing the Green Line
In 1996, several gemologists set off for Burma's remote jade mines, the first visit by foreigners since the early 1960's. This is the story of their epic journey.
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Burmese Jade | The Inscrutable Gem
Myanmar's jadeite mines occupy a privileged place, representing the planet's principal source of fine jadeite jade. This article covers the deposits themselves, along with the cutting, grading and trading of jadeite.
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Burmese Sapphire Giants
A brief history of Burmese (Myanmar) sapphires, along with details of some of the major pieces of yore.
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Jade | A Lifetime In Search of Heaven
The story of Richard Hughes' four-decade adventure with jade, from Burma's jadeite mines to China's classic mutton-fat nephrite deposit at Hetian, Xinjiang Province. The work of China's modern jade carving masters is also discussed.
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Jade Buying Guide | Jade Auction Records
This article discusses the factors that influence quality and what to look for when buying both jadeite and nephrite. A list of jade auction records is also included.
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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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Mogok Revisited | A Brief Stay in Heaven
An account of a 2013 visit to Mogok – Myanmar's fairy-tale wonderland.
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Oiled Gems Lab Alert • Lotus Gemology
Lotus Gemology warns that oiled rubies, sapphires and spinels are entering the Bangkok wholesale market in increasing numbers. Most, but not all, of these gems are originating from Burma.
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Pigeon's Blood | Pilgrimage to Mogok – Valley of Rubies
The author makes his first pilgrimage to Burma's Mogok Stone Tract.
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Ruby & Sapphire (Corundum) Inclusions | The Lotus Gemology Crystal Registry
Solid inclusions have been used by gemologists as a means of determining origin. While there is a great deal of overlap from one source to another, there are also important differences. For example, while apatite has been identified in sapphire from Madagascar, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, apatite has never been identified in sapphire from Kashmir. Thus the purpose of this article is to give a full listing of solid inclusions in gem corundums from around the world, with each occurrence fully referenced. This is provided with the goal of making origin determination of ruby and sapphire more accurate. -
Ruby & Sapphire Books | Collecting the Literature of Corundum | Hidden Treasure
A discussion of the literature of ruby and sapphire (corundum), with particular emphasis on the most collectible books covering ruby and sapphire around the world.