Jack Ogden

A lavishly illustrated, in-depth early history covering two thousand years of diamond jewelry and commerce, from the Indian mines to European merchants, courts, and workshops This richly illustrated history of diamonds illuminates myriad facets of the “king of gems,” including a cast of larger-than-life characters such as Alexander the Great, the Mughal emperor Jahangir, and East India Company adventurers. It’s an in-depth study tracing the story of diamonds from their early mining and trade more than two thousand years ago to the 1700s, when Brazil displaced India as the world’s primary diamond supplier. Jack Ogden, a historian and gemologist specializing in ancient gems and jewelry, describes the early history of diamond jewelry, the development of diamond cutting, and how diamonds were assessed and valued. The book includes more than one hundred captivating images, from close-up full-color photographs of historic diamond-set jewelry (some previously unpublished), to photomicrographs of individual gems and illustrations of medieval manuscripts, as well as diagrams depicting historical methods of cutting and polishing diamonds.

An Early History of the King of Gems

Diamonds

Vivienne Becker

Katherine Prior

Judy Rudoe

This spectacular volume reveals for the first time an exceptional private collection of the most beautiful royal Indian jewels from the Mughal Empire to the British Raj to today. Written by renowned jewelry experts and featuring magnificent original photography by Laziz Hamani, Beyond Extravagance explores the centuries-long tradition of fine jewelry and art objects in India, to contemporary interpretations that continue to evolve today.

A Royal Collection of Gems and Jewels

Beyond Extravagance

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- PREFACE -- 1 The Diamond -- 2 The Ancient World -- 3 Early Persia and the East -- 4 Medieval Europe -- 5 The Dawn of Diamond Cutting in Europe -- 6 The Fifteenth-Century Technical Revolution -- 7 Renaissance Table and Point Cuts -- 8 Renaissance Multifaceted Cuts -- 9 The Early Brilliant Cut -- 10 Diamond Cutting in London -- 11 The Value and Assessment of Diamonds -- 12 The Indian Diamond Mines -- 13 The Diamond Trade in India -- 14 Diamond Cutting in India and the East -- 15 The Eclipse of Indian Diamonds -- Epilogue -- APPENDIX: A 1675 Description of the Diamond Mines -- NOTES -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- INDEX -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- T -- V -- W -- Y -- Z

The late William Ringler, Jr. and James Ogden examine the theatrical tradition from Shakespeare's time to the nineteenth century. The history of literary criticism to Bradley and beyond is sketched in the introduction, and recent criticism is described in more detail by Richard Levin. Carol Rutter's essay on the women characters in the play is inspired partly by feminist criticism and partly by recent productions. The productions of the last thirty years are covered by theater critic Benedict Nightingale, and the major film versions by Anthony Davies and Stephen Phillips. Finally, Stuart Sillars presents a "visual history," an account of artistic responses that suggests further possibilities for both research and teaching.

Jack Ogden

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