The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit, and Desire

An adventure story in the tradition of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief, The Heartless Stone is a voyage into the cold heart of the world's most unyielding gem.

When he proposed to his girlfriend, Tom Zoellner gave what is expected of every American man--a diamond engagement ring. But when the relationship broke apart, he was left with a used diamond that began to haunt him. His obsession carried him around the globe, from the blood diamond rings of Africa; to the sweltering polishing factories of India; to mines above the Arctic Circle; to illegal diggings in Brazil; to the London headquarters of De Beers, the secretive global colossus that has dominated the industry for more than a century and permanently carved the phrase A diamond is forever on the psyche.

The Heartless Stone goes beyond investigative reporting into the regions of the human heart that make the diamond empire possible. It has been called a dazzling display of intrepid reporting (Entertainment Weekly) and an illuminating expose of a mineral and an industry (The Wall Street Journal).

An American Library Association Notable Book

Author: Tom Zoellner
Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
Published: 09/05/2000
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.87lbs
Size: 8.26h x 5.53w x 0.93d
ISBN: 9780312339708

About the Author

Tom Zoellner has worked as a contributing editor for Men's Health magazine and as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. He is also the coauthor of An Ordinary Man, the autobiography of Rwandan hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina. He lives in New York City.