Brilliance and Fire - A Biography of Diamonds

From the author of Women from the Ankle Down comes a lively cultural biography of diamonds, which explores our societys obsession with the worlds most brilliant gemstone and the real-world characters who make them shine.A diamond is forever. Who among us doesnt recognize this phrase and, with it, the fascination that these shiny gemstones hold in our collective imagination as symbols of royalty, stars, and eternal love? But who gave us this catchphrase? Where do these gemstones and their colorful legacies originate? How did they become our cultures symbol of engagement and marriage? Why have they retained their coveted status throughout the centuries?Rachelle Bergsteins cultural biography of the diamond illuminates the enticing, often surprising story of our societys enduring obsession with the hardest gemstoneand the people who have worked tirelessly to ensure its continued allure. From the South African mines where most diamonds have been sourced since the late 1890s to the companies who have fought to monopolize them, from the stars who have dazzled in them to the people behind the scenes who have carefully crafted our understanding of their valueBrilliance and Fire offers a glittering history of the worlds most coveted gemstone and its greatest champions and most colorful enthusiasts.Brilliance and Fire is illustrated with 16 pages of color photographs.