Wow, wow, wow. As a gemstone lover I was thrilled to get a copy of this book to review and couldn't wait to dive into the book to learn more about my favourite sparklies.

This is a fascinating read about the gemstones, their history, provenance, formation and location. From rubies and emeralds, to diamonds of all different colours and even the less well known spinel this is an interesting and engaging book. Helen takes us by the hand and leads us through some of our most well known and well loved stones with reference to how they came to be discovered, how they formed and what they are made of. Some of the most famous gems of our history are discussed, including how they have exchanged hands down the centuries - including travelling by first class mail!!

I loved this book and I know I will be re-reading it again. I would have liked some pictures to illustrate the famous stones being discussed (I'm thinking of the Koh-I-Noor diamond in particular here) as I spent a considerable amount of time having to google the stones to see what they looked like, but perhaps this is just a downside of the e-book version.

All in all this is a great read for lovers of gems.

With thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great resource for gem enthusiasts, historians specialising in symbolism or interested amateurs. This book looks - fairly exhaustively - at the history of precious stones, the meanings attributed and when and where they were utilised. I found it to be far more a book to dip in and out of but the writing was engaging and the research was solid. A great book for collectors and researchers alike.

"Precious" is a captivating exploration for gem enthusiasts and history lovers alike. The book beautifully unveils the rich histories of popular gems, providing an engaging narrative for those drawn to the allure of precious stones. However, the book's occasional lengthy sections might test the patience of readers ( my interest waned after a while for each chapter). A notable suggestion for improvement is the addition of colour, perhaps through illustrations or photographs showcasing the stunning beauty of the gems discussed. Despite these considerations, Precious remains a valuable read for its insightful historical accounts of gems, making it an enjoyable choice for those fascinated by the intersection of gemology and history