MONUMENTAL WORK ON RUSSIAN GEMSTONES FERSMAN, ALEKSANDR EVGENEVICH.

Dragotsennye I Tsvetnye Kamni Rossii [Precious and Colored Stones of Russia]. 2 volumes. Volume 1 with 4 plates and numerous text illustrations; Volume 2 with tipped-in folding maps, text illustrations and figures. 4to, original pale yellow and grey wrappers respectively, moderately soiled and creased, re-backed in similar paper, all edges of Volume 1 cover strengthened with archival tissue; scattered marginal creasing, occasional chipping, few pencil marks; handsome custom gilt-lettered 1/2 morocco folding box. Petrograd, 1920 [i.e.1922]--Leningrad, 1925 first edition of the monumental work on the gemstones of Russia by the eminent Russian geologist-mineralogist. Fersman's goal was to record all important facts on Russian gemstones with the intention of publicizing resources and encouraging exploitation to aid economic recovery after the Revolution. The first volume describes gemstones of all classes accompanied by valuable references, and remarkable indexes. Volume 2 treats occurrences or deposits of gemstones and has a large section on the emerald mines in the Ural Mountains. "Still unsuperseded even by modern works published in the USSR"--Sinkankas 2041-02. Although there is no indication of ownership, this copy is reported to have once belonged to Fersman's pupil Shafianovskii.