The Diamond; Its History, Importance And Value

John Kay & Company, 1908. First Edition. Hardcover. Good++/No DJ - as issued. Original Antique Small Hardcover with related ephemera, (4 1/2" by 6") Stated First Edition Deluxe 1908 John Kay & Company Detroit 46 pages. Good++, no DJ - as issued. Moderate shelf/edge wear and rubbing to half green suede cloth over paper boards with gilt cover title and accents - corners are rounded and worn through. The spine is not titled and the suede is dusty. No previous owner markings - all pages are unmarked with deckled edges. There is a dampstain at the top edges of the textblock but it does not interfere with the text and plates. TEG (Top Edge Gilt). There are 10 plates (B&W illustrations set into a plain creme panel with light green borders) and quite a few of them are of actual pieces that were for sale by the John Kay & Company, Direct Diamond Importers, 2nd Floor Majestic Building Detroit in 1908. This book was written and published to create a keener interest in diamonds. It covers the history of this highly prized precious gem. Author and Publisher John Kay was one of the founders of Wright Kay Jewelers of Detroit, Mich. The original store was at the corner of Woodward Ave and Campus Martius. The business was established in 1872. There are no physical copies available anywhere on the web and I cannot find one in a library as well. Laid in is an original customer receipt dated March 13th, 1894 from Wright Kay & Company for 3 items, one is a diamond ring with a total cost of $145.35 ( today in 2023 would be $5,140.10) Very respectable and Scarce original antique stated First Edition Deluxe in original suede and paper binding. LOC SS-FB-04