The beauty and sparkle and mystique of diamonds is unmatched by that of any other gem in the world.

Since early times, diamonds have been treasured as good luck charms, remarkable tools and status symbols and have been worn, collected and presented as lavish gifts. Today, diamonds remain among the most sought-after gemstones and continue to hold their value through good times and bad.

In Diamonds, author Renée Newman, a graduate gemologist and author of many trade-level handbooks on gemstones, invites the reader on a journey into the fascinating world of diamonds. This lavishly illustrated guide -- which features hundreds of photos, maps and diagrams -- covers everything from mining, cutting and evaluating diamonds to the romantic histories of some of the world's most valuable stones.

Diamonds includes chapters on:

• What a diamond is -- its significance from antiquity to the present day and what it represents from different perspectives
• The process and history of mining diamonds -- the locations (both modern and historical) as well as the techniques used to mine diamonds
• The evolution of diamond cutting -- how a diamond is processed and what are the key cuts and shapes to know
• Diamond jewelry through the ages -- how diamonds have been used in jewelry from pre-Georgian times to today
• Evaluating and pricing diamonds -- how diamonds are priced based on their many value factors, such as color, carat weight, cut, clarity, and so on
• Man-made diamonds
• The remarkable benefits of diamonds.

As beautiful as they are precious and as useful as they are decorative, diamonds continue to fascinate and allure. Diamonds will be a welcome guide for anyone who has felt the romance and power of these fascinating gems. It will also be a useful resource for professionals in the jewelry trade.