I picked up the Smithsonian Rock and Gem book a while back, and ended up spending hours and hours looking through it. It has a lot of really great pictures, and tons and tons of useful information. It's perfect for someone who wants to learn more than just the basics, but also isn't a geology major or something.
Oh, forgot to mention. It has waaaay more than just minerals commonly used for jewelry. It has all sorts of minerals, their industrial purposes, the history behind their name, etc.
I picked up the Smithsonian Rock and Gem book a while back, and ended up spending hours and hours looking through it. It has a lot of really great pictures, and tons and tons of useful information. It's perfect for someone who wants to learn more than just the basics, but also isn't a geology major or something.
This is the one, and it's fantastic!
Oh, forgot to mention. It has waaaay more than just minerals commonly used for jewelry. It has all sorts of minerals, their industrial purposes, the history behind their name, etc.