Stoned: jewelry, obsession, and how desire shapes the world

Uittreksel

An account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history shares insights into the role of precious gemstones in triggering cultural movements, political dynasties, and wars, while exploring how jewels reflect darker aspects of human nature.

Inhoud

Part I. Want : desire, delusion, and the scarcity effect. 1. Keep the change : the beads that bought Manhattan. 2. Precedents are forever : the first diamond engagement ring. 3. The color of money : the emerald parrot, and the making and unmaking of the Spanish empire -- Part II. Take : obsessions, possessions, and the mechanics of war. 4. The importance of being famous : the necklace that started the French Revolution. 5. Hello, sailor : how sibling rivalry and a really big pearl shaped the fate of nations. 6. The old shell game : the golden eggs that funded the Soviet start-up -- Part III. Have : industry, innovation, and the light at the end of the tunnel. 7. The boss's string : pearl culture, cultured pearls, and Japan's race to modernity. 8. Timing is everything : World War I and the first wristwatch.