I’m a GIA graduate gemologist, who worked at a wholesale firm in downtown Los Angeles, where I was placed in charge of diamond grading and jewelry quality control, but I am now a full-time author of gem & jewelry books. My first book, the Diamond Ring Buying Guide, was published in 1989. Since then, I have written eleven additional books on jewelry, diamonds, colored gems and pearls; see www.reneenewman.com/books.htm. My newest book, which just came out in February is "Gold, Platinum, Palladium, Silver & Other Jewelry Metals: How to Test, Select & Care for Them." See www.reneenewman.com/metals. I keep my books updated through new editions because they are used worldwide as textbooks for colleges, training tools for jewelers and consumer guides and references for appraisers.; www.reneenewman.com reneenewman.com