Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World

A history of human desire and how we decide what is precious, this New York Times bestseller "romps through the stories of eight jewels" ( New York Times ).

What makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet beautiful things? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire.

Jewelry—which has long served as a stand-in for wealth and power—has birthed cultural movements, launched political dynasties, and started wars. Masterfully weaving together pop science and history, Stoned explains what the diamond on your finger has to do with the GI Bill, why green-tinted jewelry has been exalted by so many cultures, why the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch were initially considered a fair trade, and how the French Revolution started over a coveted necklace.

Studded with lively personalities and fascinating details, Stoned tells the remarkable story of our abiding desire for the rare and extraordinary.

"Money, power, sexual politics, and jewelry! Isn't this what makes the world go 'round? What more could I ask for in a book?" —Madonna

"A lively, incisive cultural and social history." — Kirkus Reviews

"Consistently captivating. . . . [Raden's] witty delivery makes the material shine." — Publishers Weekly

"Riveting, erudite." —MORE Magazine

"[Raden is] . . . an appealingly informal, effortless storyteller, fascinated by the stories she tells." — Seattle Times

"A populist history told with humor and great relish." —David Duchovny, author of Holy Cow

"'An illumination into what makes us irrationally human." — Minneapolis Star Tribune