Exquisite gemstones fascinate people, especially if they have a real “history”. We will take a look at the personal histories of a few famous diamonds – the Koh-i-nor, the Cullinan, the Hope and the Orlov, together with some other gems such as the Black Prince’s Ruby and La Perigrina pearl. Some of these feature in tales of conquest and empire, some in revolutions and some in complex, often tragic family histories. From their source in the earth to their prominence in history, their individual journeys are often tales of great fascination.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, Koh-i-nor (Bloomsbury, 2017, ISBN 978-1-4088-8884-1)
• Richard Kurin, The Hope Diamond (Collins, 2007, ISBN 978-0-06-087352)
• Ian Balfour, Famous Diamonds (Collins, 1987, ISBN 0 00 412246 1)
• Aja Raden, Stoned (ECCO, Harper Collins, 2016 ISBN 978-0-06-233470-1)

COURSE OUTLINE

• A history of each of the famous stones – probably about six or eight individually.
• Their significance in history – internationally/nationally/ in family narratives.
• Are any of them really “cursed”?

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Have enjoyed some fascinating history about objects some of which might be familiar, and others explored for the first time.
2. Appreciate that the way we invest intrinsically worthless objects with great value can shape forces far beyond the control of any one of us.