Beginning with the memorable story of an extraordinary pink diamond discovered in Brazil in 1998, Matthew Hart illuminates the rich and obsessive world of diamonds in a fascinating, original narrative. Hart's story sparkles with the science and geology of diamonds: Some may be as ancient as the universe, formed before the Earth was created, while those formed on Earth come via volcanic action and are tremendously hard to find. It introduces an intriguing cast, from the creators of the DeBeers empire at the turn of the century to some of those who quest after diamonds today. It takes readers inside diamond mines in South Africa, to the offices of diamond brokers in New York and Amsterdam, to anonymous diamond cutters in India, and to a meeting with Louis Glick, the Michelangelo of his field. And, telling the dramatic story of a recent and giant diamond strike in Canada's Northwest Territories, which in some ways reset the balance of power in the industry, Matthew Hart makes clear what drives the legendary obsession behind diamonds, and why should matter to readers everywhere.