The History of Vegas: Stories

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Trouble. From the first page of each of the edgy and unrelentingly intense stories in this debut collection, the teenaged characters are headed for big trouble. The adult world has mostly failed them, and they find themselves entering into highly charged situations where they make their own rules, with misguided understanding of the consequences. The stories burn hot and fast, providing searing insights into their world of sex, drugs, drinking, violence, and accidental grace, played out in small, tough towns. Written with raw directness and understanding that makes these nine stories impossible to forget, The History of Vegas announces an exciting, fresh talent with the impact of Mary Gaitskill, Mary Karr, and Jayne Anne Phillips.
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 "Brava!" 2006-03-03
By vannieo (Tejas)
The History of Vegas is an excellent read. Angel's stories are not courageous---they are core. She offers a different angle of insight into the lives of the surviving young. Each story carries its reader through rare and heavy moments of young folk making decisions about their lives, love, children, and bodies as if they are adults. The saying "too grown before it's time" literally plays out in Angel's characters and is best shown through one young mother's decision to prostitute her body for...



Congratulations to this young, gifted author. I look forward to more! The History of Vegas is recommended.

 "Graphic, poignant, thought-provoking - A must read!" 2005-12-18
By Megan Boyd (San Francisco, CA USA)
This new author's first collection is filled with provocative stories about youth balancing their inexperience with hope and inspiration.



Angel's writing says it like she sees it, honest and raw sometimes in her imagery. But, it is these same uncomfortable situations and interactions that leave the reader thinking about why the characters act or react the way they do. In fact, in most of Angel's stories, she doesn't give you the only answer at the end of the story. You have to take a moment to reflect to decide what course the character took and why.



I enjoyed the intensity of "History." Unlike so many authors that seem formulaic to their approach to plot, setting, conflict, resolution, Angel asks the reader to step up and participate in the evolution of her characters. I enjoyed the challenge.



Loved the book; highly recommend.

 "The stories seem half-finished" 2005-12-16
By A.N. LeFay
Not only do most of these stories follow the cop-out of "throw enough dysfunction at the wall and hope it's shocking and/or angsty enough to stick and seem meaningful and interesting" but they're also a tease.



In writing workshop, I learned that every story has to have a problem (of which there are plenty in these), a climax (mostly lacking) and a resolution (of whatever kind, even if nothing really gets resolved. In this case, lacking in almost every story).



Most of these stories just end, often when things just seem like they're about to happen. Most of the characters blend together. I didn't care about them, and the stories didn't feel finished. A bunch of kids in trouble, broken homes, drugs, sex, violence and incest doesn't make good writing unless the story is complete and compelling. To me it just felt like an angsty laundry list.

 "??" 2005-11-10
By Ashley
The History of Vegas wasn't for me. I enjoyed some of the stories, but a few were too sick. I wasn't really pleased with how the book was written. I'm sure that some people would enjoy it, but it defiantly isn't for everyone.



The History of Vegas has 10 short stories. They are all about very different people. Everyone in the stories are experimenting and learning about everything from sex and drugs to killing someone.



The stories in The History of Vegas are something we don't want to believe happen. I recommend this book to people who are ready to read about real life and what kids actually go through. The book was easy reading and I went through it quickly, but I didn't like being left to imagine what was going to happen next.

 "Full disclosure" 2005-09-29
By boomer (San Francisco)
Okay, so, full disclosure. I grew up with the author. Hell, I probably spurred at least one of the characters in these short stories. Love the translation.



So, hey, I knew Jodi was talented, and it's of ZERO surprise to me that her first "published" work would be so good. I remember reading some of her stuff when I was barely two digits old, thinking, "man, I wish I had the knack to tell a story like her."



Pay attention to this author - my next prediction is that Quentin Tarantino will pick it up this book and put pieces of it on the big screen.



I'm happy - happy that someone with this much talent can't (and refuses to) be swept under the rug. Jodi's works are edgy and unapologetic - and scary enough - they're real. Sure, maybe nothing in this book is based on real events (they come close) but if you think that it could never happen, you're either from Iowa or your kidding yourself.



Trust me. Been there, done that, and now I've bought the book.






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The History of Vegas

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Trouble. From the first page of each of the edgy and unrelentingly intense stories in this debut collection, the teenaged characters are headed for big trouble. The adult world has mostly failed them, and they find themselves entering into highly charged situations where they make their own rules, with misguided understanding of the consequences. The stories burn hot and fast, providing searing insights into their world of sex, drugs, drinking, violence, and accidental grace, played out in small, tough towns. Written with raw directness and understanding that makes these nine stories impossible to forget, The History of Vegas announces an exciting, fresh talent with the impact of Mary Gaitskill, Mary Karr, and Jayne Anne Phillips.
Readmore

Technical Details

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 "Brava!" 2006-03-03
By vannieo (Tejas)
The History of Vegas is an excellent read. Angel's stories are not courageous---they are core. She offers a different angle of insight into the lives of the surviving young. Each story carries its reader through rare and heavy moments of young folk making decisions about their lives, love, children, and bodies as if they are adults. The saying "too grown before it's time" literally plays out in Angel's characters and is best shown through one young mother's decision to prostitute her body for...



Congratulations to this young, gifted author. I look forward to more! The History of Vegas is recommended.

 "Graphic, poignant, thought-provoking - A must read!" 2005-12-18
By Megan Boyd (San Francisco, CA USA)
This new author's first collection is filled with provocative stories about youth balancing their inexperience with hope and inspiration.



Angel's writing says it like she sees it, honest and raw sometimes in her imagery. But, it is these same uncomfortable situations and interactions that leave the reader thinking about why the characters act or react the way they do. In fact, in most of Angel's stories, she doesn't give you the only answer at the end of the story. You have to take a moment to reflect to decide what course the character took and why.



I enjoyed the intensity of "History." Unlike so many authors that seem formulaic to their approach to plot, setting, conflict, resolution, Angel asks the reader to step up and participate in the evolution of her characters. I enjoyed the challenge.



Loved the book; highly recommend.

 "The stories seem half-finished" 2005-12-16
By A.N. LeFay
Not only do most of these stories follow the cop-out of "throw enough dysfunction at the wall and hope it's shocking and/or angsty enough to stick and seem meaningful and interesting" but they're also a tease.



In writing workshop, I learned that every story has to have a problem (of which there are plenty in these), a climax (mostly lacking) and a resolution (of whatever kind, even if nothing really gets resolved. In this case, lacking in almost every story).



Most of these stories just end, often when things just seem like they're about to happen. Most of the characters blend together. I didn't care about them, and the stories didn't feel finished. A bunch of kids in trouble, broken homes, drugs, sex, violence and incest doesn't make good writing unless the story is complete and compelling. To me it just felt like an angsty laundry list.

 "??" 2005-11-10
By Ashley
The History of Vegas wasn't for me. I enjoyed some of the stories, but a few were too sick. I wasn't really pleased with how the book was written. I'm sure that some people would enjoy it, but it defiantly isn't for everyone.



The History of Vegas has 10 short stories. They are all about very different people. Everyone in the stories are experimenting and learning about everything from sex and drugs to killing someone.



The stories in The History of Vegas are something we don't want to believe happen. I recommend this book to people who are ready to read about real life and what kids actually go through. The book was easy reading and I went through it quickly, but I didn't like being left to imagine what was going to happen next.

 "Full disclosure" 2005-09-29
By boomer (San Francisco)
Okay, so, full disclosure. I grew up with the author. Hell, I probably spurred at least one of the characters in these short stories. Love the translation.



So, hey, I knew Jodi was talented, and it's of ZERO surprise to me that her first "published" work would be so good. I remember reading some of her stuff when I was barely two digits old, thinking, "man, I wish I had the knack to tell a story like her."



Pay attention to this author - my next prediction is that Quentin Tarantino will pick it up this book and put pieces of it on the big screen.



I'm happy - happy that someone with this much talent can't (and refuses to) be swept under the rug. Jodi's works are edgy and unapologetic - and scary enough - they're real. Sure, maybe nothing in this book is based on real events (they come close) but if you think that it could never happen, you're either from Iowa or your kidding yourself.



Trust me. Been there, done that, and now I've bought the book.






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The History of Vegas

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"Flawless" ("JT Leroy"); "thoroughly enjoyable read" (San Francisco Chronicle); "wonderful, terrible, dangerous stories" (Pam Houston). Jodi Angel's collection—now in paperback—received widespread acclaim encapsulated by the Buffalo Daily News: "She's got gripping tales to tell, and each comes across as that rare bird of fiction—the utterly fresh story." The teenaged characters face situations spiraling out of their control, and each totters between disaster and grace. "This precarious world is putty in Jodi Angel's nimble hands," hails the Los Angeles Times. Written with raw directness and understanding that makes these ten stories impossible to forget, The History of Vegas is a must-read debut.
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 "Brava!" 2006-03-03
By vannieo (Tejas)
The History of Vegas is an excellent read. Angel's stories are not courageous---they are core. She offers a different angle of insight into the lives of the surviving young. Each story carries its reader through rare and heavy moments of young folk making decisions about their lives, love, children, and bodies as if they are adults. The saying "too grown before it's time" literally plays out in Angel's characters and is best shown through one young mother's decision to prostitute her body for...



Congratulations to this young, gifted author. I look forward to more! The History of Vegas is recommended.

 "Graphic, poignant, thought-provoking - A must read!" 2005-12-18
By Megan Boyd (San Francisco, CA USA)
This new author's first collection is filled with provocative stories about youth balancing their inexperience with hope and inspiration.



Angel's writing says it like she sees it, honest and raw sometimes in her imagery. But, it is these same uncomfortable situations and interactions that leave the reader thinking about why the characters act or react the way they do. In fact, in most of Angel's stories, she doesn't give you the only answer at the end of the story. You have to take a moment to reflect to decide what course the character took and why.



I enjoyed the intensity of "History." Unlike so many authors that seem formulaic to their approach to plot, setting, conflict, resolution, Angel asks the reader to step up and participate in the evolution of her characters. I enjoyed the challenge.



Loved the book; highly recommend.

 "The stories seem half-finished" 2005-12-16
By A.N. LeFay
Not only do most of these stories follow the cop-out of "throw enough dysfunction at the wall and hope it's shocking and/or angsty enough to stick and seem meaningful and interesting" but they're also a tease.



In writing workshop, I learned that every story has to have a problem (of which there are plenty in these), a climax (mostly lacking) and a resolution (of whatever kind, even if nothing really gets resolved. In this case, lacking in almost every story).



Most of these stories just end, often when things just seem like they're about to happen. Most of the characters blend together. I didn't care about them, and the stories didn't feel finished. A bunch of kids in trouble, broken homes, drugs, sex, violence and incest doesn't make good writing unless the story is complete and compelling. To me it just felt like an angsty laundry list.

 "??" 2005-11-10
By Ashley
The History of Vegas wasn't for me. I enjoyed some of the stories, but a few were too sick. I wasn't really pleased with how the book was written. I'm sure that some people would enjoy it, but it defiantly isn't for everyone.



The History of Vegas has 10 short stories. They are all about very different people. Everyone in the stories are experimenting and learning about everything from sex and drugs to killing someone.



The stories in The History of Vegas are something we don't want to believe happen. I recommend this book to people who are ready to read about real life and what kids actually go through. The book was easy reading and I went through it quickly, but I didn't like being left to imagine what was going to happen next.

 "Full disclosure" 2005-09-29
By boomer (San Francisco)
Okay, so, full disclosure. I grew up with the author. Hell, I probably spurred at least one of the characters in these short stories. Love the translation.



So, hey, I knew Jodi was talented, and it's of ZERO surprise to me that her first "published" work would be so good. I remember reading some of her stuff when I was barely two digits old, thinking, "man, I wish I had the knack to tell a story like her."



Pay attention to this author - my next prediction is that Quentin Tarantino will pick it up this book and put pieces of it on the big screen.



I'm happy - happy that someone with this much talent can't (and refuses to) be swept under the rug. Jodi's works are edgy and unapologetic - and scary enough - they're real. Sure, maybe nothing in this book is based on real events (they come close) but if you think that it could never happen, you're either from Iowa or your kidding yourself.



Trust me. Been there, done that, and now I've bought the book.






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Jewels: A Secret History

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Throughout history, precious stones have inspired passions and poetry, quests and curses, sacred writings and unsacred actions. In this scintillating book, journalist Victoria Finlay embarks on her own globe-circling search for the real stories behind some of the gems we prize most. Blending adventure travel, geology, exciting new research, and her own irresistible charm, Finlay has fashioned a treasure hunt for some of the most valuable, glamorous, and mysterious substances on earth.

With the same intense curiosity and narrative flair she displayed in her widely-praised book Color, Finlay journeys from the underground opal churches of outback Australia to the once pearl-rich rivers of Scotland; from the peridot mines on an Apache reservation in Arizona to the remote ruby mines in the mountains of northern Burma. She risks confronting scorpions to crawl through Cleopatra’s long-deserted emerald mines, tries her hand at gem cutting in the dusty Sri Lankan city where Marco Polo bartered for sapphires, and investigates a rumor that fifty years ago most of the world’s amber was mined by prisoners in a Soviet gulag.

Jewels is a unique and often exhilarating voyage through history, across cultures, deep into the earth’s mantle, and up to the glittering heights of fame, power, and wealth. From the fabled curse of the Hope Diamond, to the disturbing truths about how pearls are cultured, to the peasants who were once executed for carrying amber to the centuries-old quest by magicians and scientists to make a perfect diamond, Jewels tells dazzling stories with a wonderment and brilliance truly worthy of its subjects.
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 "Fascinating!" 2009-01-11
By J. Seidel (California)
I may not own great jewels but it was so much fun to read this detailed volume and dream! I look forward to reading her work titled "Color" next.

 "Jewels" 2008-10-17
By June Kolecki
I HAVEN'T QUITE FINISHED THIS BOOK...BUT VERY INTERESTING. lEARNING MANY FACTS AND HISTORY AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT SOMEONE COULD NOT KNOW...iT IS A GOOD READ, AND INFORMATIVE,,jk

 "Jewels is a True Gem of a Book" 2008-10-14
By Julie Bakerville (Oak Valley, CA USA)
Great book...Wonderful writing style. I have her other book "Color".

I own a small handmade stone and pearl jewelry business so the purchase was a must for me!

Am inspired by her inspiration of the stories and facts of gem lore.



Her push via husband father in law as refrenced in the Preface...

while in England at her father in laws memorial...Later taking a walk with her husband as they were discussing her doing this book or not and what her Father in law would tell her, that "you must do it"... While looking down into the canal a small canal boat named "Little GEM" happened to be going by just at that very momnet...Later found out "that it was rare for Little Gem to be on that stretch of the Thames: she is a weekend hire barge near Rugby, and only very occasionally finds herself so far south." One of Derek's (father in law) passions was canals and canal boats.



This world craves more great stories and inspiration to go along with the

facts...Victoria, you have artfully written another gem!

Thanks...

 "So, um ... Do you sell pressed-talc engagement rings?" 2008-08-25
By Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA)
"Throughout Asia and Europe, pearls were traditionally believed to ease a range of conditions, including eye diseases, fever, insomnia, 'female complaints', dysentery, whooping cough, measles, loss of virility, and bed-wetting ... Though nobody seems to advertise the potential for pearls to cure bed-wetting anymore." - Victoria Finlay in JEWELS



JEWELS is one of those delicious volumes you read for the pure pleasure of acquiring esoteric knowledge that has no practical, everyday use. Similar books I've read that come to mind include Salt: A World History, PURE KETCHUP PB, Robbing the Bees: A Biography of Honey--The Sweet Liquid Gold that Seduced the World, and Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries. If someone has penned a narrative entitled WIRE COAT HANGERS, I'd read that too if the subject was made interesting. (There isn't; I checked.)



Author Finlay's approach is to discuss nine gemstones, three "organic" and six mineral, in the order of their position on Mohs' Scale of Relative Hardness. They are, listed by increasing hardness: amber, jet, pearl, opal, peridot, emerald, sapphire, ruby, and diamond. (On Mohs' scale, talc occupies position #1, i.e. the softest. My wife treasures her pressed talc engagement ring.)



Finlay, a social anthropologist turned journalist, is no desk-bound researcher. To write JEWELS, the story of the various gems' sources and evolution in societal value systems, she traveled the world: Kaliningrad Oblast (Russian Federation), northern England, Japan, Australia, Arizona, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and, perhaps the hardest to access, Antwerp's Diamond Club. The book begins with European, Asian, Japanese, and Australian "treasure" maps. Indeed, on asking what to look out for prior to visiting the remote site of Cleopatra's emerald mines in Egypt's desolate interior mountains, she was told, "Scorpions."



JEWELS contains an 8-page section of color photos as well as a liberal sprinkling of black and white snaps and illustrations. Oddly, it's the color section that comes up short, a fact which compels me to award 4 stars to what would otherwise be a five-star effort. Only examples of amber, pearl, opal, and diamond are pictured. There is no display of jet, peridot, emerald, sapphire, or ruby; I, an ignoramus when it comes to the topic, had to resort to the Internet. And there are no photos of two of the largest and most famous diamonds of history specifically mentioned in the text: the Cullinan(s) and the Golden Jubilee. Moreover, the Hope Diamond is given visual short-shrift considering its fame.



JEWELS concludes with a 19-page, perhaps useful "Miscellany of Jewels", which includes a glossary of terms, color scale and clarity terms for diamonds, a listing of American state gemstones, popular vs. mineral names for gemstones, Mohs' Scale, and a listing of birthstones. "Miscellany" is certainly the operative term.



Victoria's narrative is instructive and entertaining from start to finish. Except for the deficiency mentioned, one could hardly ask for more.

 "travel, history and gem facts all in one" 2008-06-24
By Louise D. Somes (Dallas, TX United States)
I picked this book up in a museum shop because I love jewelry and have always wondered about where jewels and gems come from.

Other reviews have given an overall synopsis, so I will just say that there are fascinating stories in this book.

The story that captivated me the most was the author's search for opals in Coober Pedy, Australia, where the sun is so intense that the people used to live underground. Finley has included a photo of an elderly miner outside his underground home.

Finley went down into the opal mines, as she did many other mines around the world in search of jewels.

She incorporates many photos and engravings, several in color.

But, the author's last paragraphs are probably the best:

"We can use diamonds in whatever way we like.....There is desire to make someone happy, there is admiration, there is ostentation...and there is a company's profit curve.The diamond I was holding was about illusion and about slicing through illusion. It was about forever and never, and it was about nothing at all."


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Buy Jewels: A Secret History Now

Jewels: A Secret History

Buy Cheap Jewels: A Secret History

Buy Low Price From Here Now
Throughout history, precious stones have inspired passions and poetry, quests and curses, sacred writings and unsacred actions. In this scintillating book, journalist Victoria Finlay embarks on her own globe-circling search for the real stories behind some of the gems we prize most. Blending adventure travel, geology, exciting new research, and her own irresistible charm, Finlay has fashioned a treasure hunt for some of the most valuable, glamorous, and mysterious substances on earth.

With the same intense curiosity and narrative flair she displayed in her widely-praised book Color, Finlay journeys from the underground opal churches of outback Australia to the once pearl-rich rivers of Scotland; from the peridot mines on an Apache reservation in Arizona to the remote ruby mines in the mountains of northern Burma. She risks confronting scorpions to crawl through Cleopatra’s long-deserted emerald mines, tries her hand at gem cutting in the dusty Sri Lankan city where Marco Polo bartered for sapphires, and investigates a rumor that fifty years ago most of the world’s amber was mined by prisoners in a Soviet gulag.

Jewels is a unique and often exhilarating voyage through history, across cultures, deep into the earth’s mantle, and up to the glittering heights of fame, power, and wealth. From the fabled curse of the Hope Diamond, to the disturbing truths about how pearls are cultured, to the peasants who were once executed for carrying amber to the centuries-old quest by magicians and scientists to make a perfect diamond, Jewels tells dazzling stories with a wonderment and brilliance truly worthy of its subjects.


From the Hardcover edition.
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Technical Details

- ISBN13: 9780345466952
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
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 "Fascinating!" 2009-01-11
By J. Seidel (California)
I may not own great jewels but it was so much fun to read this detailed volume and dream! I look forward to reading her work titled "Color" next.

 "Jewels" 2008-10-17
By June Kolecki
I HAVEN'T QUITE FINISHED THIS BOOK...BUT VERY INTERESTING. lEARNING MANY FACTS AND HISTORY AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT SOMEONE COULD NOT KNOW...iT IS A GOOD READ, AND INFORMATIVE,,jk

 "Jewels is a True Gem of a Book" 2008-10-14
By Julie Bakerville (Oak Valley, CA USA)
Great book...Wonderful writing style. I have her other book "Color".

I own a small handmade stone and pearl jewelry business so the purchase was a must for me!

Am inspired by her inspiration of the stories and facts of gem lore.



Her push via husband father in law as refrenced in the Preface...

while in England at her father in laws memorial...Later taking a walk with her husband as they were discussing her doing this book or not and what her Father in law would tell her, that "you must do it"... While looking down into the canal a small canal boat named "Little GEM" happened to be going by just at that very momnet...Later found out "that it was rare for Little Gem to be on that stretch of the Thames: she is a weekend hire barge near Rugby, and only very occasionally finds herself so far south." One of Derek's (father in law) passions was canals and canal boats.



This world craves more great stories and inspiration to go along with the

facts...Victoria, you have artfully written another gem!

Thanks...

 "So, um ... Do you sell pressed-talc engagement rings?" 2008-08-25
By Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA)
"Throughout Asia and Europe, pearls were traditionally believed to ease a range of conditions, including eye diseases, fever, insomnia, 'female complaints', dysentery, whooping cough, measles, loss of virility, and bed-wetting ... Though nobody seems to advertise the potential for pearls to cure bed-wetting anymore." - Victoria Finlay in JEWELS



JEWELS is one of those delicious volumes you read for the pure pleasure of acquiring esoteric knowledge that has no practical, everyday use. Similar books I've read that come to mind include Salt: A World History, PURE KETCHUP PB, Robbing the Bees: A Biography of Honey--The Sweet Liquid Gold that Seduced the World, and Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries. If someone has penned a narrative entitled WIRE COAT HANGERS, I'd read that too if the subject was made interesting. (There isn't; I checked.)



Author Finlay's approach is to discuss nine gemstones, three "organic" and six mineral, in the order of their position on Mohs' Scale of Relative Hardness. They are, listed by increasing hardness: amber, jet, pearl, opal, peridot, emerald, sapphire, ruby, and diamond. (On Mohs' scale, talc occupies position #1, i.e. the softest. My wife treasures her pressed talc engagement ring.)



Finlay, a social anthropologist turned journalist, is no desk-bound researcher. To write JEWELS, the story of the various gems' sources and evolution in societal value systems, she traveled the world: Kaliningrad Oblast (Russian Federation), northern England, Japan, Australia, Arizona, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and, perhaps the hardest to access, Antwerp's Diamond Club. The book begins with European, Asian, Japanese, and Australian "treasure" maps. Indeed, on asking what to look out for prior to visiting the remote site of Cleopatra's emerald mines in Egypt's desolate interior mountains, she was told, "Scorpions."



JEWELS contains an 8-page section of color photos as well as a liberal sprinkling of black and white snaps and illustrations. Oddly, it's the color section that comes up short, a fact which compels me to award 4 stars to what would otherwise be a five-star effort. Only examples of amber, pearl, opal, and diamond are pictured. There is no display of jet, peridot, emerald, sapphire, or ruby; I, an ignoramus when it comes to the topic, had to resort to the Internet. And there are no photos of two of the largest and most famous diamonds of history specifically mentioned in the text: the Cullinan(s) and the Golden Jubilee. Moreover, the Hope Diamond is given visual short-shrift considering its fame.



JEWELS concludes with a 19-page, perhaps useful "Miscellany of Jewels", which includes a glossary of terms, color scale and clarity terms for diamonds, a listing of American state gemstones, popular vs. mineral names for gemstones, Mohs' Scale, and a listing of birthstones. "Miscellany" is certainly the operative term.



Victoria's narrative is instructive and entertaining from start to finish. Except for the deficiency mentioned, one could hardly ask for more.

 "travel, history and gem facts all in one" 2008-06-24
By Louise D. Somes (Dallas, TX United States)
I picked this book up in a museum shop because I love jewelry and have always wondered about where jewels and gems come from.

Other reviews have given an overall synopsis, so I will just say that there are fascinating stories in this book.

The story that captivated me the most was the author's search for opals in Coober Pedy, Australia, where the sun is so intense that the people used to live underground. Finley has included a photo of an elderly miner outside his underground home.

Finley went down into the opal mines, as she did many other mines around the world in search of jewels.

She incorporates many photos and engravings, several in color.

But, the author's last paragraphs are probably the best:

"We can use diamonds in whatever way we like.....There is desire to make someone happy, there is admiration, there is ostentation...and there is a company's profit curve.The diamond I was holding was about illusion and about slicing through illusion. It was about forever and never, and it was about nothing at all."


Images Product

Buy Jewels: A Secret History Now