The value of colours

'The Value of Colours' is the motto of the family enterprise W. Constantin Wild in Idar-Oberstein. It is also the name of the book which Constantin Wild, who runs the company, founded in 1847, and represents the fourth generation of his family in doing so, will be launching on 30 September at the Intergem in Idar-Oberstein – in a German and an Englisch edition. Wild lets the reader look into his safe and narrates the history of some very special gems. There are episodes from his life as a gemstone merchant, and stories of his family and his home town Idar-Oberstein, Germany's 'gemstone metropolis'. The qualified gemmologist tells of experiences involving all aspects of these coveted coloured gems, shows his favourites and explains the fine art of gemstone cutting. And he takes the reader with him on his journeys all over the world, which have but a single goal: that of finding even more beautiful, better and more valuable gemstones. Wild, who had to assume responsibility early on after the death of his father, also describes challenging times in anecdotal form: tearing through Brazil with the exuberance of youth in a car fit for scrap at the tender age of 22, yet still having to make a 'good impression' on visits to various mines. Anything but easy without much knowledge of Portuguese and with a grasp of his subject which was only in its early stages. Or having an unfamiliar little bag with raw stones fall on his foot in his own cellar, which left him wondering what the contents could possibly be. 'The Value of Colours' is a very personal (picture) book: the author is an enthusiast, a man whose profession is also his favourite hobby: a man who is 'wild about gems' – as the subtitle hints. Or 'spellbound by gems', as the German subtitle 'Im Bann der Edelsteine' hints. The book is illustrated not only with pictures of gemstones. Wild has also collated magnificent landscapes from many of the places where gemstones are found, old photographs and engravings, and complemented them with photos of his own. This handy little book in landscape format has some 180 pages and is aimed at jewellers and and all other gemstone lovers too. This is a book to see, browse, be amazed at – a book to put under one's arm and walk away with.