Author: BATCHELOR, Samuel.
Title: The cabinet of gems, or vocabulary of precious stones ...Harrogate, by the author, 1846. 8vo. With a full-page lithographic plate celebrating the marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and 2 full-page engraved plates: a coloured plate of 21 different gemstones and a partially coloured plate showing different cuts of diamonds. Contemporary gold-tooled black morocco, with a crown and the initials PA in the centre on the front board, the title on both sides in a decorative frame, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, green reading ribbon, gilt edges.
Description: III, [1 blank], 96 pp.Very rare, revised and expanded third edition of an attractive work on gemstones, written by a jeweller and beautifully bound by British bookbinder Alfred Tarrant (1819-1877) in a typical Victorian style. The first part of the work describes 63 different gemstones, paying special attention to their colours, shapes and geological origin. The second part of the work focusses primarily on diamonds. It devotes a chapter to a few unusual specimen, provides a succinct history of the diamond trade, describes the English and Scottish crown regalia and explains the basics of cutting and polishing diamonds.With the bookbinder's stamp on the front pastedown. The edges, corners and hinges of the board are scuffed, with some loss of material at the front joint and the lower corner of the turn-in on the back board, showing the board underneath. Very mild foxing throughout. Otherwise in good condition.l BM, General catalogue, vol 2, p. 541-636; WorldCat 183124984 (1 copy).

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