ericemms.com: Professional gemmologist and gem educator

Many readers and past students ask us to recommend books on the subjects of diamonds, gemmology and jewellery. In response, below is a list of current and out-of-print books we retail. Rotate the books, point to any one and click its title to see and learn more.

In addition to the books illustrated below we have a limited number of second-hand gem books for sale. Click here for a list.
And we have a number of hard to find, out of print, pre-2000 copies of ‘Gems & Gemology’ gemmological journals. Contact us for a list.

Diamonds
Remarkably there is not a comprehensive book on diamonds currently in print. Eric Bruton’s book “Diamonds” was the finest book on the subject, yet it has not been published for many years. The Nature of Diamonds edited by Harlow is also currently out of print. You can buy a second-hand copy below.

In print, Newman’s concise book “Diamond Handbook” is the best of a small offering.

The other books are certainly worth a look. We particularly like Tillander’s tome and “Famous Diamonds” by Balfour. The latter has a chapter on fancy coloured diamonds written by Eric Emms. A new edition is planned. There are a couple devoted to rough diamonds.

Gemmology
There are many books on gems yet few which offer a comprehensive view of gemmology. Sadly the finest book on gems, ‘Gem Testing‘ by Basil Anderson, is out of print. Again, if you can find the 9th edition second-hand, treat yourself! The best available at present are stocked below.

Pearls
Few books have been published on natural pearls. The best was ‘The Book Of The Pearl’. Most of the books below cover cultured pearls.

Jewellery
A plethora of jewellery books are available. See below for our recommendations: