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1 opera 58 membri 2 recensioni

Sull'Autore

Alicia Oltuski received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in writing from Columbia University. Her work has appeared on NPR's Berlin Stories and in The Faster Times and other publications. She has taught at the University of the Arts and lives in the mostra altro "Washington, D.C., area with her husband. mostra meno

Opere di Alicia Oltuski

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female

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Alicia Oltuski grew up in one of the diamond dealer families in the Diamond District in NYC. In her delightful book, she tells a bit about the history of diamonds, how diamonds are cut, how the price is determined, etc. She explains the issue of the "blood diamonds", or "conflict diamonds". She also goes into how diamonds are being "grown" in laboratories. Something that really surprised me was the trend now for diamonds "made from your loved one". Using some of the carbon from the deceased a diamond can be ordered and produced so your loved one will always be close to you. Hmmm. It is a fascinating view into the secret world of the Diamond District.… (altro)
 
Segnalato
BettyTaylor56 | 1 altra recensione | Dec 18, 2013 |
In Precious Objects, Alicia Oltuski gives an insider's look into the world of diamond dealing. Her father works in the diamond district of New York City. It's a different world there, entrenched in tradition and religion. Through good times and bad, the dealers have formed their own code of ethics and way of doing business. They are a unique family of sorts, but things are slowly changing with new technologies and new generations of dealers. The allure of the sparkling stones will never change though.

This book does a very thorough job over covering many different aspects of diamonds. From their usage throughout history to their important role in shaping the political and economical structure of many parts of Africa, diamonds have never been just jewels. The author does a fabulous job of keeping things from ever getting too dry. I learned so many different things about diamonds, both about their physical characteristics and the more esoteric traits that have made them so highly desirable. More than this though, I felt like I really got to know the dealers of these jewels. You get a real sense of their passion for their trade and the diamonds themselves. They understand the gems like no one else can, and this allows them to understand each other in ways no one else can.

I thought this was a very enjoyable book. Anyone with an interest in diamonds will find something of interest in here. More than that though, I think this book is a fabulous study of the dealers themselves. They are some unforgettable characters, and they seem like a bit of a dying breed. Things may be changing for the dealers, but they will forever be immortalized in a beautiful way in this book.

Galley provided by publisher for review.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
l_manning | 1 altra recensione | Jul 19, 2011 |

Statistiche

Opere
1
Utenti
58
Popolarità
#284,346
Voto
3.9
Recensioni
2
ISBN
7

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