This 1997 classic set a new standard for gemological scholarship. Now out-of-print, it sells for a thousand dollars or more in the secondhand market. Its successor is 2017's Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide.
Ruby & Sapphire • The Book by Richard W. Hughes
…A pure joy to read. An absolute must!
– Peter Groenenboom
- Selected Reviews
- More Reviews
- Table of Contents (see below)
Sample Chapters:
Chapter 12: World Sources
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RUBY & SAPPHIRE by Richard W. Hughes is one of the finest books ever published on precious stones. It contains a wealth of information, including prices, quality analysis, sources, history, treatments and identification. This book is suitable for libraries, museums, auction houses, jewelers, gemologists, collectors, manufacturers, gem traders, miners, geologists, consumers – in short, anyone with an interest in precious stones.
512 pp.
8.5 x 11 inches
Cloth-bound hardcover with dust jacket
Over 350 full-color illustrations
Dozens of maps, tables & figures
Over 2400 references
Table of Contents
Introduction: Something of myself 20–23
Author's notes 24–25
Acknowledgments 26–28
1. History 29–47
- Ruby & sapphire in ancient India
- Arabic-script mineralogy
- European learning in the Dark & Middle Ages – Under the yoke of the church
- Marco Polo, Gutenberg and the reawakening of Europe
- Final unification of ruby and sapphire
- Bibliography
2. Chemistry & crystallography 48–59
- Chemical composition
- The corundum structure
- Crystallography of corundum
- Twinning in corundum
- Morphology (face probability) & habit
- Ruby habits
- Sapphire habits
- Bibliography
3. Properties 60–69
- Cleavage, parting and fracture
- Hardness
- Thermal properties
- Melting and boiling points and solubilities
- Density and specific gravity
- Electrical properties
- Optical properties
- Luster
- Optical phenomena
- Bibliography
4. Color, spectra & luminescence 70–85
- Color in ruby & sapphire
- Causes of color
- Luminescence
- Absorption spectra
- Non-visible spectra
- Pleochroism
- Bibliography
5. Under the magnifying glass: Inclusions 86–102
- History of inclusion research
- The microscope – A gemologist's best friend
- Mastering the microscope – Illumination techniques
- Inclusion types & formation
- Pre-existing inclusions (protogenetic)
- Contemporary inclusions (syngenetic)
- Secondary inclusions (epigenetic)
- Identifying solid inclusions
- Describing inclusions
- Overview of corundum inclusions
- Country descriptions of inclusions
- Bibliography
6. Treatments 103–138
- History of ruby and sapphire treatments
- Modern heat treatment – Enter the geuda
- Heat treatment processes
- Detection of heat treatment
- Surface diffusion-treated corundums (SDTCs)
- Surface repair (surface infilling)
- Irradiation
- Dyes and oils
- Surface coatings & stains
- Disclosure: Rebottling the treatment genie
- Bibliography
7. Synthetic corundum 139–192
- Alchemist's dreams
- Enter Verneuil
- Verneuil's discovery
- A close look at Verneuil's process
- Identifying features
- Verneuil visible absorption spectra
- Synthetic star corundum
- Czochralski (pulling) process
- Floating-zone process
- Combination melt techniques
- "Recrystallized" ruby
- Solution growth processes
- Summary of flux identification
- Advanced identification techniques
- Ma, what's it all mean?
- Bibliography
8. Assembled stones 193–198
- Coatings
- Foilbacks & mirrorbacks
- Assembled rough
- Assembled stars
- Identification of assembled stones
- Bibliography
9. Methods of fashioning 199–210
- Cutting basics
- Preforming and orientation
- Cutting styles
- Cabochons
- Carved & engraved rubies & sapphires
- Bibliography
10. Judging quality: A connoisseur's guide 211–257
- Ruby & sapphire grading: A heretic's guide
- The elements of quality
- Influence of lighting on color
- Viewing geometry & background
- Summary of quality
- Pricing factors
- Connoisseurship in ruby
- Connoisseurship in sapphire
- Fancy sapphires
- Judging stars & cabochons
- Anatomy of the perfect ruby & sapphire
- Market tastes
- Buying ruby & sapphire
- Auction records
- Rubies and sapphires of note
- Rubies described by Tavernier
- A handful of historic rubies
- Star rubies of note
- Rough rubies of note
- Notable red spinels
- Rubies, spinels & sapphires in the Mughal treasury
- Famous blue sapphires
- Famous fancy sapphires
- Engraved & carved rubies and sapphires
- Rough corundum giants
- Summary of important rubies & sapphires
- Bibliography
11. Geology 258–578
- The elemental mating game
- The big bang (and other parlor tricks)
- Journey to the center of the earth
- Tales from the crust
- Ruby, oh ruby, wherefore art thou ruby?
- Born of fire: Corundum in igneous rocks
- Ch-ch-changes: Metamorphic rocks
- Corundum from mixed geology
- Rock & roll: Secondary deposits
- Exploration: The search for instability
- Conclusion
- Summary of world corundum occurrences
- Bibliography
12. World sources of ruby and sapphire 279–484
Afghanistan/Tajikistan
- The great enigma: Afghanistan's ruby/spinel mines
- Tajikistan
- Summary of the historical record
- Characteristics of Afghanistan ruby (Jagdalek)
- Bibliography – Afghanistan/Tajikistan
Australia
- History of Australian sapphire
- Mining methods
- Stone types and sizes
- Marketing of Australian corundum
- Ruby in Australia
- Characteristics of Australian (NSW & Anakie) corundum
- Bibliography – Australia
Bolivia
- Bibliography – Bolivia
Brazil
- Characteristics of Indaiá (Brazil) corundum
- Bibliography – Brazil
Burma (Myanmar)
- History
- Burma today
- Mining areas
- Burmese sapphires
- Other gems from the Mogok area
- Mining methods
- Sorting and trading
- Pigeon's blood: Chasing the elusive Burmese bird
- Burmese rubies compared
- Burmese sapphires compared
- Other Burma corundum localities
- Features of Mogok (Burma) corundum
- Future prospects for Burma
- Bibliography – Burma
Burundi
- Bibliography – Burundi
Canada
- Bibliography – Canada
China
- Corundum in China
- Other Chinese localities
- Bibliography – China
Colombia
- Characteristics of Colombia sapphire
- Bibliography – Colombia
Czech Republic
Finland
- Bibliography – France
France
- Bibliography – France
Germany
- Bibliography – Germany
Greece
- Bibliography – Greece
Greenland
- Bibliography – Greenland
India
- Kashmir sapphires – blue velvet
- History of the Kashmir mine
- Kashmir sapphires compared
- Characteristics of Kashmir sapphire
- Other corundum localities in India
- Indian ruby
- Bibliography – India
Italy
- Bibliography – Italy
Japan
- Bibliography – Japan
Kenya
- Two geologists' dream: Their own ruby mine
- Characteristics of Mangari ruby
- Other Kenya ruby localities
- Sapphire in Kenya
- Bibliography – Kenya
Laos
- Bibliography – Laos
Macedonia (formerly Yugoslavia)
- Bibliography – Macedonia
Madagascar (Malagasy Republic)
- Bibliography – Madagascar
Malawi
- Bibliography – Malawi
Mexico
- Bibliography – Mexico
Namibia (formerly Southwest Africa)
- Bibliography – Namibia
Nepal
- Bibliography – Nepal
New Zealand
- Bibliography – New Zealand
Nigeria
- Characteristics of Nigerian sapphire
- Bibliography – Nigeria
Norway
- Bibliography – Norway
Pakistan
- Hunza: Land of the "Great Game" and eternal life
- Other Pakistan corundum deposits
- Bibliography – Pakistan
Russia
- Bibliography – Russia
Rwanda
- Bibliography – Rwanda
Sierra Leone
- Bibliography – Sierra Leone
South Africa
- Bibliography – South Africa
Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- Ratna Dweepa – The Island of Jewels
- History
- Ruby & sapphire varieties
- Origin of Sri Lanka's corundum deposits
- Mining areas
- Mining methods – It's the pits
- The market in Sri Lanka
- Characteristics of Sri Lankan corundums
- Bibliography – Sri Lanka
Sweden
- Bibliography – Sweden
Switzerland
- Bibliography – Switzerland
Tanzania
- The Mozambique Orogenic Belt – East Africa's cauldron of gem creation
- Localities
- Bibliography – Tanzania
Thailand/Cambodia
- History
- Mining areas
- Chanthaburi, Trat and Pailin deposits
- Mining methods
- Characteristics of Thailand/Cambodia ruby
- Characteristics of Thai/Cambodian sapphire
- Bibliography – Thailand/Cambodia
Turkey
- Bibliography – Turkey
United Kingdom (UK) & Ireland
- Bibliography – United Kingdom
United States of America (USA)
- Idaho
- Bibliography – Idaho
- Montana
- Yogo Gulch
- Other Montana corundum localities
- Characteristics of Montana corundums
- Bibliography – Montana
- North Carolina
- Bibliography – North Carolina
- Bibliography – Other US corundum localities
Vietnam
- Enter Doi Moi
- History
- Luc Yen
- Quy Chau (Bu Khang District)
- Other Vietnam corundum localities
- Mining methods in Vietnam
- Characteristics of Vietnamese corundums
- Vietnam's gem industry: Thoughts on the future
- Bibliography – Vietnam
Zaire (formerly Belgian Congo)
- Bibliography – Zaire
Zimbabwe (Rhodesia)
- Bibliography – Zimbabwe
Appendices
A. Tagore's ruby and sapphire 487–490
B. Ruby & sapphire prices 491–494
- Market memos – May, 1995
- Price tables
C. Ruby & sapphire weight estimations 495–497
Index 498–511
