Rocks, Ice and Dirty Stones
Diamond Histories
Seiten
2017
Reaktion Books (Verlag)
978-1-78023-752-7 (ISBN)
Reaktion Books (Verlag)
978-1-78023-752-7 (ISBN)
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This probing, entertaining and richly illustrated book examines the history of the diamond trade through the centuries from India and Brazil to South Africa and Europe.
King of stones, valued since antiquity for their unrivalled hardness, diamonds today are both desired and deplored. Once faceted and polished they glitter on the fingers of brides-to-be and in the ornaments of the super-rich, but their extraction in some of the world’s poorest countries remains contentious. Immensely valuable for their size, stones can be easily hidden and transported, and so are favoured by those fleeing persecution as well as by criminals wanting to launder cash. Diamonds have been widely used in industry since the nineteenth century, and have long been valued for their pharmaceutical and prophylactic properties.
This probing, entertaining and richly illustrated book examines the history of the diamond trade through the centuries from India and Brazil to South Africa and Europe, and investigates what happens to diamonds once they reach the cutters and polishers. Marcia Pointon takes the reader on a unique tour of the ways in which the quadrahedron diamond shape has inspired design, architecture and painting, from the symbolism of medieval manuscripts to modern-day graffiti. She questions the etiquette of engagement rings, from the multi-million-dollar ‘rock’ to the high-street brilliant. Finally, she reminds us why and how lost, stolen or cursed diamonds create suspense in so much classic fiction and film.
This compelling and fascinating account of the history of ‘sparklers’ around the world will appeal to all who covet, as well as all who despise, the unparalleled brilliance and glitter of the diamond.
King of stones, valued since antiquity for their unrivalled hardness, diamonds today are both desired and deplored. Once faceted and polished they glitter on the fingers of brides-to-be and in the ornaments of the super-rich, but their extraction in some of the world’s poorest countries remains contentious. Immensely valuable for their size, stones can be easily hidden and transported, and so are favoured by those fleeing persecution as well as by criminals wanting to launder cash. Diamonds have been widely used in industry since the nineteenth century, and have long been valued for their pharmaceutical and prophylactic properties.
This probing, entertaining and richly illustrated book examines the history of the diamond trade through the centuries from India and Brazil to South Africa and Europe, and investigates what happens to diamonds once they reach the cutters and polishers. Marcia Pointon takes the reader on a unique tour of the ways in which the quadrahedron diamond shape has inspired design, architecture and painting, from the symbolism of medieval manuscripts to modern-day graffiti. She questions the etiquette of engagement rings, from the multi-million-dollar ‘rock’ to the high-street brilliant. Finally, she reminds us why and how lost, stolen or cursed diamonds create suspense in so much classic fiction and film.
This compelling and fascinating account of the history of ‘sparklers’ around the world will appeal to all who covet, as well as all who despise, the unparalleled brilliance and glitter of the diamond.
Marcia Pointon is an independent scholar and research consultant; she is Professor Emeritus of History of Art at the University of Manchester and Honorary Research Fellow at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. She is the author of Brilliant Effects: A Cultural History of Gem Stones and Jewellery (2009), Hanging the Head: Portraiture and Social Formation in Eighteenth-century England, Portrayal and the Search for Identity (Reaktion, 2012) and History of Art: A Student's Handbook (5th edn 2014).
| Erscheinungsdatum | 11.01.2017 |
|---|---|
| Zusatzinfo | 103 illustrations, 61 in colour |
| Verlagsort | London |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 156 x 234 mm |
| Themenwelt | Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik |
| Geschichte ► Teilgebiete der Geschichte ► Kulturgeschichte | |
| Technik ► Bergbau | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-78023-752-9 / 1780237529 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-78023-752-7 / 9781780237527 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
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