This book contains a fascinating novel set in 1920s soviet Russia and written by Aleksandra Ivanovna Dandurova. A wonderful text sure to appeal to anyone interested in the day-to-day life of citizens in early soviet Russia, Semi-Precious Stones is a wonderfully engaging and insightful read that is well deserving of a place atop any bookshelf. This book has been elected for modern republication due to its immense literary and historical value, and is proudly republished here complete with a new prefatory biography of the author. Many scarce antiquarian books such as this are increasingly costly and hard to get hold of; we are republishing this text now in the hope that it can be read and enjoyed today and in the future as it has been in the past.