JEFFRIES David Traité des diamants et des perles; où l’on considère leur importance, on établit des règles certaines pour en connoître la juste valeur, et l’on donne la vraie méthode de les tailler.

Sinkankas, 3198; see Hoover, 453 (for the second English edition 1751).

First edition of the French translation of this important book on diamonds and pearls. The fine plates depict various sizes of diamond cuts, rose cut diamonds, and a tool.

“This edition is the translation by Chappotin S. Laurent, of the Royal Library, Paris, in which considerable differences may be noted, principally in the preliminaries, but the text itself remains faithful to the original. The preliminary discourse generally discusses a variety of topics that others have treated in earlier works on gemstones and specific comments are made on certain books that are recommended to the reader for further study” (Sinkankas).

Very good copy.