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

[A] dazzling display of intrepid reporting. Entertainment Weekly

Exhaustively researched and beautifully written. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Zoellner has an eye for the telling detail, a nose for trouble, and an ability to quickly re-create a scene's mood and sense of place. Wherever he is, he puts you there. . . . A graceful, well-documented tour through decades of diamond-related lore. Salon.com

An illuminating expose of a mineral and an industry. The Wall Street Journal

Still want a diamond? Before laying out your cash, Zoellner advises that you first understand its origins. . . . An informative book that's equal parts history and travelogue. Rocky Mountain News

Riveting . . . A fascinating story. The Arizona Republic

A sobering and well-reported look at today's diamond culture. The Salt Lake Tribune

Eye-opening . . . With a sharp narrative style and wealth of detail, The Heartless Stone cuts through the sparkle and marketing to show us that a rock is what you make of it. St. Petersburg Times

[Tom Zoellner's] investigation into the global diamond industry shatters the mystique with all the vengeance of a jilted lover. The Oregonian

A mesmerizing guided tour full of meticulously researched history, interviews, personal stories, and reflections. The Heartless Stone is scrupulous nonfiction that reads like a novel. Bloomberg News

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 The Heartless Stone. . . . 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. Bookmarks magazine

Zoellner's sharp, observant descriptions of people and places will sensitize readers to the wider processes of monopoly, smuggling, and war, all of which lurk in the background when a suitor buys a ring for his beloved. Booklist

Zoellner's book is part personal travelogue, using the return of his own proffered diamond engagement ring as the starting point, and part investigative journalism. . . . The end result? A gem. Library Journal

[A] dazzling display of intrepid reporting. --Entertainment Weekly

Exhaustively researched and beautifully written. --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Zoellner has an eye for the telling detail, a nose for trouble, and an ability to quickly re-create a scene's mood and sense of place. Wherever he is, he puts you there. . . . A graceful, well-documented tour through decades of diamond-related lore. --Salon.com

An illuminating expose of a mineral and an industry. --The Wall Street Journal

Still want a diamond? Before laying out your cash, Zoellner advises that you first understand its origins. . . . An informative book that's equal parts history and travelogue. --Rocky Mountain News

Riveting . . . A fascinating story. --The Arizona Republic

A sobering and well-reported look at today's diamond culture. --The Salt Lake Tribune

Eye-opening . . . With a sharp narrative style and wealth of detail, The Heartless Stone cuts through the sparkle and marketing to show us that a rock is what you make of it. --St. Petersburg Times

[Tom Zoellner's] investigation into the global diamond industry shatters the mystique with all the vengeance of a jilted lover. --The Oregonian

A mesmerizing guided tour full of meticulously researched history, interviews, personal stories, and reflections. The Heartless Stone is scrupulous nonfiction that reads like a novel. --Bloomberg News

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 The Heartless Stone. . . . 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. --Bookmarks magazine

Zoellner's sharp, observant descriptions of people and places will sensitize readers to the wider processes of monopoly, smuggling, and war, all of which lurk in the background when a suitor buys a ring for his beloved. --Booklist

Zoellner's book is part personal travelogue, using the return of his own proffered diamond engagement ring as the starting point, and part investigative journalism. . . . The end result? A gem. --Library Journal

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.