SKU: 85517735867

Jewels: A Secret History

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Description

Jewels: A Secret HistoryThroughout history, precious stones have inspired passions and poetry, quests and curses, sacred writings and unsacred actions. In this scintillating book, journalist Victoria Finlay embarks on her own globe circling search for the real stories behind some of the gems we prize most. Blending adventure travel, geology, exciting new research, and her own irresistible charm, Finlay has fashioned a treasure hunt for some of the most valuable, glamorous,

Throughout history, precious stones have inspired passions and poetry, quests and curses, sacred writings and unsacred actions. In this scintillating book, journalist Victoria Finlay embarks on her own globe-circling search for the real stories behind some of the gems we prize most. Blending adventure travel, geology, exciting new research, and her own irresistible charm, Finlay has fashioned a treasure hunt for some of the most valuable, glamorous, and mysterious substances on earth.

With the same intense curiosity and narrative flair she displayed in her widely-praised book Color, Finlay journeys from the underground opal churches of outback Australia to the once pearl-rich rivers of Scotland; from the peridot mines on an Apache reservation in Arizona to the remote ruby mines in the mountains of northern Burma. She risks confronting scorpions to crawl through Cleopatra's long-deserted emerald mines, tries her hand at gem cutting in the dusty Sri Lankan city where Marco Polo bartered for sapphires, and investigates a rumor that fifty years ago most of the world's amber was mined by prisoners in a Soviet gulag.

Jewels is a unique and often exhilarating voyage through history, across cultures, deep into the earth's mantle, and up to the glittering heights of fame, power, and wealth. From the fabled curse of the Hope Diamond, to the disturbing truths about how pearls are cultured, to the peasants who were once executed for carrying amber to the centuries-old quest by magicians and scientists to make a perfect diamond, Jewels tells dazzling stories with a wonderment and brilliance truly worthy of its subjects.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Trade
Published: 08/14/2007
ISBN: 9780345466952
Pages: 472
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 8.23h x 5.57w x 1.06d
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SKU: 85517735867

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AvidReader
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I like the tray a lot. Quality is very good. Color (Brown) is attractive. Size is perfect for my nightstand. It holds phone, remote, eyeglasses, & phone. I threaded my phone charging cord through a corner of the tray. But it slides too easily off of the nightstand. I'm going to try to find something to stop it from sliding that will stick to the underside of the tray without harming the wood surface on my cherry nightstand.
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faux leather container for men
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It's a very well made container happy with purchase
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I got this organizer for my husband to keep his stuff by the door. While it's a little smaller than I'd hoped, it looks great in the entryway. It's super easy to snap together, but feels like the material could be damaged easily if you're not careful. He is able to store his keys, wallet, and sunglasses in it, and throws hit hat on top. Overall we are really happy with it.
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