The Heartless Stone

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