Jewels

May 29, 2006
Gems seem to be moving to the literary forefront, with The Hope Diamond
out in May and The Heartless Stone: A Journey through the World of Diamonds, Deceit and Desire
due in August. In her follow-up to Color
, Finlay looks at diamonds and eight more of the world's most coveted gemstones. In each chapter, she discusses the jewel's history and travels to the stone's place of origin: abandoned emerald mines in Egypt, working opal mines in Australia, a pearl-fisher's home in Scotland and an Apache reservation that holds most of the world's supply of peridot. Finlay is also fascinated by the lengths to which people will go to fabricate jewels: one company manufactures diamonds from cremated human remains. While each journey holds its own charms—Finlay's trek to Sri Lanka to uncover the pedigree of a family heirloom sapphire is particularly enjoyable—they don't fully gel into a cohesive whole, and detailed stories about, say, the way one Japanese entrepreneur transformed the world's pearl market are juxtaposed with historical trivia. Still, Finlay's winning personality may well be enough to keep readers turning the pages. 8 pages of color and b&w illus. throughout.

August 15, 2006
Part travelog, part history, Finlay's book tracks the circuitous path of some of the world's precious and not-so-precious gems through history. Using the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, the author chose ten gemstones, ranging from the softest, jet, to the hardest, diamond. Each section is a hodgepodge, detailing the author's worldwide travel, from Europe to Sri Lanka, in pursuit of a particular gem's origin, history, and current market status. Finlay also describes her encounters with locals, including a Scottish pearl fisher and gem market traders in India. The last section contains jewel trivia, discussions of famous diamonds (including the Hope Diamond), and a gem glossary. Rather than examining the study or science of gems, this work, like her "Color: A Natural History", feels a bit like journalist George Plimpton's writings about his forays into professional sports, although less self-aware. Her opening and closing remarks about the stones in her own engagement ring are somewhat disconcerting. Recommended, with reservations, for public libraries. (Illustrations not seen.)" -Regina M. Beard, Kansas State Univ. Libs., Manhattan"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2006
Inspired by the engagement ring she'd received from her fiance, Finlay set off on a journey that literally took her around the world intent on uncovering the history behind some of the planet's most valuable gems. Her investigation of amber takes her to a much--diminished mining town in Russia, where Stalin once had a gulag full of people to work the mines. Finlay visits with former pearl fishers in Scotland who used to search the rivers for mussels before they became endangered. In Egypt she discovers the truth about Cleopatra's legendary emerald mines, while in Burma she goes on a more personal journey to trace the roots of a sapphire her father bought for her mother. She lays out the myth of the supposedly cursed Hope diamond before debunking it as a tall tale made up by Pierre Cartier to make a sale. Part personal journey, part historical anecdote, this rich, comprehensive book will no doubt appeal to jewelry lovers curious about the story behind the sparkle.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)