Renee Newman Debuts New Book At AGTA GemFair...

Today at AGTA GemFair, Renee Newman debuted the newest edition of her Exotic Gems series at the NAJA booth.

Also available were her other guides - I picked up a copy of "The Pearl Buying Guide" for one our roommates - it always feels special to have an autographed copy of a good reference.

Introducing - Exotic Gems Vol. 2

In words that everyone can understand Renee Newman walks you through the chemical, physical and optical qualities and then she takes you to the mines, shows you what it takes to cut some of these exotics and then finishes up with some of the most gorgeous photos of faceted gems, carved gems and gems in jewelry...and she even talks about the Metaphysical Lore of the gem.

The popularity of the television shopping networks has opened up a new era in gems in jewelry - there was a day when some faceted gems and beads on the market today were considered to soft for jewelry and they were only available as specimens for mineral collectors - those days are gone and this series gives us the information we need to make decisions about using these materials in jewelry and for those looking to purchase them.

With over 400 photos - this book is worth buying just for the "eye candy" value - delightful to see such a great range from bridge to fine jewelry - cutters to carvers. 

The new book will be available through the normal resources and the NAJA by the end of the month...Volume One is up at Amazon  and Barnes & Noble now.