Diamond-the very word evokes wonder and awe. The hardest gemstone known to man is also a most prized jewel, one which has been coveted by emperors and conquerors throughout history. Diamonds are stones of destiny, whose brilliant purity and flashes of fire possess mystical qualities known to the ancients. Here, in five parts, is the story of the diamond. From the fabled mines of Golconda in India, for cetnuries the only source of diamonds in the world, to the stone itself, from the treasuries of palaces to the riches of modern-day jewellery and the fortunes of diamond cutters, the text discovers the magical and continuing fascination of the diamond.