Gemstones Of America

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. is the host and narrator for this colorful program on gemstones: from how precious gems are created to how they're cut into gemstones. Co-produced with the Smithsonian Institution, the tape features curator John White and lapidary authors Bob Jones and John Sinkankas discussing the natural forces that go into the making of precious gems. Viewers take a tour of mines from coast to coast, from the Himalaya Mine in southern California to the Mt. Mica mine in Maine. The owner/miner/geologist types who operate these mines are a motley crew, many with a god story to tell. In the Harris Mine in Utah, a miner talks about how chips of red beryl are stored in the miner's mouth as he works, making his job one "where you get to eat a lot of dirt." And then there's the story of the discovery of the "Jolly Green Giant"--a 7 pound hunk of green tourmaline that's a granddaddy of a gem. In the second half of the program, viewers see lapidarists cutting, shaping and polishing the precious gems into gemstones, and watch Navajo artist Jane Popovich making turquoise jewelry. The tape concludes with a virtually sparkling collection of gemstones housed at the Smithsonian Institution: beryl, rubies, amethyst, sapphire, peridot, etc. in all shapes and sizes. An excellent production, Gemstones of America is highly recommended. (Available from: Aylmer Press, P.O. Box 2735, Madison, WI 53701.)