Collection
Publication
Ecco, Kindle Edition, 373 pages
Description
An account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history shares insights into the role of precious gemstones in triggering cultural movements, political dynasties, and wars, while exploring how jewels reflect darker aspects of human nature.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Beamis12
Written in a witty and easy to read manner and imparting some very interesting history and facts, this is the type of nonfiction book I love to read. Starting with the use of glass beads by the Dutch to buy what is now known as Manhattan, through Tudor history and Queen Elizabeth's love of pearls,
One of the parts I will not forget is the part on diamonds, the DeBeers monopoly and how it came to fruition, a monopoly that still holds true in current days. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, a motto coined by the advertising firm hired by DeBeers to ensure that diamond rings were a must for every newly engaged woman. What a snow job they did on the public and we bought it and still do. All out lackluster Republican candidates in the USA should run out and hire this firm. Thankfully, I myself have never liked diamonds being an opal and garnet type of gal.
Anyway many interesting factoids in this well researched books. Well done.
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through the infamous necklace that started the downfall of the French monarchy to the Faberge eggs of the Tzarina Alexandria and the Bolsheviks. One of the parts I will not forget is the part on diamonds, the DeBeers monopoly and how it came to fruition, a monopoly that still holds true in current days. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, a motto coined by the advertising firm hired by DeBeers to ensure that diamond rings were a must for every newly engaged woman. What a snow job they did on the public and we bought it and still do. All out lackluster Republican candidates in the USA should run out and hire this firm. Thankfully, I myself have never liked diamonds being an opal and garnet type of gal.
Anyway many interesting factoids in this well researched books. Well done.
Show Less
LibraryThing member yolana
I picked up Aja Raden's Stoned expecting a history of jewelry and was pleasantly surprised to find an in-depth social history of how human perceptions of value, desire and innovation have shaped the modern world. She starts with the beads that bought Manhattan (and in doing so makes a compelling
Raden divides the book into three main sections; Want, Take and Have. As someone who, once upon a time, pre-marriage, pre-children, pre-mortgage, had quite the jewel fetish, the first section, in which she links the idea of perceived scarcity to value, was particularly interesting. She calls out the great long con the De Beers diamond cartel ran, the Manhattan beads and the boom and bust of New World emeralds. The next section, Take, covers jewels in the making of Queen Elizabeth I, the diamond necklace of the French revolution and an American's invaluable assistance in funding the fledgling USSR. Cultured Pearls and writstwatches make up the last section.
The book is very, very well researched, Raden is a scientist as well a jeweler and scholar of ancient history, and while the book is well written, she uses toggles between a scholarly and colloquial tone quite a bit. She take odd turns of language (almost whedonesque) which will date the book, or at least this edition. Things like calling the women of the court of Versailles' mean girls', or someone 'doing a solid' for someone else. The first 100 or so pages, I found this quite jarring but by the the end of the book I found these phrases almost charming.
If you are looking for a history of jewelry this book is probably not what you're looking for. It's first and foremost a social history, but if you want a book on how human nature shaped and is continuing to shape the modern era then I recommend 'Stoned'.
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case that it might not have been quite the con we think of it today) and ends with the wristwatch and its role in making modern warfare, aviation, navigation and personal private time possible.Raden divides the book into three main sections; Want, Take and Have. As someone who, once upon a time, pre-marriage, pre-children, pre-mortgage, had quite the jewel fetish, the first section, in which she links the idea of perceived scarcity to value, was particularly interesting. She calls out the great long con the De Beers diamond cartel ran, the Manhattan beads and the boom and bust of New World emeralds. The next section, Take, covers jewels in the making of Queen Elizabeth I, the diamond necklace of the French revolution and an American's invaluable assistance in funding the fledgling USSR. Cultured Pearls and writstwatches make up the last section.
The book is very, very well researched, Raden is a scientist as well a jeweler and scholar of ancient history, and while the book is well written, she uses toggles between a scholarly and colloquial tone quite a bit. She take odd turns of language (almost whedonesque) which will date the book, or at least this edition. Things like calling the women of the court of Versailles' mean girls', or someone 'doing a solid' for someone else. The first 100 or so pages, I found this quite jarring but by the the end of the book I found these phrases almost charming.
If you are looking for a history of jewelry this book is probably not what you're looking for. It's first and foremost a social history, but if you want a book on how human nature shaped and is continuing to shape the modern era then I recommend 'Stoned'.
Show Less
LibraryThing member colleenrec
Stoned covers a few examples of shiny rocks and why we love them so. It's written in an easy, breezy style, like you're sitting with the author for drinks and listening to her talk about the latest gossip. Sometimes that casual tone clashes with the material being discussed. I also could have done
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without the casual misogyny against certain royal women being discussed, but that seems to be standard. Show Less
LibraryThing member jannid
this was a remarkably fun book! So much history in jewelry.
LibraryThing member being_b
Fun, breezy, occasionally overreaches (as when it attempts to explain, in just one page, why communism will never work), but generally entertaining.
Awards
Pages
373