This is intended to be taken along when purchasing jewelry. The book includes a section on maker's marks; tips for judging the time period by manufacture, style and materials; tips on determining the metal and the authenticity of the piece. In addition, there is a history of jewelry and a glossary of jewelry terms.

The book is then divided into section of kinds of jewelry: antique, vintage, costume, etc. There are descriptions of pieces with prices, to give the user some idea of the value of types of things.

The book is illustrated with 400 black-and-white photographs; not every piece mentioned is pictured. These are the most disappointing part of the book, not only because they are not in color, but some are not terrible well photographed, either.

Warman's also has a larger format guide, in color as of the third edition. It does not include the various tips for identifying items. The larger one is better if one wants a survey of jewelry, but this is much more helpful in determining how to buy pieces. ( )