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Jewels: A Secret History Victoria Finlay

Jewels: A Secret History By Victoria Finlay

Jewels: A Secret History by Victoria Finlay


£5.30
New RRP £14.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 2 left

Summary

From the author of COLOUR: an adventurous journey in search of the secret history of gemstones

Jewels: A Secret History Summary

Jewels: A Secret History by Victoria Finlay

Amber is the tears of prehistoric trees. Peridot falls to earth from space.You can grow opals in your back garden.One gem links Queen Victoria and a transvestite skeleton.Cleopatra drank a pearl to win a bet.A man has turned into a diamond.From the bestselling author of COLOUR - an intrepid journey to uncover the secret histories of precious stones.Victoria's search takes her to Egypt to find the lost emerald mines of Cleopatra, to the Australian opal fields with their underground towns, to Burma where she is spied on by the military junta, and to a secret location to meet the world's best diamond cutter. She reveals the wealth of human stories behind gemstones, and discovers, with the advent of synthetics, an industry on the brink of crisis. This is a narrative travelogue as fascinating as the stones themselves.

Jewels: A Secret History Reviews

"* 'A tour de force... the breadth of research and insight is dazzling' - Glasgow Herald * 'A highly companionable guide, adventurous and romantic' - Independent on Sunday * 'Packed with stories, anecdotes and adventures. A full rainbow... as vivid as the colours themselves' - - Sunday Express * 'This is a rare and wonderful book - a model of erudition and charm, the writing elegant and precise, and with at least one new and fascinating revelation on every single page. I could not be more enthusiastic.' - Simon Winchester, author of THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN * 'It's pure pleasure to join this gutsy arts reporter-cum-scholar on her quest for historical pigments and dyes around the world' - Independent"

About Victoria Finlay

Victoria Finlay studied social anthropology at St Andrews University, specialising in Asian culture. She worked as a journalist in Hong Kong for 11 years, five of them as arts editor for the South China Morning Post. She now lives in Derbyshire.

Additional information

GOR001873552
9780340830123
0340830123
Jewels: A Secret History by Victoria Finlay
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Hodder & Stoughton
2006-03-27
496
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Jewels: A Secret History