Media Reviews
'The Nature of Diamonds is a remarkable book, that is both an excellent source of information and a satisfying read. It covers its subject from all facets, starting with the origin of diamonds in the earth, and covering their discovery, their mining, the nature of diamonds themselves, their history, the skills of the diamond cutter, synthetic diamonds, the lure of diamond jewellery and the lore of diamonds in literature and films. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field, and the whole has been skilfully edited by George E. Harlow, curator of gems and minerals at the American Museum of Natural History ... fascinating reading ... What I especially like about The Nature of Diamonds is the breadth of scholarship that has gone into producing it. Few books bring together people from such disparate disciplines as chemistry, physics, commerce, geology, history, literature, design, fashion, fine arts and the media, and at the same time have them all intelligible to the specialist and non-specialist alike ... There are few subjects that can unite so many branches of learning between its covers, and provide interesting reading in all of them. The Nature of Diamonds has succeeded superbly. Not only that, but it has the glamour of a coffee-table book with scores of fascinating illustrations. The authors and publisher are to be congratulated. It is well referenced and indexed and, despite being a multi-authored work, it has been admirably edited to ensure that whether the subject is alluvial mining or the binding of diamond-encrusted Russian bibles, it is informative and entertaining. If you cannot afford the real thing, and you want to give someone you love a jewel of a gift, then buy them this book - it is a gem.' John Emsley, The Times Higher Education Supplement
'The story of the discovery and exploitation of diamond is an extraordinary one as befits an extraordinary mineral ... admire the pictures and enjoy the essays contributed by international experts, covering virtually everything you want to know about diamonds, from the history of their discovery to their exploitation in industry, art and fashion.' Douglas Palmer, The Financial Times
'This book contains just about everything you ever wanted to know about the hardest natural material on Earth, made of the substance of life - carbon. From manufacture by meteorite impact to the allure and efficacy of diamonds as poison and aphrodisiac, this beautifully illustrated collection of essays is a fascinating introduction to an extraordinary material.' New Scientist
'If diamonds are a girl's best friend and you can't afford them, buy her The Nature of Diamonds ... It's the next best thing.' Digby Diehl, Playboy
'... lavishly illustrated and sensibly priced.' Mick Brown, Physics World
'This beautifully illustrated book, produced by an international team of experts, will tell you everything you might ever need to know about diamonds.' Terry Allsop, School Science Review
'This lavishly illustrated book ... is very well written and produced and presents a comprehensive overview of all topics related to diamond.' Allan Pring, Geological Magazine
'I have already bought a copy of this book and I would recommend you to do so too.' Jane Randle, The Open University Geological Society
If diamonds are a girl's best friend and you can't afford them, buy her The Nature of Diamonds...It's the next best thing. Playboy
If the reader is scientifically inclined, a discussion of the most recent findings on diamonds will be satisfying while special sections on the world's great diamonds and the diamond treasures of Russia add to the adamantine luster of The Nature of Diamonds. Rock and Gem
This is an engaging and scholarly work that contains a wealth of interesting and useful information about diamonds....It is certainly a worthwhile companion to a diamond exhibition that is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated and most comprehensive ever staged. Gemologists will welcome this addition to their libraries. Rocks and Minerals Magazine
...provide[s] a well-illustrated overview....the book succeeds eminently....Teachers of mineralogy may find the book helpful to recommend to students as an example of the relevance and usefulness of the subject. The Canadian Mineralogist
Just about any question one might ask about diamonds is answered in this book. It is both a textbook and an encyclopedia but is written in a clear and entertaining style so that it is difficult to put down once one has started reading it. Certainly it is a reference that teachers can use and refer to students and gemmologists and that jewlers can use and refer to their customers and clients...This book is a must for anyone interested in gem stones and should be in every geologist's and earth-science teacher's library. It is full of color plates and diagrams...I recommend it highly. Journal of Geoscience and Education
Written in an authoritative, but highly readable manner...every aspect of the diamond from its origins to its modern role in movies is covered. Lapidary Journal
Diamonds get a lot of pres, one could even say hype: George Harlow's edited volume touts the stone as a mythic talisman of power and purity , a symbol of regal structure , a token of everlasting love , and so forth and so on. Isis
suitable as a reference source; an ideal text for a semester-long seminar series that would have great appeal to science and non-science majors alike; a prize to deserving students; a millennium gift (in lieu of the real stone); and it would noy be out of place on a coffee-free table. Diamond has the allure, Harlow has provided the instrument, and the American Museum of Natural History has produced an absolute bargain by any standard...this is a superb and highly recommended volume. American Minerologist Vol 86
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