author
George Frederick Herbert Smith
1872–1953
A British mineralogist and gem expert, he helped make gemstones easier to identify with a practical refractometer that became widely known in the trade. His career at the British Museum (Natural History) and his discovery of the mineral paratacamite made him an important figure in early 20th-century mineralogy.
1 Audiobook
Gem-Stones and Their Distinctive Characters
by George Frederick Herbert Smith
About the author
Born in 1872, George Frederick Herbert Smith was a British mineralogist who worked at the British Museum (Natural History). He is especially remembered for discovering the mineral paratacamite in 1906 and for developing a jeweller's refractometer, a tool designed to identify gems quickly and reliably.
His work connected museum science with practical gem testing, which helped give him a lasting place in both mineralogy and gemmology. Two minerals, smithite and herbertsmithite, were named in his honor, showing the respect he earned in his field.
Smith died in 1953. His writing on gemstones, including Gem-Stones and Their Distinctive Characters, reflects the clear, useful approach that made his scientific work so influential.