Arab Roots of Gemology : Ahmad Ibn Yusuf Al Tifaschi's Best Thoughts O the Best of Stones, Hardcover by Tifashi, Ahmad Ibn Yusuf; Huda, Samar Najm Abul (TRN), ISBN 0810832941, ISBN-13 9780810832947, Like New Used, Free shipping in the US

About 10 years before his death in 1253, the Arabic judge and scholar Ahmad al Tifaschi wrote a work on precious stones that seems surprisingly advanced even to today's gemologists. It covers 25 stones, describing their crystallographic forms and such physical properties as specific gravity, hardness, luster, dispersion, and inclusions. Abul Huda translates th into English and notes its relevance to readers interested in geology, gemology, mineralogy, Arab heritage, and Islamic art. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.