gems, Islamic art, Islamic metalwork, Islamic jewelry, Islamic gems, ruby, diamond, spinel, emerald, jade

This was the first outline of Islamic Iranian metalwork to be published in any language. It is based on the collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum and is the work of Dr. Assadullah Souren Melikian-Chirvani [b. 1936], the distinguished authority of Near Eastern metalwork. The many illustrations present relevant details of epigraphy and iconography, the great majority of which have not been previously published. Souren Melikian is a French-Iranian art historian, art critic, and curator. He is a renowned scholar of Iranian culture, and its sphere of influence.