Ages 7 to 14 years. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, pearls, and opals are among the most precious stones found under the earth. Whether ornamenting royal sceptres or equipping modern medical technology, this new book will show readers how these stones have an established place in our world. Other features in the book are: where diamonds and gemstones are found and how they are mined; famous diamonds, including the Cullinan diamond and the curse of the Hope Diamond; conflict diamonds and what is being done to stop this practice....

Ages 7 to 14 years. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, pearls, and opals are among the most precious stones found under the earth. Whether ornamenting royal sceptres or equipping modern medical technology, this new book will show readers how these stones have an established place in our world. Other features in the book are: where diamonds and gemstones are found and how they are mined; famous diamonds, including the Cullinan diamond and the curse of the Hope Diamond; conflict diamonds and what is being done to stop this practice....

Ages 7 to 14 years. Unlike other metals, such as copper or lead, gold is prized for its beauty and scarcity rather than its usefulness. As a metal, it is too soft to use for tools or weapons, and is used mainly as money, in jewellery, and in electronics as a conductor of electricity. This colourfully illustrated new book describes both the basics of this dazzling metal and our fascination with it throughout history. Topics include: how gold is formed; lode or vein deposits underground and placer deposits in water or dry creek beds; a day in the life of a prospector; gold in history including ancient Egyptian jewellery and alchemists who tried to turn lead into gold in the Middle Ages; the great gold rushes in California, Nevada, the Klondike, Australia, South Africa, and other parts of the world; gold mining methods such as open pit, underground, and hardrock mining; how gold ore is refined; the damage done to the environment by gold mining, such as changing the landscape and wildlife habitats, and waste rock and water pollution from the refining process....