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,...

Discover the tantalizing true stories behind your favorite colors.
For example: Cleopatra used saffron--a source of the color yellow--for seduction. Extracted from an Afghan mine, the blue "ultramarine" paint used by Michelangelo was so expensive he couldn't afford to buy it himself. Since ancient times, carmine red--still found in lipsticks and Cherry Coke today--has come from the blood of insects.

Woher kommen das Tizianrot oder das berhmte Blau eines Vermeer? Mit welchen Farben bemalten die Neanderthaler ihre Hhlen? Warum ist Ultramarin eine der teuersten Farben der Welt? Eine uerst unterhaltsame Kulturgeschichte voller wundersamer Anekdoten und Berichte ber den Ursprung der Farben. Und ein Buch fr alle, die mit offenen Augen durch die Welt gehen.