Secrets of the Gem Trade: The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones by Richard W. Wise. Brunswick House Press, 81 Church St., Lenox, MA 01240. 292 pages; 2003; $79.95 (hardbound).
This is an impressive book in many respects. The title itself is quite a grabber; in fact, if you judge this book by its cover, you will be pretty much on the mark. Richard Wise sets out to expose the "secrets" of the gem profession, and in the process he succeeds in both illuminating and ...