Rock Explorer: Gems

Description

A gemstone is a mineral or rock that is sparkling or colourful. Most gemstones are minerals which form in the ground as rock heated in the Earth cools down. As minerals grow, they make regular shapes called crystals. With stunning photographs and easy-to-follow captions, this book explains how different environments affect different gemstones and is full of fabulous, quirky facts such as: although most diamonds are formed underground, sometimes, they fall to Earth from space, inside rocks called meteorites. Gemstones included in the book are agate, amber, amethyst, diamond, emerald, jasper, lapis lazuli, opal, ruby and sapphire. There's a helpful glossary so readers can familiarise themselves with key terms.

Claudia Martin is the author of many children's books and has worked in publishing for over 20 years. Her favourite subjects include geography, history, animals and technology. Recent books published are titles in the My Little Book of... series, History Detectives: London, Makerspace Survival and Robot Pioneers.

The beautiful photos show these remarkable minerals in all their glory, making identification easy, especially with the useful mineral guide which shows photos and gives a brief explanation of common minerals. The book really helps us to appreciate both the beauty and the practical value of minerals. -- Parents in Touch * Parents in Touch * Despite being targeted at a younger audience, I feel all children would appreciate these books as it would allow older children to conduct independent research and information retrieval...The text is presented clearly and is easy to read, with clear sub headings allowing the reader to find specific information. The photos used are of high quality and use landscapes from around the world, allowing the children to understand where the rocks could be found. -- The Reading Zone * The Reading Zone *