Stones of Contention
A History of Africa’s Diamonds
-
- $29.99
-
- $29.99
Publisher Description
Africa supplies the majority of the world’s diamonds, yet consumers generally know little about the origins and history of these precious stones beyond sensationalized media accounts of so-called blood diamonds.
Stones of Contention explores the major developments in the remarkable history of Africa’s diamonds, from the earliest stirrings of international interest in the continent’s mineral wealth in the first millennium A.D. to the present day. In the European colonial period, the discovery of diamonds in South Africa ushered in an era of unprecedented greed during which monopolistic enterprises exploited both the mineral resources and the indigenous workforce. In the aftermath of World War II, the governments of newly independent African states, both democratic and despotic, joined industry giant De Beers and other corporations to oversee and profit from mining activity on the continent.
The book also considers the experiences of a wide array of Africans — from informal artisanal miners, company mineworkers, and indigenous authorities to armed rebels, mining executives, and premiers of mineral-rich states — and their relationships to the stones that have the power to bring both wealth and misery. With photos and maps, Stones of Contention illustrates the scope and compexity of the African diamond trade as well as its impact on individuals and societies.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cleveland, a Fulbright scholar and history professor at Augustana College, explores the origins of an industry that has long drawn the world's attention as he conveys the "range of human experience associated with the extraction of diamonds from Africa's soils." The continent, with its vast mineral wealth jewels, gold, and other precious metals became the epicenter for the world's supply of diamonds with the discovery of the Eureka Diamond, and has played an often contentious role in world history. Cleveland begins by asking a question that was posed to him: "Would you ever purchase an African diamond knowing what you know now?" In this introduction to the industry, he strives to give readers sufficient facts to answer that question themselves by making sense of a global commodity shrouded in secrecy and the illusions of marketing. Cleveland reveals the multitude of ways industries use diamonds to produce and manufacture goods highlighting how you've probably used diamonds even if you've never bought one outright. He also addresses the great paradox of the diamond trade: its ability to both fuel violence and support development within the countries where they're found. Cleveland's work is necessarily accessible and important, as diamonds will continue to play a prominent role in world events.
