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

by Aja Raden

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 beauty and the darker side of human desire.

What moves the world is what moves each of us: desire. Jewelry—which has long served as a stand-in for wealth and power, glamor and success—has birthed cultural movements, launched political dynasties, and started wars. Masterfully weaving together pop science and history, Stoned breaks history into three categories—Want, Take, and Have—and explains what the diamond on your finger has to do with the GI Bill, why green-tinted jewelry has been exalted by so many cultures, why the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch were initially considered a fair trade, and how the French Revolution started over a coveted necklace.

Studded with lively personalities and fascinating details, Stoned tells the remarkable story of our abiding desire for the rare and extraordinary.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Fashion, Microhistory, Psychology, Art

368 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in a witty and easy to read manner and imparting some very interesting history and facts, this is the type of nonfiction book I love to read. Starting with the use of glass beads by the Dutch to buy what is now known as Manhattan, through Tudor history and Queen Elizabeth's love of pearls, through the infamous necklace that started the downfall of the French monarchy to the Faberge eggs of the Tzarina Alexandria and the Bolsheviks.

One of the parts I will not forget is the part on diamonds, the DeBeers monopoly and how it came to fruition, a monopoly that still holds true in current days. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, a motto coined by the advertising firm hired by DeBeers to ensure that diamond rings were a must for every newly engaged woman. What a snow job they did on the public and we bought it and still do. All our lackluster presidential candidates in the USA should run out and hire this firm. Thankfully, I myself have never liked diamonds being an opal and garnet type of gal.

Anyway many interesting factoids in this well researched books. Well done.

[Linda Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only giving this book 5 stars because the site doesn't have a 12 star rating. This is as much fun as reading ever gets, and the prima facie reason good nonfiction is more engaging than fiction. History, villains, heroes, economics, world wars, royalty and royalties, 36 inch tall hairdos (take that, Donald Trump!), a li'l island called Manhattan, and a smaller one off the coast of Japan, and science. And gems, jewelry and more better jewelry. Jewelry that somebody else has and you want and the psychology of envy and the positional good of rarity. Brain chemistry, gem chemistry and eye tracking. The only piece missing is what emerald is on the cover. "With that hint of elusive blue," as Gigi learned from her great-aunt. We meet the two advertising women who made the diamond engagement ring myth come to life by lying their professional asses off on behalf of De Beers. (Next mission for me is to read about these 2 with great joy, and promote a series based on women in advertising BEFORE Mad Men.) I tried hard not to drool on this book. Seriously - you too can discover how a green parrot made the Spanish Empire, and how it came undone, consequently learning how our own financial system got where it is today. See the necklace that started the French Revolution, the eggs that hatched the Soviet Union, A Pearl of Great Price (for all you Jay Ward Fractured Fairy Tale fans out there) that impacted the fate of two nations, how a noodle maker turned pearl farmer helped Japan race from feudal to modern in 50 years. And how a schmancy jeweled wristlet made for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary in 1868 made the WWI standard officer's kit list just ahead of revolver by 1917. I tried not to drool on this book because it's the library's. I'll get my own, read it again with no such prohibition. And I'm going to find out what emerald is on the cover.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty interesting book. Key events in history and lite economic theory told through the lens of gems and jewelry. The writing was good, the stories interesting and the author has a sense of humour about herself (though she did slag fat girls about 10 pages in and that made me want to put the book down)**.

There are some nice photographic centre plates; I wish there would have been more.

The chapter on the Faberge eggs and their role in the Romanov family, the Bolshevik revolution and the subsequent development of Russia was one of my favourites. The detailed descriptions of the eggs at the start of each subsection was incredible - here's where I wish there had been more photos!

The main thing that bugged me about this book and why I can't give it 4 stars is the structure of the chapters. Raden organized the book into three large sections: Want, Take, Have - which are focused around different aspects (and outcomes) of desire as well as the economic impact of desire. That all made sense. But within each section, I felt like I would read a summary of a chapter and then, a few pages later, would get a more detailed summary of the chapter, and then finally, read the chapter. So some stories and events I felt I was reading about multiple times without much new information or, in some cases, what felt like contradictory information (the chapter on the evolving role of wristwatches during WW1, for example, felt like it contradicted itself a couple of times from a fact perspective).

I don't know if this was Raden's choice or her editor's, but it made the book about 1/3 longer than it needed to be. Space which could have been filled with additional stories (something I would expect that Raden would have a lot of from her career as a jewelry designer). Also, she cited her sources in the footnotes (which was handy while reading), but I wish there had been a bibliography at the end.

I did really like how Raden tied together economic theory and cultural desire (manifest through gems and jewelry); that was super interesting.

If you have an interest in the topic, or want a fun take on economics, definitely check this book out from the library.

** Update - Jan 11
Raden sent me a very nice note, commenting on a few points in my review. I wanted to share her response to my comment about her "slagging fat girls".

I am so very sorry that's how that came across. It was intended as a light jab at the fickle nature of societal beauty standards. And obviously, sorry as well that it gave offense. As a curvaceous woman myself I'm certainly not one to body shame. But I can admit when a joke doesn't hit the mark.

So I've "striked out" that comment in my review. I totally get it about a joke landing poorly (I know I've certainly had this happen myself, in conversations or blog posts). I think it must be very tough to be an author let alone one who actually reads your reviews. So much of a reviewer's response is subjective and based on big things like LIFE experiences or little things like some burnt toast that was had for breakfast. I'm delighted that Aja reached out to clarify this comment (that, to be fair to her, was made in a footnote - but you know how things strike you when you're reading). And to reiterate, her book is very interesting and absolutely worth reading.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited to read this book. Stones and history collide! One of my favorite topics! Unfortunately I found myself let down and would give this 2.5 stars if I could. The book presents no original research, instead summarizing information obtained from secondary sources. This in itself doesn't bother me much, and the cited sources (at least the sources ARE cited) were frequently books I've previously read, and that frankly were better books. Stoned is written in a breezy, accessible style that occasionally felt as if I was reading a transcript from Drunk History, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I think I recommend this book for interested laymen who like this style. Otherwise, I recommend Victoria Finlay's Jewels (a cited source for a good portion of Stoned) instead.

[Stephen Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this wacky book, which is a confluence of chemistry, history, psychology, and technology. I had never thought of jewelry as a lens through which to view the various trends and movements through time of the human experience, but the author performs this task very well. It is also, in parts, quite funny. I highly recommend this book to people who have ever looked at a piece of jewelry, or had a watch. I received an advance reading copy (ARC), but i could see enjoying this book after buying it as well. I have much more sympathy for Marie Antoinette than I ever have had before, but Henry the 8th still seems nasty.

[Jeannette McCalla · Rating 4 out of 5]

By turns a history, geology, chemistry or economics lesson, it deserves to be read by all nerds! As an added bonus, she's got a sharp wit.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting microhistory on jewelry and gemstone focusing on mostly European gems, capitalism and history.

Mostly Raden takes importance gemstones and places them into history—really looking less at the gemstones themselves than at what was going on politically at the time. From the glass beads the Dutch used to "purchase" Manhattan to Mary & Elizabeth's rivalry over Philip's pearl to Faberge eggs and the end of the Romanovs to cultivated pearls and Japanese industry to the military and the rise of the wristwatch, this book has a little bit of everything.

The moral of the story is this: don't buy your beloveds diamonds. In fact, fuck diamonds straight into the sun, along with the diamond cartel driving up prices of a really non-precious gemstone. To show your love, buy them emeralds instead. but not emerald rings for everyday wear, because emeralds are too precious and also a touch too delicate

Tbh, I was really hoping for some tidbits on QEII's huge jewelry collection, but alas, there was no such information.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched with a writing style that was very much the authors own. A little humor that made me grin. She touched base on a lot of history I knew but took for granted and gave it just a slightly different angle by highlighting how the gems and jewels influenced so much.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Just like their glittering surfaces, jewels have one, and only one, real power: They reflect our desires back to us and show us who we are."

This is Aja Raden's first book and she is already my queen of non fiction. By blending history, humor, and personal experience Raden has created something compulsively readable. I think her voice could make any subject appealing.

Ever heard that infamous tale of the Native Americans who were swindled out of the island Manhattan by the Dutch for glass beads? Spoiler alert, it was a good deal.

Anyone remember Armand Hammer, the Trump before Trump, who made Americans fall in love with all things Fabergé? It turns out, like Trump, he was too friendly with Russia and an all around blackguard.

These are just two of the fascinating stories but let's get into the nitty gritty of fabulous, beautiful, rare...

... actually they are not rare. Since 1870 over 4.5 billion carats have been mined. "That's enough diamonds to provide every single one of the approximately 7 billion people on the planet with the standard one-half-carat diamond ring - with a billion carats left over."

Diamonds should be cheap but they've had the finest in advertising. A Diamond Is Forever was named slogan of the century, a century where the value of diamonds has never done anything but rise.

But any six year old with a hammer can demonstrate diamonds are not forever.

The point Raden makes is that jewelry has only the value we give it: a personal expression, a story. Great gems unfailing have great stories.

This book is a gem. Best of the topical non fiction genre.

[Quartzen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A breezy, meandering book on several topics on the theme of the history of jewelry, from de Beers' manufactured myth of the diamond engagement ring to the diamond necklace scandal that led to Marie Antoinette's execution to the invention of the cultured pearl, Faberge's eggs presented in the context of their period of Russian history, and the role of the wristwatch in World War I.

This was something of a mixed bag for me. The topics were interesting, but there was so little connection between them that I was never able to form a coherent larger picture. Some parts even seemed contradictory- the section on engagement rings said that diamonds were historically considered much lesser than colored stones before de Beers' marketing spin, but then the diamond necklace entangled with Marie Antoinette was presented as being seen as the height of wasteful excess hundreds of years before seemingly because of it being made of so many diamonds.

The strongest parts of the book to me were the section on Faberge eggs that alternated between beautiful descriptions of several eggs and the gradual breakdown of Romanov rule under the incompetent Nicholas II, placing each egg in context, and the sections on the shifting meaning of jewelry as symbol, particularly the sections on de Beers and men's view of wristwatches from misogynist disparagement of them as frivolous things for women to eager embrace once war made them a symbol of masculinity.

However, there were several weak parts besides the frustrating overall lack of cohesion and connection. The light tone made the book easy to pick up and read for the most part, but it really jarred and felt forced in sections dealing with weightier topics like colonialism and religious persecution, and the otherwise interesting chapters on Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth I were brought down by the repeated characterization of other women around them as "slutty" or "mean girls."

Another, perhaps more personal, pet peeve were the sporadic diversions into evolutionary psychology. I found myself dubious about sweeping statements about "biological hard-wiring" backed by research studies using eye-tracking of _modern-day men and women in the US_, especially side-by-side with the sections on the fluidity and changeable nature of the worth and meaning of jewelry.

Lastly, I was disappointed by the lack of sourcing on many things in the book. Several times there was an interesting tidbit like the platonic exchange of engagement-like rings between friends in Ancient Rome without a source, and when I tried to do some basic searching around I couldn't find anything on the topic. On other things that did have footnotes, the sources for facts were often from other popular history books instead of primary sources like historical documents (often one book cited over and over again within a chapter), which isn't in itself a bad thing but seemed a little odd to me.

Overall interesting, and I did learn many things that I'd like to read more about, but the frustrating parts mean I don't think it's one I'll reread.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was impossible for me to walk past this book. Admittedly, I am attracted to book covers and sometimes buy based only on the cover. Here, the temptation was doubled because the cover was one huge octagon cut emerald. Jewelry attracts me like a magpie and, apparently, I am not alone as author Aja Raden points out in Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World. Her premise for this book is here, in this quote from the preface, "All of human history can be boiled down to these three verbs: want, take, and have. And what better illustration of this principle than the history of jewelry? After all, empires have been built on the economics of desire, and jewelry has traditionally been a major form of currency." Stoned is a collection of tales about the role jewels have played in history. It is full of neurological findings on the human brain and desire and why we crave the things we do. How envy works. How value is determined. How things lose their value. Even how fashion in jewels has played a role in developing technology.

Ms. Raden writes in a breezy, slangy colloquial style full of sarcastic asides and personal reflections that is at first slightly annoying and that seems to trivialize her arguments. However, she weaves all of this together with a lot of very good and interesting history. There is something for everyone here. The story of various exotic and famous jewels is always interesting to those of us who are fascinated by them. After all, stones from the eyes of Indian gods and goddesses stolen by adventurers, Incan emeralds big as a man's fist, pearls the size of pears, diamonds from mystical kingdoms, and Fabergé eggs make great copy. Ms. Raden makes the physics of how precious stones are formed equally as entertaining. Combine this with tales of how these things and the lust for them changed nations and destroyed cultures and it definitely becomes a hard to put down read.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! Leave it to someone who studied both ancient history and physics in college to bring together the best possible history of the world told through jewels. Raden mashed together many disciplines to bring you the story of how jewels affected the world. I will list some highlights, but they won't do this book justice. Each section, no matter what jewel was analyzed, dove deep in not only how that jewel was discovered or cultivated, it also provided a delicious glimpse into the psyche of people, and groups of people, in history and the different things they tried to signal about their worth by wearing jewels. The sections almost always included some type of power struggle or political intrigue that was associated with the jewel in question. Most satisfying was the inclusion of brief and simple, yet wonderful, scientific descriptions of all the jewels. This book is a curious persons dream come true.

Highlights:

- New York was bought for glass beads given to the Lenape. Many people argue that this deal was extremely exploitive to the natives. Raden argued that glass beads could very well have been as valuable, if not more valuable, as diamonds to the natives because they had no access to glassblowing technology and the glass beads raised their status in society in a way similar to how diamonds raise the status of people today.

- The tulip caused the first stock market crash. Some tulips cost as much as a home, and people actually mortgaged their homes to buy a single bulb. Things only got worse from there.

- The section on diamonds began with a quote from the former chairman of Debeers, "Diamonds are intrinsically worthless except for the deep psychological need the fulfill." Diamonds are not forever and they are not a precious stone. In fact, they can be destroyed rather easily and they are so common that they are a semi-precious stone at best. Raden explains in detail how the cultivation of diamonds as a staple for couples was the greatest con game of all time. Even if you have heard this story many times before, Raden tells it so well.

- When Cleopatra met Julius Caesar, she laid on a bed of emeralds. This is how Caesar learned that jewels could be far more than just ornaments. Jewels represented power and wealth. After Cleopatra was killed, her emeralds (an actual rare stone) were captured and served as one of the highest symbols of wealth in Rome. No wonder. Emeralds are so rare because they literally need the earth to move in order to be created. Different chemicals necessary for making emeralds are locked in tectonic plates. Only the violent crashing together of these plates can make an emerald. Even then, it might not be a vivid green. (This whole section was spellbinding)

- What later was called the Hope Diamond began as a necklace that once had a much larger diamond. That necklace which no one, not even royalty, could afford ended up being the thing that brought down Marie Antoinette. I had never quite heard the story told in such a complete and captivating manner. I wish Raden had been consulted for the 2006 movie about Antoinette. It would have been all the better for her perspective and story telling ability.

- The Romanovs were included in this book. I could be wrong. After all, I did listen to audible version while dozing off. Even though I rewound the next day, I do not recall any mention of the jewel encrusted underwear that made the murders of the Romanov children a 100 times more gruesome than they were already going to be. It seemed perfect for this book and I was shocked to not read about the fact that the Romanov children had sewn their jewels into the underwear in order to not have the jewels taken from them, and as a result, when they were stabbed, the jewels stopped the knife from going all the way in. Thus, the murders took much longer and involved more force and more suffering than if the murderers could have just killed them in a swift manner.

- She saved the pearl for last. Are we really wearing viruses around our necks and on our ears? Yep. Pretty much. Like every other jewel, the pearl caused quite a war between the people trying to sell them. In the end, a brilliant and persistent man, who learned how to cultivate the perfect pearls won in all the ways that mattered. Great story.

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute Gem of a book

I loved this book.

What type of book is it though?

Is it a Yuval Noah Harari big picture look at humanity? Is it a Stacy Schiff event-based push through history? Or is it a subtly irreverent Mary Roach-type non-fiction book?

It's a little bit of all of these. I came in expecting a Harari-esque high-level overview of humanity and its conception of value, and though Aja Raden provides that - she definitely lapses into pure history.

Emeralds bring her into being able to show the fight between Spain and England. Faberge Eggs allow her to tell the tale of early 20th-century Russia.

De Beers? Haha - well that's its own chapter.

But though this book employs many different styles - like diamonds actually are - there is plenty to go around.

She begins with the New World, with the Dutch trading New York for beads, and then trading it again for a small rock in the middle of the ocean that was the only one that could make Nutmeg at the time.

She talks about Tulips, and then Marie Antoinette and a fight over a necklace. Antoinette is hapless but harmless, and the French Revolution decided to value her as the enemy.

She talks about a fight over jewelry and high Elizabeth and Spain shaped the world because of it.

She talks about Japan and Mikimoto making pearls - and how to manufacture an industry and a demand both.

In any case - I recommend this one. It meanders in style - but that can be a good thing. And watch out for the footnotes - some are citations, but wow - some are insightful, and some are hilarious.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The evolution of modern world politics and the struggle for world power traces back to the fight over gravel or refuse that we have all been duped into believing is valuable and imbues power unto the beholder. Crown jewels. Diamond in the rough. The mere mention of emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and pearls evokes the ideals of royalty, wealth, prestige, and,power. How did it come to be that bits of gravel have become so highly sought after that we will pay ridiculous sums of money as an expression of love and eternity? Diamonds are glorified and very well marketed bits of earth and we have all subscribed to a genius marketing scheme for decades! Why? How? The answer lies in human nature and the powerful emotion (some would call it sin) of desire.

I loved this book. It is exactly my kind of history. A lot of fact and a touch of snark all woven together with brilliance in a tell-it-like-it-is style. I learned a lot about the real motivation behind the destruction of the Spanish Armada, and the strange doings of English royalty in the 1600-1800s. That period of history is largely unrelatable for me, but this book put it all on the map. The history of commodities never disappoints.

[K.J. Charles]

A pretty readable history told through a variety of precious stones (Faberge eggs, a diamond necklace, cultured pearls). The author adopts a breezy, jokey style that's fun to read in small doses but becomes a bit monotone over an entire book, and which also slightly undermines the project in that it makes you wonder just how accurate the wider history is. The stuff about jewels, her area of expertise, is all excellent; I wasn't fully convinced by the thesis about positional good and envy driving society. In fact I sort of wish this had been a narrower focused book about jewels, not about human history. eh well.

[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unpleasant read for a variety of reasons: its basis on common-knowledge mythology (the selling of Manhattan for glass beads, the early con of De Beers); the strange editorializing and un-cute (slightly disturbing?) anecdotes; and the amateurish writing. The tone it strikes is either way too conversational/casual (something "sucks" and a preponderance of "things" exist) or one that attempts to be pedagogical, which creates a problem with consistency and expectation. Furthermore, the stories are broken up and disjointed, making them difficult to follow to their intended endpoint. The first case, about Manhattan, which veered into such topics as the Dutch tulip trade and nutmeg, made me wonder if I had read a review about an entirely different book because this certainly wasn't about jewelry, the topic I was really interested in reading about, and the other topics which I have already read about in books dedicated to their respective subject matter.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I stayed home sick from school I would often watch the Home Shopping Network, but only if they were slowly spinning beautiful jewelry. I had no idea what the hosts were speaking about, I just enjoyed watched the sparkle. When I was older, I could hardly be torn away from the gem/jewelry section of the Smithosonian. What would it be like, I wonder *constantly*, to be draped in those gems. I want to know what five pounds gold and gems feel like around my neck. I worked in education so that is very unlikely to happen, but Snapchat filters GET ON IT WITH ICONIC JEWELS PLEASE.

Wait omg a Smithsonian Snapchat team up would end me. I'd love it too much.

Any ways, this book only fanned those flames. It was absolutely wonderful. Even the chapters where I was familiar with the stories (Bolsheviks, Marie Antoinette) coming from the perspective of gems and fashion brought new information and light to the story. Highly recommend.

[Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Stoned, the author undertakes an ambitious exploration of the historical, cultural, and economic significance of various gemstones. While the book is filled with intriguing anecdotes and insightful connections, it often struggles with coherence and overreaches in some of its claims.

First, let’s discuss what felt like the largest section of the book, which delves into diamonds. Although it offers several fascinating facts about the history of gemstones and how the diamond trade further exploited local people, the narrative felt a bit disjointed. There are multiple important events in history brought up that didn’t feel fully explored. The author seems to have amassed a wealth of information without fully integrating it into a cohesive story, resulting in a repetitive and somewhat fragmented read.

Another large section of the book is dedicated to Fabergé eggs. While I enjoyed the background to Fabergé eggs and their cultural significance throughout different time periods in Russian history, the discussion on communism and how capitalism is actually a much better system felt particularly out of place. The author’s diatribe on these political systems seemed tangential and unnecessary, detracting from the primary focus of the book. This could have been omitted without losing any of the book’s value.

Conversely, the section on emeralds was particularly engaging. The author does an excellent job of connecting emeralds to Indigenous communities, offering a broader discussion on how different cultures valued different types of stones. This perspective was both enlightening and respectful, providing a deeper understanding of the cultural context surrounding these precious stones, as well as other stones considered precious throughout time.

The chapter on pearls presents a mixed bag. The claim that pearls were meant to revitalize Japan’s traditional culture is rather broad and unsubstantiated. However, the historical account of how pearls facilitated the opening up of and trade between Japan and the West was compelling. This part of the book was highlighting the geopolitical impact of gemstones, yet the claims made feel a bit dubious.

Throughout the book, the author offers interesting angles on how jewelry is examined within sociocultural contexts. However, there is a tendency to conflate the importance of jewelry in major historical conflicts, which can sometimes feel overstated. While jewelry has certainly played a role in history, its significance is occasionally exaggerated in the book’s narrative. For example, the discussion about the rivalry between Mary and Elizabeth where we are literally given all the reasons as to why they had a complex and competitive relationship. Yet, the author chose to re-write history and claim that the real source of this rivalry was actually all due to a pearl Elizabeth was jealous of? I’m just unsure why this book often veered into such ambitious and unsupported claims about the relevancy of gemstones.

In conclusion, this book shines in its cultural and historical anecdotes, particularly concerning emeralds and pearls. Yet, it falters in coherence and occasionally strays into unnecessary tangents. Readers interested in the multifaceted world of gemstones will find valuable insights here, though they may need to navigate through some uneven sections to fully appreciate the book’s merits.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very mixed bag for me. As someone who doesn't know much about the history of jewellery, some sections - notably the chapter on diamond rings and the last two on Mikimoto pearls and wristwatches - offered a lot of interesting information, but the rest was just disappointing. The main points the book tries to make - that pearls and precious stones have only as much value as we humans decide to give them - was well-argued, but pretty much covered exhaustively in the first two chapters.

The whole middle part felt like the author just wanted to write extensively about her favourite historical periods with some jewellery thrown in. I can understand why we need a broader background on the French revolution to contextualise the story of Marie Antoinette's necklace (although where her allegedly 'frugal' upbringing in Austria comes in I don't know, though I had a good laugh at the depiction of Hofburg as an austere place), but I still don't get the chapter on La Peregrina - why did we need a detailed rehash of Henry VIII's wives and the mechanics of the Spanish Armada when the whole story can be summed up as 'Mary I got a pearl from her husband who took it with him after her death to Spain, and her younger sister ALLEGEDLY spent her life yearning for it'? The same goes for the emerald parrot, with far more details on Spanish antisemitism that should be necessary for explaining how New World emeralds influenced Spanish politics. I understand the importance of context, but these read more like breezy and flattened overviews of the most notorious moments in history with some jewels thrown in as an afterthought, and the author's overall framing as stories of 'want' just didn't persuade me.

This is not helped by the esoteric use of quotes, which sometimes support information that really don't need a reference (the myth of Aphrodite emerging from seafoam? really?) but are curiously absent from all of the more outrageous and questionable statements, particularly of the statistical kind. The book is easy to read but the chatty humour gets tiring after a while, and the light offhand tone probably calculated to make history more relatable just feels mean (also please could we stop referring to narratively inconvenient women as 'whores', I thought we were over this).

Lastly, the author's views are curiously narrow for a book that tries to encompass the whole world - I wouldn't mind if she was consciously representing her affluent American bubble but she repeatedly claims that certain things (such as diamond engagement rings, virtually unknown in my part of the world) are wholly universal ('Roughly 80 to 90 percent of all contemporary brides sport a diamond ring.' claims the author - you guessed it - without a reference).

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun book to read. Aja Raden is a woman of many talents with unique training that enables her to relay key moments in human history as told through the lens of coveted gems and jewels.

Some of her tales, such as how the DeBeers cartel seized control of diamond supply and then manufactured demand for their inferior product out of thin air, were already familiar to me. Despite that, as I read Raden's engaging prose, I still learned how South African diamonds are different from those previously found in India and how the post war years created malleable new markets for a not-very-rare stone.

Other stories, such as the collision of gold-hunting Spanish conquistadors with an abundant supply of sacred South American emeralds were totally new to me. I was fascinated to read about about the long historical association of emeralds with religion and the battles between the indigenous people fighting to keep the locations of their mines secret from ever more ruthless Spanish soldiers.

Another chapter addressing "The Affair of the Necklace" contributes details previously unknown to me about the role of a fraud scheme involving what was likely the most expensive piece of jewelry ever created in the fall of Marie Antoinette.

I'm no stranger to the history of Elizabeth I, but was also previously unaware of how her obsession with a huge New World pearl given by Philip of Spain to her sister Mary helped motivate her sponsored piracy of Spanish treasure ships.

The three remaining chapters tell the stories of the role of Faberge's eggs in both late Czarist Russia and in financing the Russian revolution, Mikimoto's long quest to perfect both pearl culturing and the cultivation of a market for his more perfect creations, and how the frivolous desire of a European countess to have a tiny, bejeweled clock on her wrist ended up transforming modern warfare.

Raden's knowledge of ancient history, gemology, jewelry appraisal, geology, 16th century finance, and human psychology make her the perfect person to tease apart how sparkly gravel that can't be eaten has played a major role in the rise and fall of multiple empires. She's also articulate, accessible and dryly funny, making this book especially pleasurable to read.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have worked in the jewelry business for a while now and am often amazed at how attached people are to their jewelry. The engagement ring part of it, especially will bring out the crazy in a lot of normally sane people. Sure it is pretty, special, valuable, a gift from someone you love, etc., but does it truly define us or our relationships? This book says "yes. undoubtedly".

Raden focuses on diamonds, emeralds and pearls, recounting the origins of each and the part they played throughout history. I am not a big reader of history, but the author writes well and I thought the book moved fairly quickly. Don't skip the footnotes, some were pretty funny. There was not a whole lot of information about other types of stones such as sapphires or rubies and their importance, which would have been interesting as well.

I loved this book and keep thinking about the interesting little tidbits that I learned. I would recommend it for anyone in the jewelry business, any designers who deal with wearable art, history lovers, or anyone who is considering purchasing a diamond.

[oshizu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did not appreciate the historical inaccuracies in the description of Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868). The author refers to the Tokugawa era as the classical period (no, that would be the years 794-1185 CE) as well as the medieval period (no, that would the years 1185-1603, which precede the Tokugawa era). She throws around words like samurai and bushido in ahistorical context.

That chapter makes me doubt the historical veracity of the rest of the book.
In conclusion, I give the book 2.5 stars which I begrudgingly round up to 3 stars.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of really interesting information in this book. Unique aspects of history that you won't find in a textbook or be taught in class. However, the editorialization of the material and the author's unnecessary commentary, combined with her very casual style of writing, made it quite difficult and frustrating to read at times.

[Blair Stackhouse]

I enjoyed this book way more than originally anticipated. It is a fascinating take on the history of jewelry mixed with the history of the world in general. She wrote in a way that was technical but totally accessible at the same time.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the info on the jewels. Did not enjoy the overly breezy style or extremely broad brushed history.

[Carolyn Kost · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All of human history can be boiled down to these three verbs: want, take, and have. And what better illustration of this principle than the history of jewelry?"

What a riot! If every marketing, psychology, history or economics text—or teacher, for that matter—were as hilarious as Raden's, we'd all be scholars by now. This book sparkles not just with the luster of diamonds, pearls, and Fabergé eggs, but with razor-sharp wit and some of the most delightful historical digressions you'll ever read.

From the glass beads that "bought" Manhattan to the female marketing genius who convinced generations that diamonds are a mandatory element to engagements forever (and not just abundant carbon), to the role of pearls in the fortunes of Spain, England, and Japan, Raden reveals how human desire has shaped economies, toppled empires, and led to some truly surprising moments—like Americans unknowingly funding the Soviets with jewelry purchases. And Marie Antoinette was not the grasping coveter of the famous diamond necklace, as were taught in high school.

The book is a romp, the humor is effortless, and the fun tangents make it a page-turner. Whether it's emeralds fueling the Spanish Empire, cultivating pearls in the egalitarian effort "to adorn every neck," wristwatches transitioning from girly bracelet to warrior's necessity, or the absurd saga of using Fabergé maker's mark plates so that uncounted numbers of eggs were created and falsely branded, this is the kind of history lesson you won't want to put down.

History, economics, and marketing, with a soupçon of psychology and neuroscience and a marvelous laugh at human obsession; this book is pure gold—or at least a well-polished gemstone.

[angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

full of interesting tidbits about precious gemstones (diamonds, emeralds, pearls) and jewelry, with a focus on changes in supply and demand that were largely manufactured -- thereby asking why and how we come to value things.

i found the middle third of this book (focusing on marie antoinette, henry VIII and elizabeth I, and the romanov dynasty) the least compelling, as it was a pretty superficial treatment of those histories and seemingly not that relevant.

[Jessica Semler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and engaging 💎💎💎💎

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stoned is the story of the ways jewelry has shaped history, including the glass beads used to purchase Manhattan, how the development of cultured pearls improved technology in Japan, the successful promotion of diamonds as engagement rings, and the necklace that started the French Revolution.

It's a fascinating story.

[Jaclyn Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I realized a few years ago that I wasn’t really a jewelry person and that’s become more obvious since. I enjoy the occasional fun of an interesting ring, or a pair of small stud earrings, but that’s about it. The way to my heart is through cashmere or a nice bag, not sparkly things. However! After reading this book, maybe I need to rethink this life path. Stoned is absolute jewelry porn, talking about stones in the hundreds of carats and the lengths that humans have gone to in order to find, mine, acquire, steal precious gems. Far from a dry accounting of famous jewelry, Raden has a wry, jokey tone, like a friend telling you about Marie Antoinette’s relationship to an absolutely ridiculous diamond necklace. Such a fun read.