Review of Precious by Helen Molesworth

 

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley.

 

               Helen Molesworth book is a love letter to jewelry and gems.  It also is at times a quasi-memoir.  Quasi because it focuses on her experience with some jeweler y as well as the discovery of some of her grandfather’s travels.  But it is far less of a memoir, and far more a love letter.

               And that is pretty awesome.

               Molesworth absolute love of what she is writing might not be the most obvious selling point for the book, but it makes the book work so well.    It’s always fun to read or listen to someone who really loves their work.  The other selling point, and most likely the one that is going to be highlighted, is that Molesworth has worked with the collections that were held by Elizabeth Taylor, Wallis Simpson, and Princess Margaret.

               But that’s icing, that really is.

               Molesworth’s book is divided into chapters centered around various gems.  The heavy hitters are here – diamonds, emeralds, rubies.  However, and this is great, she includes less games (at least lesser to Western audiences) – garnet, spinel and quartz.  Each chapter gives what is in essence an overview of how it is made, where it can be found, possibly a trip to a mine, and famous examples.

               Now many of those examples come from the jewelry of Elizabeth Taylor whose two time husband Richard Burton put really nice pieces into stockings.  She just had to make sure her dogs didn’t chew them.  But they aren’t the only ones mentioned.

               Three words  -Jade Burial Suits.

               Eight words -Goose being feed gems to make them glow.

               (Other famous people with jewelry mention here include Cleopatra, Monroe, and Beyoncé).

               In some class, such as with jade and spinel, Molesworth discusses why in some cases the West viewed them differently than the East.  This is particularly true for spinel, where Molesworth traces why the stone fell out of favor in the West.

               There is science here as well.  Molesworth speaks of the various ways the gems are developed.  She goes into the difference between the types of pearls as well as the different types of diamonds.  But it isn’t overly scientific writing, so you don’t have to be a geologist to understand it.  Furthermore, the love  for the subject shines though so even the science bits are not dry at all.

               In some cases, Molesworth journeys to the mines and places where the gems are found.  This includes Burma and that section is particularly interesting.  She also visits mines in Columbia and helps look for gems in Sri Lanka (another wonderful chapter).  She goes into some of the traditions surrounding not only the crafting of the gems but also the mining of them.  The chapter detailing is particularly well written in this regard.  She talks to the big names but she also talks to the workers whose names are not remembered.

               It would be fair that Molesworth does not address colonialism and the various gem trades head on.  But she does acknowledge it, and in the case of the Koh-I-Nor gives the unvarnished story about how the British monarchy got the basically stolen gem, which isn’t bad for a book that is also an introduction to gems.

               I enjoyed this book so much.  IT was so fun to read a book that was fan girling as it were about gems.  I’m going to buy a hard copy.  You should order your copies now.

               A quick shout out to Emma Thomasch who sent me an email and Netgalley invite for the book.  Thank you.  You should get a raise.


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