Precious
The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A renowned jewelry expert recounts her career working with nature’s most extraordinary treasures—gemstones—and traces these rare jewels from ancient Egyptian records through the high-stakes auctions of today.
“Engaging and illuminating, Precious is a master class in the history of gems.”—Francesca Cartier Brickell, author of The Cartiers
Helen Molesworth has been captivated by precious stones since early childhood but she struggled to join the gemstone industry, having no connections to the few family-run companies that have dominated the field for centuries. She persevered, and more than two decades later, Molesworth is now an international authority hired to appraise the extraordinary jewelry of such clients as the British royal family. Precious is packed with inside stories about fabulous jewels associated with generations of celebrities, from Cleopatra (emerald) to Catherine, Princess of Wales (sapphire); from Marilyn Monroe (pearl) to Beyoncé (garnet); from Jackie O (pearl) to Lady Gaga (diamond); and from Marie Antoinette (pearl) to Elizabeth Taylor (pearl, ruby, and emerald)!
As Molesworth tells it, the history of gemstones is the history of humanity. And so she journeys the world, navigating African diamond mines, Colombian emerald mines, and the sapphire-rich rivers of Sri Lanka to study gems at their source. She has selected ten of nature’s most dazzling gems, tracing their discovery to when these cut-and-polished masterpieces first adorned empresses and kings.
From the stories of a priceless emerald watch hidden under floorboards for centuries to the common quartz fashioned into world-famous royal jewels, and diamonds selling for multi-millions, Precious is not just a chronicle of archeology and geology, high society and high finance, it’s the story of our timeless ambition to make—and wear—something beautiful.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Gemstones may be a constant in history, but the way they have been used, prized, valued, and marketed has also been the subject of constant change," according to this stimulating if incomprehensive debut. Chronicling the cultural histories of 10 types of stone, Molesworth, the jewelry curator at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, explains that though spinel was prized by 16th- and 17th-century Mughal emperors who liked that it could be found in chunks large enough to be engraved, the red stone's visual similarity to ruby earned it a reputation as an imposter, lowering its value. Molesworth contends that diamonds owe their place atop the hierarchy of precious jewels to 1930s advertising campaigns commissioned by the De Beers diamond company, which sought to boost demand during the Great Depression by creating the "impression that often plentiful material was both rare and desirable." Elsewhere, Molesworth discusses emerald's popularity with the upper crust of ancient Egyptian society and ruby's role as a healing gem in the Ayurvedic tradition. The eye-opening history reveals how the value and associated qualities of gems varies over time, but Molesworth unfortunately glances over darker historical episodes, offering only passing references to the "blood diamond" trade and the frequently abysmal working conditions in gem mines. Though a few blind spots diminish its luster, this still shines.
