“A dazzling display of intrepid reporting.”

-- Entertainment Weekly

“An illuminating expose of a mineral and an industry.”

-- Wall Street Journal

“An exhaustively researched and beautifully written work
of narrative nonfiction.”

-- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“The author is expert with vivid prose…This is a superior piece of reportage.”

-- Publishers Weekly (Starred review)

“Lives up in every way to the power of its almost magical subject….With on-the-spot reporting from each of these locales and detailed portraits of individuals whose lives have been shaped by the quest for and business of diamonds, Zoellner follows a tortured trail all the way to the ring finger of an expectant bride. En route, he offers fascinating details about the geology, craftsmanship, advertising, economics and politics surrounding the gem.”

-- Kirkus (Starred review)  

Now in all major bookstores, The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit and Desire unmasks the fascinating history behind America’s favorite gemstone. Tom Zoellner takes you on an unforgettable journey through six continents -- from the deadly mines and smuggling rings of Africa to mining camps above the Arctic Circle to India’s polishing mills where teenage children cut stones that eventually find their way to the shopping malls of America.

How did this relatively common mineral come to signify love and eternal promises? Why are diamonds so unnaturally expensive -- yet so coveted? Why do so many risk their lives and integrity to acquire them? The answers will surprise, intrigue and disturb you, as Zoellner looks into his own powerful fascination with the diamond ring left behind from his broken engagement. The Heartless Stone goes beyond investigative reporting and explores the complicated regions of the human heart that make the diamond empire possible. 

Portions of The Heartless Stone were excerpted in the April 24, 2006 issue of Time magazine. The book tour will cover more than 20 U.S. cities in the summer of 2006.

More praise for The Heartless Stone: 

“Zoellner has an eye for the telling detail, a nose for trouble and an ability to quickly re-create a scene's mood and sense of place. Wherever he is,
he puts you there.”

-- Salon.com

“A thoroughly engrossing and admirable piece of journalism. Part investigative reporting, part 'extreme' travelogue, it reveals through vivid details of geology, artistry, marketing, economics and politics, how diamond lust has changed cultures and societies forever.”

-- Albuquerque Journal

“Zoellner spans several continents to discover all that is embodied in a diamond, encountering miners, smugglers, geologists, and government officials; assessing scientific, political, and philosophical realities; and separating truth from myth. His book is part personal travelogue, using the return of his own proffered diamond engagement ring as the starting point, and part investigative journalism…The end result? A gem.”

-- Library Journal

“With a sharp narrative style and wealth of detail,
The Heartless Stone cuts through the sparkle and marketing to show us that
a rock is what you make of it.”

-- St. Petersburg Times

“A sobering and well-reported look at today’s diamond culture.”

-- The Salt Lake Tribune

“Still want a diamond? Before laying out your cash, Zoellner advises that you first understand its origins…In his search for answers to the diamond's mystique, he traveled to mines around the world, sharing his discoveries in an informative book that's equal parts history and travelogue.”

-- Rocky Mountain News

“Tom Zoellner is not the first person to marvel at the mystery of the diamond
ring, but his subsequent investigation into the global diamond industry
shatters the mystique....”

-- The Oregonian

"Riveting...a fascinating story."

-- The Arizona Republic

“A mesmerizing guided tour full of meticulously researched history, interviews, personal stories and reflections. The Heartless Stone is scrupulous nonfiction that reads like a novel.”

-- Bloomberg News Service

“It's got all the requisite ingredients of intriguing journalism: greed, sex, gaping economic disparities, and glamour. It's too bad it took a failed engagement to prompt this book, but Zoellner has risen from the romantic ashes with The Heartless Stone... He doesn't miss a stop on the diamond road, hopping from Africa to South America to the British Isles in pursuit of the gem whose exclusivity is based only on the tight control of a few greedy individuals. That little blue Tiffany box might never look the same.”

-- Bookmarks Magazine

“Zoellner's sharp, observant descriptions of people and places will sensitize readers to the wider processes of monopoly, smuggling, and war, all of which lurk in the background when a suitor buys a ring for his beloved.”

-- Booklist

“Intriguing and insightful.”

-- The Calgary Herald

“The Heartless Stone is like a diamond itself: clear, brilliant, and sharp as can be. Tom Zoellner has been everywhere and seen everything in the world of diamonds, and has come back with extraordinary stories of how this humble stone drives men to madness, deceit, corruption, and cruelty.” 

-- David Plotz, Deputy Editor of Slate magazine and author of The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank

“ My God, I would do nothing but read if all books were this honest and clean and true.”

-- Charles Bowden, Contributing editor of Esquire, and author of fourteen books including Blood Orchid: An Unnatural History of America.

“Tom Zoellner’s The Heartless Stone is a bright gem--a brilliant collection of interwoven profiles, travel pieces, reportage and the memory of a romance that must have been harder than any rock. A smart man would skip the mall jewelry and just give The Heartless Stone to his fiancee. A smart woman would be happy to have it.”

-- Denis Boyles, author of A Man’s Life, Vile France, Man Eaters Motel and African Lives