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The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit, and Desire
In 2000, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road travelling to diamond mines in Africa, Canada, India, Brazil and Russia to discover the true worth of this shining gem. He travelled to Japan to understand how diamonds were linked with engagements and delved into the history of our own American romance with the diamond ring. He gained entry to DeBeers, the London diamond merchants. He visited shopping mall jewellers with starry-eyed couples. Through all of his travels, he searched for an answer to the question "How has one stone created empires, ruined lives, inspired lust and emptied wallets throughout history?" A diamond version of Susan Orleans's The Orchid Thief, Tom Zoellner's The Heartless Stone is a journey to the cold heart of the world's most unyielding gem.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 30, 2006
36 people are currently reading
629 people want to read
About the author
Tom Zoellner
22 books105 followersTom Zoellner is the author of several nonfiction books, including Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire, and works as a professor at Chapman University and Dartmouth College. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper’s, The American Scholar, The Oxford American, Time, Foreign Policy, Men’s Health, Slate, Scientific American, Audubon, Sierra, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Texas Observer, Departures, The American Scholar, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Tom is a fifth-generation Arizonan and a former staff writer for The Arizona Republic and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is the recipient of fellowships and residencies from The Lannan Foundation, the Corporation of Yaddo, the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation.
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July 10, 2015
I lounged in a stuffed armchair, transfixed by Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, Jamaica Inn, when I was startled to attention by a sparkly stone hurtled from the staircase. It skimmed over my head, landed on the living room hearth, and skittered into the cold brick, fireplace.
My parents never divorced but they had some epic battles. Dad swore like the sailor he once was and Mom threw things. Today’s battle was memorable because my mother had recently switched from breakable objects, like my sister’s “made with love in art class” ceramic ashtray, to Mom’s more symbolic, engagement ring containing the hardest stone on the planet. This particular fight was fierce and at it’s zenith she reached for her ring to deliver the coup de grâce. Alas, Mom had just reached such a level of plumpness that the ring remained trapped at the base of her red, sweaty finger, increasing her fury to an added degree. Angrily she stomped up the stairs to soap her hand.
Diamonds and conflict apparently go together, as I learned from The Heartless Stone, a Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit, and Desire, by Tom Zoellner. His book is a methodical study of diamonds, the diamond industry, and the diamond market, all within the framework of Zoellner’s personal experience with one particular diamond, a diamond on a ring returned to him from Ann, his almost wife. Diamond obsessed and wistfully saddened, the intrepid Zoellner travels the world investigating the diamond trade: Africa, Canada, Japan, Australia, India, Russia and the U.S. Although, the trade is one of the least transparent industries on the globe, Zoellner digs for truth and shines a light on its practices. What is exposed is not sparkle and dreams.
Companies from De Beers to Zales, who want to keep their extraordinary 50% or more markup, control the narrative of the stone and are able to manipulate popular culture to associate diamonds in our minds with qualities of: trust, loyalty, commitment, love, passion, frugality, status and financial success. But the truth is, the diamond trade is also associated with starvation wages, smuggling, unhealthy work conditions, deception, price fixing, finance of civil wars, theft, and even murder (of suspected thieves). Getting a diamond to market might also involve child labor. You may have heard this before and think that child labor is no longer tolerated, but in places such as India these abuses are easy to hide and continue to this day. I was most surprised to learn that diamonds are not even scarce, as we are led to believe; companies release just the right amount of them to keep that myth alive.
It is a rare person who has never faced, at some time in their life, overwhelming pressure to purchase one or more of these very expensive, glittery rocks, whether as a marriage promise, mall jewelry, or a piece of hip-hop bling. Responsible consumers might want to educate themselves about its ugly origin, protect themselves from being taken to the cleaners and avoid abusing our fellow humans. The Heartless Stone is a good place to begin that education.
After many minutes in the upstairs bathroom, hand held under cold soapy water, my furious mother triumphantly stomped back down the stairs and threw her ring. Dad was no longer in the vicinity and the unintended result was a daughter who, from then on, would not find diamonds all that desirable. The Heartless Stone did nothing to disabuse me of this notion.
I would recommend this book to anyone with a curious mind, and an appreciation of polished investigative adventure writing whether or not you harbor a diamond obsession.
My parents never divorced but they had some epic battles. Dad swore like the sailor he once was and Mom threw things. Today’s battle was memorable because my mother had recently switched from breakable objects, like my sister’s “made with love in art class” ceramic ashtray, to Mom’s more symbolic, engagement ring containing the hardest stone on the planet. This particular fight was fierce and at it’s zenith she reached for her ring to deliver the coup de grâce. Alas, Mom had just reached such a level of plumpness that the ring remained trapped at the base of her red, sweaty finger, increasing her fury to an added degree. Angrily she stomped up the stairs to soap her hand.
Diamonds and conflict apparently go together, as I learned from The Heartless Stone, a Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit, and Desire, by Tom Zoellner. His book is a methodical study of diamonds, the diamond industry, and the diamond market, all within the framework of Zoellner’s personal experience with one particular diamond, a diamond on a ring returned to him from Ann, his almost wife. Diamond obsessed and wistfully saddened, the intrepid Zoellner travels the world investigating the diamond trade: Africa, Canada, Japan, Australia, India, Russia and the U.S. Although, the trade is one of the least transparent industries on the globe, Zoellner digs for truth and shines a light on its practices. What is exposed is not sparkle and dreams.
Companies from De Beers to Zales, who want to keep their extraordinary 50% or more markup, control the narrative of the stone and are able to manipulate popular culture to associate diamonds in our minds with qualities of: trust, loyalty, commitment, love, passion, frugality, status and financial success. But the truth is, the diamond trade is also associated with starvation wages, smuggling, unhealthy work conditions, deception, price fixing, finance of civil wars, theft, and even murder (of suspected thieves). Getting a diamond to market might also involve child labor. You may have heard this before and think that child labor is no longer tolerated, but in places such as India these abuses are easy to hide and continue to this day. I was most surprised to learn that diamonds are not even scarce, as we are led to believe; companies release just the right amount of them to keep that myth alive.
It is a rare person who has never faced, at some time in their life, overwhelming pressure to purchase one or more of these very expensive, glittery rocks, whether as a marriage promise, mall jewelry, or a piece of hip-hop bling. Responsible consumers might want to educate themselves about its ugly origin, protect themselves from being taken to the cleaners and avoid abusing our fellow humans. The Heartless Stone is a good place to begin that education.
After many minutes in the upstairs bathroom, hand held under cold soapy water, my furious mother triumphantly stomped back down the stairs and threw her ring. Dad was no longer in the vicinity and the unintended result was a daughter who, from then on, would not find diamonds all that desirable. The Heartless Stone did nothing to disabuse me of this notion.
I would recommend this book to anyone with a curious mind, and an appreciation of polished investigative adventure writing whether or not you harbor a diamond obsession.
August 19, 2015
Reading one of Tom Zoellner's books often feels like travelling - travelling around the world, and also back and forth in time.
The Heartless Stone is no exception. In this engaging book, prepare to discover how much you didn't know about diamonds and just how amazingly much of what we think we know is actually myth or simply assumptions that were created for us.
The countless interviews with people span the globe, and take in every perspective that you can glean without actually hopping on a plane and getting them yourself. Zoellner's ground up approach, covering people from the lowest to the highest levels in the diamond industry, gives a complete image that would compel you to keep reading.
Definitely worth a read.
The Heartless Stone is no exception. In this engaging book, prepare to discover how much you didn't know about diamonds and just how amazingly much of what we think we know is actually myth or simply assumptions that were created for us.
The countless interviews with people span the globe, and take in every perspective that you can glean without actually hopping on a plane and getting them yourself. Zoellner's ground up approach, covering people from the lowest to the highest levels in the diamond industry, gives a complete image that would compel you to keep reading.
Definitely worth a read.
December 22, 2013
Zoellner's journey is historical as well as geographical. He guides us through the career of the ruthless imperialist, Cecil Rhodes, who planted the seeds of apartheid in South Africa, the rise of the DeBeers cartel, the Portuguese rape and abandonment of Angola, the game changing discovery of the Argyle mine at Barramundi Gap in northwestern Australia, the shift of the diamond polishing industry from Amsterdam and Antwerp to Surat in northern India, and the technology developed in Russia to produce synthetic diamonds, virtually undetectable from the naturally found mineral.
He attempts to impose a cohesive framework on his extensive research through the story of his own aborted engagement, and the symbolism of hope and disappointment that keeps him attached to the returned diamond engagement ring he had bought. The device is not altogether successful. The book feels more like a compendium of short stories, some more compelling than others.
My favorite was his story of the 20th century marketing campaign that permanently linked the diamond to the marriage vow. In the 1930's prices had collapsed, and DeBeers looked to the American market as its only option for expansion. It hired N.W. Ayer to create it's new image. Materialism was linked to the symbolism of legacy, with allusions to familial bonds, timelessness, “fruits of the earth.” Zoellner spells it out bluntly: “If the reader got lost in the Yoda-speak, the [accompanying] Dali painting made it clear: wealth outlasts life. And De Beers was there to help." The copywriter was an unmarried woman, Frances Gerety, and she could well have served as the model for Don Draper's appropriation of human longing and reconstructed nostalgia in the service of his Kodak carousel pitch. Zoellner captures that same sense of emotional momentum that leads up to the "A Diamond is Forever" tagline in 1948. The approach was repackaged and exported to post-war Japan with dramatic results in the 1960's by J.Walter Thompson.
The true unifying theme is one that is bound to leave the reader conflicted. Zoellner opens his story in the war-torn Central African Republic. As he moves to the Amazon Basin of Brazil, the Cuango River in Angola, and then the mines of South Africa, the same story with variations is repeated. Impoverished populations, exploited laborers, lawlessness, thievery, butchery, extortion, smuggling, institutional corruption, and money laundering are the persistent themes. We associate the term “blood diamonds” with specific conflict zones, like Sierra Leone. In truth, the value, portability and untraceability of gem-quality diamonds create their own aura of conflict. Some go so far as to call them a curse.
Zoellner is a persistent and skillful interviewer. He coaxes contradictory statements from General Lukamba in Angola, candid admissions from DeBeers officials, sad stories of hopelessness from miners and stone polishers. I was drawn to this book after reading A SAFEWAY IN ARIZONA. This book does not approach that level of insight but nevertheless tells a thought-provoking and illuminating story.
He attempts to impose a cohesive framework on his extensive research through the story of his own aborted engagement, and the symbolism of hope and disappointment that keeps him attached to the returned diamond engagement ring he had bought. The device is not altogether successful. The book feels more like a compendium of short stories, some more compelling than others.
My favorite was his story of the 20th century marketing campaign that permanently linked the diamond to the marriage vow. In the 1930's prices had collapsed, and DeBeers looked to the American market as its only option for expansion. It hired N.W. Ayer to create it's new image. Materialism was linked to the symbolism of legacy, with allusions to familial bonds, timelessness, “fruits of the earth.” Zoellner spells it out bluntly: “If the reader got lost in the Yoda-speak, the [accompanying] Dali painting made it clear: wealth outlasts life. And De Beers was there to help." The copywriter was an unmarried woman, Frances Gerety, and she could well have served as the model for Don Draper's appropriation of human longing and reconstructed nostalgia in the service of his Kodak carousel pitch. Zoellner captures that same sense of emotional momentum that leads up to the "A Diamond is Forever" tagline in 1948. The approach was repackaged and exported to post-war Japan with dramatic results in the 1960's by J.Walter Thompson.
The true unifying theme is one that is bound to leave the reader conflicted. Zoellner opens his story in the war-torn Central African Republic. As he moves to the Amazon Basin of Brazil, the Cuango River in Angola, and then the mines of South Africa, the same story with variations is repeated. Impoverished populations, exploited laborers, lawlessness, thievery, butchery, extortion, smuggling, institutional corruption, and money laundering are the persistent themes. We associate the term “blood diamonds” with specific conflict zones, like Sierra Leone. In truth, the value, portability and untraceability of gem-quality diamonds create their own aura of conflict. Some go so far as to call them a curse.
Zoellner is a persistent and skillful interviewer. He coaxes contradictory statements from General Lukamba in Angola, candid admissions from DeBeers officials, sad stories of hopelessness from miners and stone polishers. I was drawn to this book after reading A SAFEWAY IN ARIZONA. This book does not approach that level of insight but nevertheless tells a thought-provoking and illuminating story.
December 18, 2015
Note: this book was published before the movie "Blood Diamond" made its appearance) Wow. This is an excellent exploration of the world of diamonds. History, lore, mining, advertising, cartels, new discoveries that threaten De Beers... from South Africa to Brazil, India, Japan, Siberia and the Great White North of Canada, the author covers the globe in an compelling and interesting fashion.
April 6, 2024
I am a sucker for diamonds, and pearls, and it's fascinating that diamonds get their worth from a myth. On their own, they're not all that valuable; in fact, they had coexisted with humans for centuries before becoming a commodity.
February 4, 2012
A good solid 4.5 star book. I really like Zoellner's writing and style. This book aims more at the heart of people involved in the diamond trade - the smugglers, the third-world diggers, the warlords, the cutters/polishers, the distributors, and the engaged couples... A really interesting look at how propaganda has enticed entire populations to turn to diamonds as a matter of due course. And even though I never wanted a diamond, and never bought into the propaganda about them...this book did have me thinking for a minute that maybe, just maybe I missed something magical...but nah, I really don't want to wear on my finger something that may have been shoved up someones tail-end..(1/6 to 1/20 diamonds are thought to have been smuggled). Interesting note: there are 1 billion carats "in the world" - cut and circulated today... The Argyle Mine, the only diamond mine of Australia has an estimated reserve of 1 trillion carats!
February 14, 2009
Very fascinating and thought-provoking look at our love affair with diamonds. I promise that you will never look at a diamond in the same way again! Each chapter is centered on a different country and issue involved in the diamond trade; each chapter stands alone. The first chapter along with chapters about Japan (marketing, cultural practices of engagement, WWII), South Africa (DeBeers, Cecil Rhodes), India (polishing and setting, child labor), and Russia ("cultured" diamonds) are absolutely fascinating! Did you know there are diamonds in Arkansas? I confess that I did not read all the chapters (Canada was a bore unless you are into geology and I didn't think I could handle the gore of blood diamonds in Angola) but the beauty of the book is that you can pick and choose chapters! My book club gave it unanimous thumbs up.
Read
February 5, 2009The dirty secret of diamonds has been out for some time, and with good reason. It's got all the requisite ingredients of intriguing journalism: greed, sex, gaping economic disparities, and glamour. It's too bad it took a failed engagement to prompt this book, but Zoellner has risen from the romantic ashes with Heartless Stone. As The Wall Street Journal points out, he's no geologist, but he is a careful reporter. He doesn't miss a stop on the diamond road, hopping from Africa to South America to the British Isles in pursuit of the gem whose exclusivity is based only on the tight control of a few greedy individuals. That little blue Tiffany box might never look the same.
This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
December 30, 2017
Cecil Rhodes. One miserable, bigot. deBeers. Diamonds and apartheid and price fixing. The Oppenheimers. Bad or worse. de Beers Bros. Not even in the picture . A piece of pretty stone; a pebble, in many places worldwide - the Borgias of gems.
This book is so well written and told you will not want it to end nor will you want to put it down. You will also look at that chip or rock on your hands or adorning your ears and cry for the ugliness that made it sparkle. You will never see a diamond or an ad for them in the same way.
And yet it brings so much more to the reader. And it shines in ways that amazed me. If you are a curious person and maybe even a lover of diamonds. Do not miss this book.
This book is so well written and told you will not want it to end nor will you want to put it down. You will also look at that chip or rock on your hands or adorning your ears and cry for the ugliness that made it sparkle. You will never see a diamond or an ad for them in the same way.
And yet it brings so much more to the reader. And it shines in ways that amazed me. If you are a curious person and maybe even a lover of diamonds. Do not miss this book.
January 13, 2018
Not starting out impressively, with a meandering account of his trip to that garden spot, the Central African Republic (formerly "Empire", with the murderous Emperor Bokassa). Then on to northern Canada, where I'm taking a break. [later] Abandoned after skimming a bit more. Just not very good.
For Canada, the Great Book is "Barren Lands": https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... For diamonds in general, I liked "Diamond : the history of a cold-blooded love affair," a much better book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
For Canada, the Great Book is "Barren Lands": https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... For diamonds in general, I liked "Diamond : the history of a cold-blooded love affair," a much better book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
April 10, 2008
This book brings all aspects of the diamond industry to light from clean Canadian diamonds, mining in South America to the polishing in India. A bit dry but the subject itself is eye-opening. The diamond cartels have undertaken a brilliant marketing campaign to dupe consumers into linking diamonds and love. A must read!
September 4, 2008
I work in the diamond and jewelry industry and didn't know many things in this book. Especially the diamond histories of various countries from Russia and Canada to Angola and the Central African Republic. Things are not as good as the Kimberly Process makes it seem.
November 16, 2007
Anyone who to read and also loves diamonds and gems MUST read this. It will make you feel horribly guilty but you should at least know what you are buying into...
January 27, 2018
#引言
《欲望之石：权利、谎言与爱情交织的钻石梦》是美国自由撰稿人Tom Zoellner先生发表于2006年的一本纪实文学。Zoellner先生走访五大洲，深入探访钻石产业链的各个环节，为读者展示了在熠熠生辉的宝石背后，劳动者的艰辛努力以及资本的操弄。同时作者也揭示了装饰用钻石的使用价值——成为爱情的象征。
本书不是一本严格的产业报告，没有仔细的产业规模、发展动向等等的分析，它更为关注整个行业内各色人等的所思所想、所作所为。
#本书的主要内容
《软件那些事儿》播客和微信公众号的作者——永远年轻的栋哥有一个观点：他说，人类社会的三个支柱是权力、金钱和性。而本书的三个关键词正是权力、谎言与爱情。我尝试从政治手腕、谋生手段和求爱工具三个角度梳理一下本书内容。
##谋生手段
###最为悲惨的是“血钻石”
本书第六章《血钻石：安哥拉》以安哥拉为例子，讲述了劳动者作为武装人员（军队、游击队或者叛军）的奴隶，挖掘河床中的钻石。在安哥拉内战中，走私钻石换来走私军火，军火用来巩固地盘，形成稳固的暴力体系，从而挖掘更多的钻石。这稀有的宝藏却成为人民的诅咒。
##较为隐蔽的garimpeiros(自由劳工）
在中非和巴西，政府通过垄断钻石进出口来攫取利润。然后在有形巨手的指缝间，总有自由劳工用抽水泵、铁铲试图挖宝。然后挖出来之后——美酒、美女、好车——很快就使劳工把好不容易获得的点点财富挥霍一空，乃至债务累累。逃得出政府的掌控、却逃不出消费主义的摆布。
##印度苏拉特的钻石打磨业
钻石并不是天然熠熠生辉的。它需要加工者精心地加工。而在印度苏拉特，廉价的劳工配上小颗粒低价值的钻石原石，能将无用之物转变为全新的饰品。但是由于工厂没有相应的防护措施，如负压车间、防尘口罩、严格的清洗制度，导致工人很容易得尘肺病。作者访问了一位十六岁的打磨工。他在完成工作同时，依然在努力攒钱自学中学课程。我很佩服他，我也很惭愧。
##澳大利亚和加拿大的钻石开采业
之前的都是采集业和手工业，这回是工业了。作者探访了澳大利亚的阿盖尔钻石矿，跟随叶尔小队在加拿大的荒原上找钻石的矿脉。整个过程是地质勘探、采矿业、工业工程的现代化流程。而且工程的规模令我叹为观止：
-为了寻找钻石，抽取130亿公升的肥湖湖水；
-在埃卡地钻石矿场，平均压碎250吨石头获得1克拉的钻石。
这是工业的力量。
##俄国和美国的钻石制造业
俄国人在苏联解体前后十年内制造出了人工制造机。虽然他们谦虚地表示，用石墨合成钻石的成本大约是当前售价的1/4到1/3。但大家清楚，这是为了保持利润。一旦合成钻石真正能和天然钻石受到同等待遇。这些开采、打磨都将成为过去。
#权力的手腕
##八爪鱼——戴比尔斯公司
假如仅仅因为储量稀少、开采不易，那钻石仅仅是一种贵金属、一种宝石。它真正能够散发无穷的魅力，名声远远压过那些珍稀宝石，还在于戴比尔斯公司为首的业界八爪鱼的精心操弄——
经营原则：保持垄断。2005年能够掌握50%左右的天然钻石的流通。
经营手段：通过购买股票、政治颠覆、抛售同类产品等等手段，逼迫可能的对手退出竞争。
发展方向：建立自己的零售品牌。削减二级批发商数量。
当然本书写得比较简略。作者也没能全面分析这家公司。
##其他玩家
有老派的南非绅士这样吃相好看的，自然就有中非、安哥拉这样地方的独裁者和军阀，他们把钻石转变为维护自身统治的手段。不过，说起来，我觉得他们就像老式蒸汽轮船上锅炉间司炉的工头，平时穷凶极恶、不可一世。可一旦脏活干完、影响不好，要不然不太顺手，还是会被干掉的。
#求爱的方式
##“钻石恒久远、一颗永流传”、“钻石是女孩最好的伙伴”
虽然前面做了这么多的努力、建立了完善周密的体系，但商品总得跳过那最危险的一跃。卖给最终消费者。作者花费了大量的笔墨，揭示戴比尔斯公司如何把钻石打造为求婚信物。其实我觉得，就算没有如此多的广告。干净明亮的专柜、训练有素的柜员、精美戒托上闪闪发光的钻石，依然能吸引所有人的目光。那bling bling的效果啊。一颗钻石献到面前，女孩子总会考虑考虑是否答应求婚的。它和鲜花大不相同。
与此同时，钻石对于普通劳动阶层男性，也有着重要的意义。作者在本书中现身说法，讲述了他是如何把对前未婚妻安妮的爱寄托在一颗钻石上的：挑选时的谨慎、付款时的郑重、由于女方解除婚约的失落，把它放到自己奶奶家表面上的漫不经心，最后把它卖掉的决然。表面上他在处置一枚订婚钻戒，实质上他在打理自己的一段爱情。
我觉得虽然作者把钻石营销称为“讲故事”，把对钻石价值的吹嘘称为“谎言”。但毕竟“假作真来真亦假、无到有时有亦无”。人毕竟也是感情的动物。
#附记
也许是作者文笔好、也许是译者翻译妙，本书的文笔极为优美。很多段落仿比散文诗。但我不具备文学鉴赏的能力，不能拿出一段来赏析。因为我思想比较狭隘，写不出什么感想来。上面只是对原书的摘抄。
《欲望之石：权利、谎言与爱情交织的钻石梦》是美国自由撰稿人Tom Zoellner先生发表于2006年的一本纪实文学。Zoellner先生走访五大洲，深入探访钻石产业链的各个环节，为读者展示了在熠熠生辉的宝石背后，劳动者的艰辛努力以及资本的操弄。同时作者也揭示了装饰用钻石的使用价值——成为爱情的象征。
本书不是一本严格的产业报告，没有仔细的产业规模、发展动向等等的分析，它更为关注整个行业内各色人等的所思所想、所作所为。
#本书的主要内容
《软件那些事儿》播客和微信公众号的作者——永远年轻的栋哥有一个观点：他说，人类社会的三个支柱是权力、金钱和性。而本书的三个关键词正是权力、谎言与爱情。我尝试从政治手腕、谋生手段和求爱工具三个角度梳理一下本书内容。
##谋生手段
###最为悲惨的是“血钻石”
本书第六章《血钻石：安哥拉》以安哥拉为例子，讲述了劳动者作为武装人员（军队、游击队或者叛军）的奴隶，挖掘河床中的钻石。在安哥拉内战中，走私钻石换来走私军火，军火用来巩固地盘，形成稳固的暴力体系，从而挖掘更多的钻石。这稀有的宝藏却成为人民的诅咒。
##较为隐蔽的garimpeiros(自由劳工）
在中非和巴西，政府通过垄断钻石进出口来攫取利润。然后在有形巨手的指缝间，总有自由劳工用抽水泵、铁铲试图挖宝。然后挖出来之后——美酒、美女、好车——很快就使劳工把好不容易获得的点点财富挥霍一空，乃至债务累累。逃得出政府的掌控、却逃不出消费主义的摆布。
##印度苏拉特的钻石打磨业
钻石并不是天然熠熠生辉的。它需要加工者精心地加工。而在印度苏拉特，廉价的劳工配上小颗粒低价值的钻石原石，能将无用之物转变为全新的饰品。但是由于工厂没有相应的防护措施，如负压车间、防尘口罩、严格的清洗制度，导致工人很容易得尘肺病。作者访问了一位十六岁的打磨工。他在完成工作同时，依然在努力攒钱自学中学课程。我很佩服他，我也很惭愧。
##澳大利亚和加拿大的钻石开采业
之前的都是采集业和手工业，这回是工业了。作者探访了澳大利亚的阿盖尔钻石矿，跟随叶尔小队在加拿大的荒原上找钻石的矿脉。整个过程是地质勘探、采矿业、工业工程的现代化流程。而且工程的规模令我叹为观止：
-为了寻找钻石，抽取130亿公升的肥湖湖水；
-在埃卡地钻石矿场，平均压碎250吨石头获得1克拉的钻石。
这是工业的力量。
##俄国和美国的钻石制造业
俄国人在苏联解体前后十年内制造出了人工制造机。虽然他们谦虚地表示，用石墨合成钻石的成本大约是当前售价的1/4到1/3。但大家清楚，这是为了保持利润。一旦合成钻石真正能和天然钻石受到同等待遇。这些开采、打磨都将成为过去。
#权力的手腕
##八爪鱼——戴比尔斯公司
假如仅仅因为储量稀少、开采不易，那钻石仅仅是一种贵金属、一种宝石。它真正能够散发无穷的魅力，名声远远压过那些珍稀宝石，还在于戴比尔斯公司为首的业界八爪鱼的精心操弄——
经营原则：保持垄断。2005年能够掌握50%左右的天然钻石的流通。
经营手段：通过购买股票、政治颠覆、抛售同类产品等等手段，逼迫可能的对手退出竞争。
发展方向：建立自己的零售品牌。削减二级批发商数量。
当然本书写得比较简略。作者也没能全面分析这家公司。
##其他玩家
有老派的南非绅士这样吃相好看的，自然就有中非、安哥拉这样地方的独裁者和军阀，他们把钻石转变为维护自身统治的手段。不过，说起来，我觉得他们就像老式蒸汽轮船上锅炉间司炉的工头，平时穷凶极恶、不可一世。可一旦脏活干完、影响不好，要不然不太顺手，还是会被干掉的。
#求爱的方式
##“钻石恒久远、一颗永流传”、“钻石是女孩最好的伙伴”
虽然前面做了这么多的努力、建立了完善周密的体系，但商品总得跳过那最危险的一跃。卖给最终消费者。作者花费了大量的笔墨，揭示戴比尔斯公司如何把钻石打造为求婚信物。其实我觉得，就算没有如此多的广告。干净明亮的专柜、训练有素的柜员、精美戒托上闪闪发光的钻石，依然能吸引所有人的目光。那bling bling的效果啊。一颗钻石献到面前，女孩子总会考虑考虑是否答应求婚的。它和鲜花大不相同。
与此同时，钻石对于普通劳动阶层男性，也有着重要的意义。作者在本书中现身说法，讲述了他是如何把对前未婚妻安妮的爱寄托在一颗钻石上的：挑选时的谨慎、付款时的郑重、由于女方解除婚约的失落，把它放到自己奶奶家表面上的漫不经心，最后把它卖掉的决然。表面上他在处置一枚订婚钻戒，实质上他在打理自己的一段爱情。
我觉得虽然作者把钻石营销称为“讲故事”，把对钻石价值的吹嘘称为“谎言”。但毕竟“假作真来真亦假、无到有时有亦无”。人毕竟也是感情的动物。
#附记
也许是作者文笔好、也许是译者翻译妙，本书的文笔极为优美。很多段落仿比散文诗。但我不具备文学鉴赏的能力，不能拿出一段来赏析。因为我思想比较狭隘，写不出什么感想来。上面只是对原书的摘抄。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2024
An eye-opening journey into the global diamond trade. Tom Zoellner travels the world to uncover the dark truths behind these "symbols of love." From African conflict zones to lavish jewelry markets, he explores the environmental destruction, exploitation, and human suffering tied to the diamond industry.
Zoellner’s personal reflections and detailed reporting make this a compelling read. It’s not just about blood diamonds—it’s about how marketing and desire fuel a brutal system. After reading, you’ll never look at a diamond the same way again.
Zoellner’s personal reflections and detailed reporting make this a compelling read. It’s not just about blood diamonds—it’s about how marketing and desire fuel a brutal system. After reading, you’ll never look at a diamond the same way again.
July 21, 2021
A very interesting read. I really enjoyed this book. It covered all aspects of diamonds. From mining, to advertising, selling, selecting and collecting.
The style is easy to follow and understand. It wasn't to sciencey so you couldn't understand the point.
I was most fascinated by learning more about DeBeers and how they operate. They really do control the industry usually crushing the smaller businesses who even try to operate within their territory.
All in all, a fantastic read.
The style is easy to follow and understand. It wasn't to sciencey so you couldn't understand the point.
I was most fascinated by learning more about DeBeers and how they operate. They really do control the industry usually crushing the smaller businesses who even try to operate within their territory.
All in all, a fantastic read.
March 24, 2025
A treasure to some, a burden to others.
I’d heard about blood diamonds before, but then like now don’t know if my purchasing a diamond contributes to the ugliness of its history. The author takes you to a place of deep self analysis, and introduces the journey, the conception of sparkling gem.
I’d heard about blood diamonds before, but then like now don’t know if my purchasing a diamond contributes to the ugliness of its history. The author takes you to a place of deep self analysis, and introduces the journey, the conception of sparkling gem.
May 19, 2018
While the story of blood diamonds is sordid in parts, parts of the book were dry as diamond dust, which lost me. I found myself skimming through the detailed parts towards the end just so I could say I finished it....
February 8, 2019
A very fine overview of the diamond industry. Mr. Zoellner focuses more on the politics and geography than he does the dramatic history of diamonds. He speaks skeptically of the Kimberly Process and how it came about. He parallels the tumultuous history of the diamond industry with his own journey through heartbreak. It's an contemporary, information-packed, and sometimes shocking read.
May 27, 2021
Very very well researched and incredibly eye opening and insightful. Not only to the diamond industry and our obsession with it, but also to the very nature of greed, ego and materialization in our societies and cultures.
January 31, 2023
Required reading for anyone wanting to buy a diamond
An excellent read about the diamond trade
I knew some parts of it but not the full story. It's an eye opening book and well worth the read
An excellent read about the diamond trade
I knew some parts of it but not the full story. It's an eye opening book and well worth the read
November 13, 2025
Fascinating and really gripping writing! I'd love for the author to do an updated edition or a sequel, because now I want to know about how the futures he hinted at back in 2006 actually came to pass.
August 26, 2020
Tom encapsulate the monopoly in the diamond trade, how blood diamonds came about, how a gem stone was advertised and popularised
April 1, 2021
Fantastic book about... carbon! Loved it!!!
November 16, 2023
another example of advertisement. A connected read with my previous one on Coca Cola.
January 24, 2014
The author's journey to understand the precious stone that stirs so much emotion within humanity takes him from a broken relationship in the United States to dusty allies in Central African Republic, Botswana, and South Africa, frigid conditions in Canada/Russia, humid streets of India, to the desolate Outback of Australia, ultra modern streets of Japan, to the diamond districts of Antwerp, Israel, and NYC.
I learned so much about the history of the diamond industry, how DeBeers became a cartel, and then in the late 90s how gems in Russia, Canada, and Australia cut into their market share. Of interest was how the Orthodox Jews maintained secret deals with simple handshakes and had a network across NYC, Antwerp, and Israel, but then the Indians were able to acquire business cutting low cost brown diamonds. DeBeers then had to reinvent themselves as a luxury brand, which I saw up close at the Tysons Corner Mall. It was fascinating to walk into their store in the mall and already know that I was a knowledgeable consumer and knew a decent amount about their history and the industries history.
The chapters are broken down into geographic regions so they are short stories into themselves tied together with the author's failed relationship and the overall diamond theme. I truly feel more informed about diamonds after reading this novel and in an effort to make en ethical purchase by understanding the previous blood diamond conflicts, can say this book helped tremendously and I would recommend it to anyone who even thinks about diamonds and want to be a responsible consumer and try to understand this industry.
I enjoyed the quote, "The question is not where the diamond come from (this has always been a tertiary concern in the diamond business) but who will control its narrative once it is out of the forge. A diamond is lost without its mythology; it becomes nothing but a chunk of clear carbon polished to a high sheen, no better than a piece of common quartz picked from a stream bed during a summer picnic. We thirst for diamonds because we believe them to be rare and because they are perceived by others to have a certain power - power from wealth, power from love, power from crackling sexuality, power from kinship with all of the above. The belief in a diamond's power IS its power."
also
"The true preoccupation of the mind, rather, is the urge to derive some kind of PURPOSE from the confusing mass of stimuli constantly thrown at us by the world." - Viktor Frankle
I learned so much about the history of the diamond industry, how DeBeers became a cartel, and then in the late 90s how gems in Russia, Canada, and Australia cut into their market share. Of interest was how the Orthodox Jews maintained secret deals with simple handshakes and had a network across NYC, Antwerp, and Israel, but then the Indians were able to acquire business cutting low cost brown diamonds. DeBeers then had to reinvent themselves as a luxury brand, which I saw up close at the Tysons Corner Mall. It was fascinating to walk into their store in the mall and already know that I was a knowledgeable consumer and knew a decent amount about their history and the industries history.
The chapters are broken down into geographic regions so they are short stories into themselves tied together with the author's failed relationship and the overall diamond theme. I truly feel more informed about diamonds after reading this novel and in an effort to make en ethical purchase by understanding the previous blood diamond conflicts, can say this book helped tremendously and I would recommend it to anyone who even thinks about diamonds and want to be a responsible consumer and try to understand this industry.
I enjoyed the quote, "The question is not where the diamond come from (this has always been a tertiary concern in the diamond business) but who will control its narrative once it is out of the forge. A diamond is lost without its mythology; it becomes nothing but a chunk of clear carbon polished to a high sheen, no better than a piece of common quartz picked from a stream bed during a summer picnic. We thirst for diamonds because we believe them to be rare and because they are perceived by others to have a certain power - power from wealth, power from love, power from crackling sexuality, power from kinship with all of the above. The belief in a diamond's power IS its power."
also
"The true preoccupation of the mind, rather, is the urge to derive some kind of PURPOSE from the confusing mass of stimuli constantly thrown at us by the world." - Viktor Frankle
August 21, 2013
Diamonds are an illusion. Tom Zoellner proves this in his engaging account about the diamond trade. The book’s chapters are divided by geographical location. This format helps make each chapter stand on its own, like a series of essays. But, Zoellner ties the narrative together by talking about his engagement and break up with Anne, his former fiancee. It is through describing the joy that Zoellner and his erstwhile fiancee experienced when the diamond was first given that he frames the insanity and obsession that diamonds can elicit. In the chapters exploring the seedier side of the business, the stories shift to the when relationship begins experiencing turbulence and its ultimate breakup. Zoellner finally conducts his own post mortem on it in the chapters talking about the rise of synthetic diamonds, a perceived challenger to the DeBeers hegemony. These personal anecdotes give the already interesting narrative a glue that really ties everything together.
The main character of this book is the DeBeers cartel. Like the Smoke Monster in Lost, DeBeers permeates every facet of the business, exerting a grip that is total and astonishing in its casual brutality. DeBeers dispatches agents wherever diamonds are found. The beginning of the book shows how certain countries have buckled, the middle shows how other countries are cautiously trying to branch out from DeBeers’ control, and the last few chapters profile the mavericks who are attempting to spectacularly break free and bring some transparency to the industry. That DeBeers has been able to operate a worldwide monopoly and pumped up the value of a gem that is not all that rare through the creation of artificial scarcity and bully tactics is breathtaking to behold. I don’t think we’ll see another company ever control an industry like DeBeers, and that is a good thing.
I highly recommend the book. It is eminently readable and moves along at a fast clip. There are no dead spots within. If you’re looking to buy a diamond ring, read this book before wasting your money on a diamond. If you’ve already made that mistake, then pick this book up to read about the insidious effect that marketing and advertising has had in creating the cultural need to express love with diamonds and diamonds alone. Hell, if you have any interest at all in world affairs, read this book.
The main character of this book is the DeBeers cartel. Like the Smoke Monster in Lost, DeBeers permeates every facet of the business, exerting a grip that is total and astonishing in its casual brutality. DeBeers dispatches agents wherever diamonds are found. The beginning of the book shows how certain countries have buckled, the middle shows how other countries are cautiously trying to branch out from DeBeers’ control, and the last few chapters profile the mavericks who are attempting to spectacularly break free and bring some transparency to the industry. That DeBeers has been able to operate a worldwide monopoly and pumped up the value of a gem that is not all that rare through the creation of artificial scarcity and bully tactics is breathtaking to behold. I don’t think we’ll see another company ever control an industry like DeBeers, and that is a good thing.
I highly recommend the book. It is eminently readable and moves along at a fast clip. There are no dead spots within. If you’re looking to buy a diamond ring, read this book before wasting your money on a diamond. If you’ve already made that mistake, then pick this book up to read about the insidious effect that marketing and advertising has had in creating the cultural need to express love with diamonds and diamonds alone. Hell, if you have any interest at all in world affairs, read this book.
November 9, 2020
I’d never had much interest in diamonds—they struck me as cliche and ostentatious, until my mother gave me some of the jewelry she no longer wears and encouraged me to have it reset. Having a personal connection to a stone, and having something made gave me a way in. Wearing a diamond made me want actually want to learn something about them—not about the four Cs or settings, but what diamonds actually are, why so many wear them and if the industry is still as corrupt as it had once been.
After a bit of research, I chose to read Tom Zoellner’s The Heartless Stone, written in 2006. I’m sure some things have changed. For example, I couldn’t help thinking about the environmental impact of plundering the earth everywhere from Canada to South Africa to dig out the gems, but that wasn’t an especially pronounced concern of this well-reported book. I imagine that would be different were it written today.
There are lovely bits that made me want to sit and admire my own ring’s sparkle, like: “Scientists theorized that those tiny diamond chips buried in the [Earth’s] mantle may have been planted there by ancient meteor strikes. The hypothesis gained strength six years later, after astronomers at the University of Chicago found diamonds no bigger than 20 angstroms across while using a spectroscope to view a supernova. ‘It seems necessary to invoke an extra-solar origin for the diamond,’ the researchers concluded in a paper published in 1987. The tiny gems were suspended in deep space, the discharge of a dying sun. Quite literally star dust.” But the book’s main concern is the trade that delivers the stones to stores around the world, with interesting passages about the marketing that’s made them essential. Zoellner dissects economies and corporations that owe their existence to diamonds. It’s not a pretty story, but it’s a fascinating one.
If you want to know more about the geology and business of diamonds, The Heartless Stone is a good choice.
After a bit of research, I chose to read Tom Zoellner’s The Heartless Stone, written in 2006. I’m sure some things have changed. For example, I couldn’t help thinking about the environmental impact of plundering the earth everywhere from Canada to South Africa to dig out the gems, but that wasn’t an especially pronounced concern of this well-reported book. I imagine that would be different were it written today.
There are lovely bits that made me want to sit and admire my own ring’s sparkle, like: “Scientists theorized that those tiny diamond chips buried in the [Earth’s] mantle may have been planted there by ancient meteor strikes. The hypothesis gained strength six years later, after astronomers at the University of Chicago found diamonds no bigger than 20 angstroms across while using a spectroscope to view a supernova. ‘It seems necessary to invoke an extra-solar origin for the diamond,’ the researchers concluded in a paper published in 1987. The tiny gems were suspended in deep space, the discharge of a dying sun. Quite literally star dust.” But the book’s main concern is the trade that delivers the stones to stores around the world, with interesting passages about the marketing that’s made them essential. Zoellner dissects economies and corporations that owe their existence to diamonds. It’s not a pretty story, but it’s a fascinating one.
If you want to know more about the geology and business of diamonds, The Heartless Stone is a good choice.
October 20, 2008
Fascinating. Country by country from their being dug, smuggled, advertised, brokered, and adored this book tells a very interesting history about that diamond (or diamonds, as the case may be) on your left finger. It does discuss very sad facts about diamond mining and polishing and yet, (and maybe I'm callous) I don't feel that bad about having one myself and it doesn't change my feelings about still wanting to own more for purely sentimental reasons as the seasons of my life change. The brilliant monopoly of De Beers and their evolution and maintainace of a 120 year old falsehood that diamonds are rare and valuable is truly genius, not to mention it's diverse marketing to different parts of the globe. And did you know people can make diamonds in three days time? Fast and well researched yet not soap boxy...this book was pretty fun!
April 25, 2010
What is with this whole "reading two non-fiction books in a row" thing I've got going on?! Anyway, the subject of this book--the international diamond trade--is so fascinating that it's almost impossible to write a BAD book about it. The author travels all over the world and describes the impact of the diamond industry on every continent except Antarctica--lots of information I didn't know, particularly about mining operations in South America and Canada. One flaw: Zoellner was apparently inspired by his own broken engagement, and while I appreciate that he wanted to write about his own story, it wasn't particularly effective to describe child soldiers in Sierra Leone, and then cut in with a mini-chapter on how pretty his ex-fiancee's hair was.
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