A Gem of A Basket

This basket itself is a gem handcrafted in the Philippines. It holds a fascinating collection of polished gemstones, fossils, a geode, and an abalone shell from the Pilgrim Place Lapidary Rock Shop, selected by residents Sandra Costell and Connie Kimos. 

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals is an excellent reference for your collection. And Gemstones of the World will help you learn what rocks look like before they’re polished and become gems. Who knows? You might find your own diamond in the rough!

This unique basket includes the following:

Stones (labeled)

• Rhodochrosite Bowl - Pink
• Geode - a hollow rock lined with inside layers of crystals
• Polished red-brown egg-shaped (Onyx?) rock with a stand
• Fluorite necklace
• Heart-shaped Labradorite rock
• Ammonite cut and polished fossil
• Dinosaur fossil - polished
• Slate flower holder
• Polished Abalone Shell
• A “Rock Hound Starter Kit” - a bag of 13 small gemstones from around the world with directions about identifying them.

Books

• Gemstones of the World, Revised 5th Edition by Walter Schumann (Union Square & Co., 2013).

“Following the spectacular success of the first four editions of Gemstones of the World, the revised fifth edition exhibits important updates and a beautiful new cover. All the gemstones ever discovered—now over 1,900—are treated in gemstone variations. More than 1,500 full-color photos showcase each precious and semiprecious stone in its rough state and polished and cut renditions.

Each entry offers complete information on a gemstone’s formation and structure, physical properties, characteristics, and methods of working, cutting, and polishing. You’ll find full treatments of lesser-known gems, from andalusite to vesuvian, and a special section devoted to rocks as precious stones, including alabaster, onyx, obsidian, and fossils. Organic gem materials like coral, ivory, amber, and pearl are also covered, along with new-on-the-market stones like charcoite.

Additionally, this all-inclusive volume includes imitations, synthetics, and combined stones. Charts and tables help you identify unknown gemstones, and ‘when you’re in the market—how to check for genuineness.’”

• National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, Charles W. Chesterman, National Audubon Society, Kurt E. Lowe (Knopf, 1979) 850 pages.

“Featuring a durable vinyl binding and nearly 800 full-color identification photographs, the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals is the perfect companion for any expedition.

This portable guide depicts all the important rocks, gems, and minerals – in many variations of color and crystal form – and the natural environments in which they occur, and includes written descriptions of field marks, similar rocks and minerals, environment, areas of occurrence, and derivation of names. Includes a guide to mineral collecting and a list of rock-forming minerals.”

Beautifully gift-wrapped!