Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World

by Aja Raden

Book Overview

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER As entertaining as it is incisive, Stoned is a raucous journey through the history of human desire for what is rare, and therefore precious. What makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet beautiful things? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062334697
• ISBN13: 9780062334695
• Release Date: December 2015
• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Informative and entertaining

Aja Raden spins an entertaining and informative tale that walks the reader through the backstory of our favorite gems. Why are pearls so valuable? Manhattan was traded for beads? Tell me more about Victoria death jewelry. Great read for the jewelry enthusiast and curious mind alike.