A Hand-book of Precious Stones

"A Hand-book of Precious Stones" by Meyer D. Rothschild is a late 1800's scientific guide meant for jewelry makers, merchants, and gemstone lovers, and it dives into the qualities and types of gems found in jewelry. Wanting to grow the understanding of gemstones beyond common ones like diamonds, the author shares clear facts about them for those trying to learn more. The book starts by explaining why this guide is needed, highlighting how important it is to have easy-to-understand information about precious stones. Rothschild then goes into how these gems are defined and sorted, pointing out that beauty, hardness, and how rare they are affect their worth. This start gives the basics for exploring different gemstones closely, looking at what they're made of and how they work, all to grow the knowledge of minerals when talking about precious stones.