Four Treasures — Lotus Gemology gemology reference database

Books are the training weights of the mind. Epictetus, ca. 50–135 CE

Named for China’s “Four Treasures”—brush, ink, paper and ink stone—our reference database honors the tools that preserve knowledge across generations. Built over nearly four decades, this freely accessible resource reflects our belief that scholarship belongs to everyone. The world’s largest online gemological bibliography, it is searchable by author, title, journal, subject and keyword.

References cover gemology, mineralogy, jewelry and related arts, with strengths in ruby, sapphire, jade, emerald, spinel, color science, glyptic art, history and Classical, Arabic, European, Indian and Chinese mineralogy sources.

Four Treasures — Gemology Reference Database

11,921 Total References

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Note that cover images may not exactly match the edition or issue listed.

Hidden Treasures | Lotus Gemology's Special Literature Guides

For those who wish to explore the literature of gems further, we recommend the following:

Key Reference Books

Below are listed key reference sources for the literature on gems, minerals, jewelry and allied fields. To access a full list with cover images and abstracts, just do a general search on "bibliography" in our Four Treasures Reference Database.

Sinkankas, J. (1993) Gemology: An Annotated Bibliography. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2 Vols., 1179 pp.; RWHL**.
Schuh, C.P. (2007) Mineralogy & Crystallography: An Annotated Bibliography of Books Published 1469 through 1919. Unpublished manuscript: Vol. 1, 1562 pp.; RWHL**.
Born, G.M. (1982) Chinese Jade: An Annotated Bibliography. Chicago: Celadon Press; RWHL**.
Shigley, J. GIA Library Historical Gemology Reading Lists
Francfort, N. Gemological and Mineralogical Books List of Nicolas Francfort