Gem and Stone celebrates 50 different gems ranging from timeless classics like diamond and emerald to exotic beauties such as lapis lazuli, peridot, and even petrified wood. Altman's photographs capture the splendor of each gem alongside brief text highlighting the stones' chemical makeups, metaphysical properties, and associated folklore throughout human history. Hand-drawn illustrations by Heather Smith Jones and an insightful foreword by mineralogist Thomas W. Overton round out this lustrous volume.Rock hounds, new age practitioners, and contemporary decorators and fashionistas will all delight in this treasure of a book.