Legendary Gems: Or Gems That Made History - Tapa dura

Bright-coloured stones found in ancient riverbeds or on desolate desert floors have often had a more lasting influence on human destiny than the words or actions or contemporary military, ecclesiastic, or political rulers. Some stones were powerful because of their supposed mystical properties; others acquired such value that they financed armies and changed the balance of power among nations. Love of precious stones created vendettas and bloody murder at least as vicious as those inspired by the love of man for woman. The gemstone is inert, lifeless, immobile: it wields its influence only thought the human mind and is often imbued with superhuman attributes, such as invincibility or wisdom, that are allegedly transferred to the owner. But men die; gems exist forever, unless destroyed by a sharp blow or by fire. Thus, the most notorious stones have exerted influence over many centuries: the Mogul Empire was lost because of the Koh-i-Noor, which played a central role in the disembowelment, castration, and deposition of successive shahs, not to mention being the impetus behind Agha Muhammed's demand for 20,000 pairs of eyeballs, every one of which he counted with the tip of his sword. Napoleon pawned the Regent Diamond to finance his armies, then paid off the loan with the spoils of conquest. He redeemed the diamond in time to have it set in his sword hilt for his coronation. The Regent recurs tantalizingly often in European power struggles, but was hidden from the Nazis when Hitler invaded France and has never been seen again. The Sancy Diamond was sent to Henry of Navarre for funds to raise troops: the trusted messenger's body was found in a forest, the diamond safe in his stomach, and Henry became king. Gems still exert a powerful influence on the modern world, enlightened though it is said to be: once poverty-stricken, Botswana has recently found sudden wealth under the desert sands, where diamonds have been hiding for a hundred million years. In the Congo, Zaire, and Angola, civil war in our times has been inspired partly by mineral riches. And the rivalry of East and West over the African continent is concerned almost entirely with natural resources. This absorbing and often astonishing history of legendary gems is told with style and wit by expert gemmologist Eric Bruton. Amid legends and intrigue are hard facts about gems - classification, valuation and engraving. Prospecting and mining details, plus the inside (and sometimes sordid) stories of how enormous stones were cut and dispersed in great secrecy, make this book a 'must' read for the gemmologist and jeweller.

Eric Bruton was also the author of the highly successful Diamonds, as well as many other books. He was for many years editor of The Gemmologist, the first journal in the world devoted to the study of gemstones. He had also been the editor of Industrial Diamond Review, and the founder of the trade newspaper Retail Jeweller. He held the Diploma Fellowship of the Gemmological Society of Great Britain, and was involved in the international gem trade. Much of the background for Legendary Gems was gleaned first hand by the author in the gem mines of India, Africa, Asia and South America. Eric Bruton died in 2000.