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Book Review: Emeralds, A Passionate Guide by Ronald Ringsrud
by Richard W. Wise
The subtitle of Ronald Ringsrud's new book, A Passionate Guide, The Emeralds, The People, their Secrets has been well selected. The book is not just about emerald, most specifically Colombian emerald, it is about a country, its people and one man's love affair with it all.
I first met Ron Ringsrud about a year and a half ago. I had never been to Colombia and as is my custom whenever I go into a new market, I was looking for a guide to the country and its emeralds. Ron Ringsrud was an inspired choice.
He is fluent in Spanish and has been involved in the trade and traveling to Colombia for over twenty years. He is a true aficionado and knows whereof he speaks.
The book begins with an excellent summary of the history of emerald mining in Colombia coupled with a history of the Mogul Empire and more specifically the Indian princes whose love affair with the Colombian emerald began, almost as soon as the Spanish conquered the mines in the 16th Century.
The book includes a provocative and thoughtful approach to connoisseurship and grading of the emerald. The author carefully defines and explains the terms he uses. He also takes on such arcane terms as "old mine" and "gota de aceite (drop of oil)." I first heard these terms a number of years ago and typically could not find any sort of consistent explanation as to their meaning. Ron provides the most lucid explanation of these concepts that I have seen or heard anywhere.
Ron is one of the new breed of gem writers, one who does not limit himself to quotes from Pliny and Theophrastus and is not afraid to actually tell his readers something of the real intimate secrets of how how emerald is appreciated and graded.
There are more than 225 photographs and 70 Photomicrographs. Some like the beautiful Harold and Erica Van Pelt image to the right are fabulous and more than adequately capture the sumptuous color of this verdant gem. Emerald is notoriously difficult to photograph true to color and a number of the author's images fall short while others are little short of magnificent.
Ringsrud includes some wonderful images of the people and the countryside in the province of Boyaca, a region I toured with him two years ago.
The author has spared no expense; the book has been beautifully produced, the paper, the cover, all top drawer.
Ron is a partisan and writes like one. If you are looking for a book that will give you a real sense of Colombian emerald, its unique characteristics and how it stacks up against emerald from other localities together with the feel for the country and its people, Ronald Ringsrud's new offering Emeralds, A Passionate Guide is the book for you.
Emeralds; A Passionate Guide, ISBN: 978-0-9822627-5-7. The book sells for $80.00 can be ordered directly From Green View Press:
http://www.emeraldpassion.com/
by Richard W. Wise
The subtitle of Ronald Ringsrud's new book, A Passionate Guide, The Emeralds, The People, their Secrets has been well selected. The book is not just about emerald, most specifically Colombian emerald, it is about a country, its people and one man's love affair with it all.
I first met Ron Ringsrud about a year and a half ago. I had never been to Colombia and as is my custom whenever I go into a new market, I was looking for a guide to the country and its emeralds. Ron Ringsrud was an inspired choice.
He is fluent in Spanish and has been involved in the trade and traveling to Colombia for over twenty years. He is a true aficionado and knows whereof he speaks.
The book begins with an excellent summary of the history of emerald mining in Colombia coupled with a history of the Mogul Empire and more specifically the Indian princes whose love affair with the Colombian emerald began, almost as soon as the Spanish conquered the mines in the 16th Century.
The book includes a provocative and thoughtful approach to connoisseurship and grading of the emerald. The author carefully defines and explains the terms he uses. He also takes on such arcane terms as "old mine" and "gota de aceite (drop of oil)." I first heard these terms a number of years ago and typically could not find any sort of consistent explanation as to their meaning. Ron provides the most lucid explanation of these concepts that I have seen or heard anywhere.
Ron is one of the new breed of gem writers, one who does not limit himself to quotes from Pliny and Theophrastus and is not afraid to actually tell his readers something of the real intimate secrets of how how emerald is appreciated and graded.
There are more than 225 photographs and 70 Photomicrographs. Some like the beautiful Harold and Erica Van Pelt image to the right are fabulous and more than adequately capture the sumptuous color of this verdant gem. Emerald is notoriously difficult to photograph true to color and a number of the author's images fall short while others are little short of magnificent.
Ringsrud includes some wonderful images of the people and the countryside in the province of Boyaca, a region I toured with him two years ago.
The author has spared no expense; the book has been beautifully produced, the paper, the cover, all top drawer.
Ron is a partisan and writes like one. If you are looking for a book that will give you a real sense of Colombian emerald, its unique characteristics and how it stacks up against emerald from other localities together with the feel for the country and its people, Ronald Ringsrud's new offering Emeralds, A Passionate Guide is the book for you.
Emeralds; A Passionate Guide, ISBN: 978-0-9822627-5-7. The book sells for $80.00 can be ordered directly From Green View Press:
http://www.emeraldpassion.com/
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