GO 340
Cliff Harris
The Complete Metalsmith: An Illustrated Handbook
by Tim McCreight
The book I chose to report on is a handbook for the working metalsmith. The chapters are very well designed and do-it-yourself tabs are a great idea for navigating the book. The first chapter deals with metallurgy and the metals, in great detail. The second chapter covers things that can be done to the surface of a metal and the tools that can be used. The third chapter is about design and shaping, as well as the tools and techniques. The fourth chapter goes into detail about the methods of joining metals together. The fifth chapter describes the many ways to cast metal with more than lost wax and sand casting techniques. The sixth chapter outlines the types of stones and settings that are used in making jewelry. Chapter seven is all about mechanisms that are employed in metalry including buckles, pins, clasps and hinges. Chapter eight is all about tools, both hand tools and electric, that are employed in the metalsmith business. Finally there is a reference section that has a plethora of information like conversion charts and formulas as well as valuable information about the history of the trade. Techniques are also described in detail with pictures to give the reader a better understanding. This is a great book for the new or experienced methalsmith.
Note: this book is used in ESU courses but is not available at White Library. McCreight, T. (1991). The Complete Metalsmith: An Illustrated Handbook (Revised Edition). Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, Inc., 192p.
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Karla Gaines
GO340
Book Report
Treasures in the Smithsonian: The Gem Collection
by Paul E. Desautels
The book "The Gem Collection" was written by the curator of the Smithsonian Institute's mineralogy division. Although short, this book is divided into eight key sections relevant to the study of gemstones. Of the 77 pages, 22 are full color pictures of specimens from the Smithsonian Institute gem collection.
The first section of the book gives a little of the background of gemstones and the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian. It covers where and when various donations occurred and also talks briefly about each of the eight curators that have been in charge since the collection was started in 1884 through the publication of this book, 1979.
Section two covers the study of gems, including the various physical and chemical characteristics of gemstones. For each of the characteristics, the definition is given, along with the procedure. The author then gives examples and comparisons that are simple enough for the average person to understand. For the chemical characteristics, the formulas of the common gems are given, along with a discussion of what make a gem desireable.
The third section of the book covers shaping. It includes a discussion of faceting, including diagrams of cuts. The diagrams also show what happens when a stone is cut incorrectly. Although not all of the cuts for faceted stones are shown, the book does cover the more common ones. For each of the cuts covered in detail, pavilion, crown, and girdle cuts are shown.
Section four is about gem substitutes. Four types of "fake" stones are covered. These include imitation, assembled, reconstructed and synthetic stones. I found the section on the reconstructed stones to be interesting, as it covered many ways that natural stones could be altered to make them more desirable.
In section five, gem lore is covered. This section covers some of the mythology surrounding gemstones, and ends with a discussion of the birthstones we have today.
The main portion of the book comes in section six. In this section, each of the principal gem species is covered in depth. For each of the species, the general characteristics are given, along with the key things to look for. The history of the gem is briefly covered and the key locations of origin are given. The author then gives examples and pictures from the National gem Collection. Overall, there are 13 different species of gems given.
Section seven is labeled jewelry, but after two paragraphs about the more famous gems in the collection, rest of the section is a table of the characteristics of some common gems. This table gives values for hardness, specific gravity, refractive index, dispersion, durability, and color.
The last section of the book is a listing of all the gems in the National Collection. They are listed out by species, and ordered by carat weight. Each one then gives the stone's color, name or other description, origin, catalog number, and the name of the donor. I was amazed at the number of stones in the collection.
Overall, although this book covers a lot of what can be found in other gemstone books. It is worth looking at because, in addition to the background information, there are beautiful pictures and descriptions of historic pieces of jewelry and rare gemstones.
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This page originates from the Earth Science department for the use and benefit of students enrolled at Emporia State University. For more information contact the course instructor, S. W. Aber, e-mail: saber@emporia.edu Thanks for visiting! Webpage created: April 23, 2003; last update: January 21, 2008.
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