author
Paul E. Desautels
1920–1991
A Smithsonian mineralogist and gem expert, this author wrote with the clarity of a museum guide and the enthusiasm of a collector. His work opens the door to gemstones, mineral science, and the stories behind one of the world’s great public collections.
1 Audiobook
Gems in the Smithsonian Institution
by Paul E. Desautels
About the author
Best known for Gems in the Smithsonian Institution, he was a mineralogist and curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian records describe him as Associate Curator and later Curator in the Division of Mineral Sciences from 1963 to 1983, and his papers there document a long professional career in mineralogy and museum work.
His writing grew directly out of that expertise. Gems in the Smithsonian Institution introduces readers to the National Gem Collection and explains gemstones in an accessible, engaging way, making a specialized subject feel welcoming to general readers.
Desautels is also remembered in mineral-collecting circles beyond his books. Sources connected with the Baltimore Mineral Society credit him with founding the society in 1951 and helping launch the Baltimore Micromount Symposia, reflecting his lasting influence on both museum audiences and the wider gem and mineral community.