author

George Frederick Herbert Smith

1872–1953

A pioneering British mineralogist and gem expert, he helped make gemstone identification far more practical through the development of the jeweller’s refractometer. His long career at the British Museum (Natural History) and his classic book Gem-Stones made him an important figure in early modern gemmology.

1 Audiobook

Gem-Stones and Their Distinctive Characters

Gem-Stones and Their Distinctive Characters

by George Frederick Herbert Smith

About the author

Born in Edgbaston, England, on 26 May 1872, Herbert Smith studied at Winchester College and then at New College, Oxford. He joined the British Museum (Natural History) in 1897 and built a distinguished career there, eventually becoming Keeper of Minerals.

He is especially remembered for discovering the mineral paratacamite in 1906 and for developing the jeweller’s refractometer, a tool that made it much easier to identify gemstones quickly and accurately. His book Gem-Stones, first published in 1910, became a standard reference for gemmologists and helped bring clear scientific methods to the study of precious stones.

Smith’s influence lasted well beyond his own lifetime. Several names in the natural world honor him, including the minerals smithite and herbertsmithite, and he remains closely associated with the growth of gemmology as a practical science.