author

Wallis Richard Cattelle

1848–1912

Best known for richly detailed books on gems, pearls, and diamonds, this early 20th-century writer brought specialist knowledge to a broad audience. His surviving works still appeal to readers curious about the history, lore, and trade of precious stones.

1 Audiobook

The Pearl, its story, its charm, and its value

The Pearl, its story, its charm, and its value

by Wallis Richard Cattelle

About the author

Wallis Richard Cattelle was an American author whose best-known books include Precious Stones: A Book of Reference for Jewellers (1903), The Pearl: Its Story, Its Charm, and Its Value (1907), and The Diamond (1911). The record available online consistently identifies him as living from 1848 to 1912.

His writing focused on gemstones and jewelry, combining practical reference material with history and cultural background. That mix suggests he wrote for both professional readers, such as jewellers, and general readers interested in how precious stones were valued and understood.

Reliable biographical detail beyond his dates and published works is limited in the sources I could confirm here. Even so, his books show a clear specialty: explaining the world of gems in a way that was informative, wide-ranging, and approachable for readers of his time.