The Book of Ruby and Sapphire

J.F. Halford-Watkins  |  2012

Prior to the 1930s, ruby and sapphire were mysteries, arcane gems oft-confused with spinel and other look-alikes. Enter Col. J.F. Halford-Watkins. Living in Mogok for more than two decades, he penned several articles and an entire monograph on the subject of these rare gems. Sadly he passed away before it could be published. In 1994, Richard Hughes came across a reference to the manuscript. Patrick Streeter, grandson of G. Skelton Streeter, and great grandson of the famed London jeweler, Edwin Streeter, had mentioned the Halford-Watkins manuscript while writing his book, Streeter of Bond Street. Following up on that obscure reference Richard Hughes stumbled upon something truly fantastic, an undiscovered treasure of the gemological literature. Over ten years in the making, The Book of Ruby and Sapphire  is the realization of Halford-Watkins’ vision. Professionally edited and illustrated, it represents a gemological tour de force.

Still in Print. To order this book click this link

Introducing…

Inside Out: GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

by

E. Billie Hughes  |  Richard W. Hughes  |  Wimon Manorotkul

with a foreword by Paolo Minieri

Chinese translation by Jason C.H. Kao (高嘉兴), with Jinding Yu (俞瑾玎) and Bonnie Chao (晁艳)

From the dawn of time, precious stones have both attracted and fascinated humans in ways that few other items could. For while objects of desire are found throughout the natural world, physical beauty is too often ephemeral. From the allure of a man, woman, flower or butterfly, through the fleeting moments of a sunset, there is little that lasts and practically nothing that can be passed down to our descendants. The exception is precious stones. Not only are they the most durable creations of Mother Nature, but their visual splendor is truly eternal.

This book presents a completely fresh approach to the subject. Dubbing it humanistic gemology, the authors take readers around the world, showing the places they have explored in their search for gems, along with the people and cultures encountered along the way.

Within this volume, remarkable photographs of the human world are interwoven with images of the microscopic realm of the gems themselves. In a lifetime beset by time control, where living is broken into ever smaller bits, as you browse through these pages suddenly you plunge into a domain of frozen time, one that affords vistas of millions or even billions of years. For jewels offer not just superficial beauty, but a window on the primordial forces that birthed both our planet and universe.

Inside Out – Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses represents a fascinating new direction for gemology, linking the external and internal worlds of precious stones for the first time. 

•

Published 2020; Now shipping

Standard Edition – Hardcover
Price: Thai Baht 3000 + Shipping & Handling

•

International Shipping & Handling from Thailand
Ships via International Parcel Air (2–3 weeks)

Hardcover with Dust Jacket
152 pages; 270 x 360 mm (10.6 x 14.2 inches); 2.5 kg shipping weight
Full Color Throughout  |  Bilingual text in English & Simplified Chinese

Once you click the "Add to Cart" button below, you can select the quantity on the next page.
Discounts available for orders of 16 copies or more; please contact us.

Order This Book Here

Covid-19 Shipping Update • 25 March 2022

• If your destination is listed below, please proceed with your order as usual.
• If your destination is not listed below, we can still ship to most destinations. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. directly with a list of the books you want to order and your shipping address, and we will provide you with a shipping quotation.
• Please note that some delays may be expected for handling & delivery at the destinations.

Proceed with your order if your destination is listed below:

All prices are in Thai Baht and will be charged in Thai Baht. Exchange rates fluctuate daily. See this link for current exchange rates.

A few comments from reviewers…

I am doubtless readers both inside and outside of the gem trade will enthusiastically welcome Inside Out. Buy it, read it, give it away. I am fully confident you will be satisfied, ingratiated and inspired.
Jeffery Bergman – InColor Magazine

This book fills a gap in the literature on gems by pictorially exploring the relationship between humans and gems on an artistic and emotional level. It is a work of art that lives from the quality of the photographs and gets by with minimal textual commentary on the images.
Michael Hügi – Journal of Gemmology

Inside Out is a truly stunning work reflecting the combnied personalities, skills, knowledge and philosophy of the authors, who have created something exceptional and innovative for the world of gemmology.
Terry Coldham – Australian Gemmologist

Introducing…

Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector’s Guide

by Richard W. Hughes
with photographs by Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie Hughes

This impressive coffee-table style volume takes readers into the secret world of ruby and sapphire, through the pen and lens of international expert, Richard Hughes. The author guides readers with the steady eye of a connoisseur, explaining what collectors should look for in ruby and sapphire. Many pictured pieces feature actual auction prices, aiding collectors in their buying decisions. Illustrated with more than 400 magnificent color photographs, for anyone with an interest in precious stones, this is a visual and intellectual feast of the most delicious order.

Published 2014; Sold Out

Hardcover with Dust Jacket
384 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches); 2.4 kg shipping weight
Full Color Throughout

Introducing…

Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide

by Richard W. Hughes
with Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie Hughes

This massive volume is the most comprehensive book ever written on a single precious stone. Designed as a companion volume to Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide, it is aimed specifically at working gemologists, appraisers and students. Based on Richard W. Hughes' 1997 classic, Ruby & Sapphire, this edition is fully updated. The product of nearly 40 years of firsthand experience and research, it covers every aspect of the subject from A–Z. History, sources, prices, quality analysis, synthetics and treatments, everything is here. Ruby & Sapphire—A Gemologist’s Guide represents the definitive reference on the subject. With over 1000 photos, maps and illustrations and 3500 references, it is nothing less than a tour-de-force of gemological scholarship.

Published 2017; Sold Out

•

International Shipping & Handling from Thailand
Ships via International Parcel Air (2-3 weeks)

Hardcover with Dust Jacket
816 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches); 4.6 kg shipping weight
Full Color Throughout

Click on the icon to download a corrected Table of Contents and Errata sheet for the current volume (PDF).

A few comments from reviewers…

Voilà un livre de poids, 735 pages et plus de 4 kg qui enrichira vos connaissances historiques comme scientifiques et gemmologiques. L' auteur, bien connu des gemmologues, nous offre un nouveau voyage dans l' univers des corindons. C' est un livre à regarder, approcher, toucher, feuilleter, découvrir enen l' ouvrant avec à la fois impatience et retenue, pour finalement s' y abandonner. C' est une leçon de vie, un livre-compagnon à déguster sans modération.

Association Française de Gemmologie

A brief history of Burmese (Myanmar) sapphires, along with details of some of the major pieces of yore.

An account of a 2013 visit to Mogok – Myanmar's fairy-tale wonderland.

Lotus Gemology warns that oiled rubies, sapphires and spinels are entering the Bangkok wholesale market in increasing numbers. Most, but not all, of these gems are originating from Burma.

When a red spinel and a tanzanite were submitted for testing, oil was found in the fissures. Removal of the oil resulted in a startling deterioration in clarity.

The author makes his first pilgrimage to Burma's Mogok Stone Tract.

Solid inclusions have been used by gemologists as a means of determining origin. While there is a great deal of overlap from one source to another, there are also important differences. For example, while apatite has been identified in sapphire from Madagascar, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, apatite has never been identified in sapphire from Kashmir. Thus the purpose of this article is to give a full listing of solid inclusions in gem corundums from around the world, with each occurrence fully referenced. This is provided with the goal of making origin determination of ruby and sapphire more accurate.

A discussion of the literature of ruby and sapphire (corundum), with particular emphasis on the most collectible books covering ruby and sapphire around the world.

A loving look at ruby – the gem of passion – from the standpoint of the connoisseur.

World auction records for ruby, sapphire and spinel.

Sapphire is one of the classic gems. In this article, Lotus Gemology's resident connoisseur casts a discerning eye at the factors that contribute to quality in this legendary precious stone.

Since the turn of the millennium, the price of fine spinel has risen at an incredible pace. No longer simply the poor man's ruby, spinel is finally getting the attention it deserves as one of the world's premier gems.

To the jeweler, spinel is famous for its vivid colors. But for the gemologist, this gem is unlike any other. Its extreme hardness allows a fine polish. Couple this with single refraction, which eliminates the image blurring found in most other gems, and a varied landscape of inclusion subjects, and the result is an unparalleled canvas of delight for the photomicrographic artist.

The world sapphire market has changed dramatically in the past 40 years. The authors review the famous sources of the past and look at the current situation in sapphire around the globe.