DK Eyewitness Books: Crystal & Gem: Admire the Beauty and Versatility of Crystals and Gems from Their Use in Elegant

Crystals are all around us -- in our plants, our homes, and even in our bodies Eyewitness: Crystal & Gem describes the seven basic shapes of crystals and other aspects of crystallography, including how they form in nature, how crystals are studied and identified, what gives them their amazing color, and how they are used in everyday life.

For over 25 years, DK's Eyewitness books have been the most trusted nonfiction series in classrooms, libraries, and homes around the world. In summer 2014 this award-winning series will get a fresh new look both inside and out. The introduction of paperback editions, eye-catching jackets, and updated interiors ensure that the Eyewitness series will continue to be relevant in the ever-changing world of education and remain the go-to source for homework help, research projects, reluctant readers, ESL students, and, as always, to satisfy the minds of curious kids.

R. F. Symes, better known as Bob, was a celebrated figure in British geology and mineralogy for almost 50 years. He joined the staff of the British Museum in 1957 in the natural history department and eventually earned a BSc in geology from Birkbeck College. Symes was largely responsible for bringing the first electron microprobes to the Natural History Museum. Alongside P. G. Embrey, he discovered the minerals parkinsonite and mereheadite. A pink oxychloride, symesite, was named in his honor in 2000. He was also awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to the Natural History Museum and to mineralogy. R. F. Symes died in 2016.