Everything you need to know before you buy--or sell--gems and jewelry at auction.

A source of expert guidance to help you enter today's fastest-growing marketplace for gems and jewelry. This definitive guide to buying and selling at auction covers both the unique risks and opportunities to be found--how to make a profit on yesterday's treasures or find a valuable treasure of your own.

Entertaining, informative and packed with tips from an "insider," this practical, easy-to-understand guide makes available--for the first time--detailed information on:



What distinguishes auction buying and selling from other methods
How to buy and sell at auction: The rules of the game
What you need to know before bidding on:
- Diamonds
- Colored gemstones
- Pearls
- Gold and platinum
Design and style: Great jewelry periods and great jewelers
Special concerns when buying and selling on Internet auction sites
How to avoid the pitfalls when buying and selling at auction
What auctions do guarantee, and how to protect yourself against what they don't
... and much more.

With comprehensive price charts and auction results, as well as resource information on auction houses and websites, Jewelry & Gems at Auction is a book no potential auction buyer or seller can afford to be without.