SKU: 50494382893

Empire of Diamonds: Victorian Gems in Imperial Settings

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Description

Empire of Diamonds: Victorian Gems in Imperial SettingsIn 1850, the legendary Koh i noor diamond, gem of Eastern potentates, was transferred from the Punjab in India and, in an elaborate ceremony, placed into Queen Victoria's outstretched hands. This act inaugurated what author Adrienne Munich recognizes in her engaging new book as the empire of diamonds. Diamonds were a symbol of political power only for the very rich and influential. But, in a development that also reflected the British Empire's

In 1850, the legendary Koh-i-noor diamond, gem of Eastern potentates, was transferred from the Punjab in India and, in an elaborate ceremony, placed into Queen Victoria's outstretched hands. This act inaugurated what author Adrienne Munich recognizes in her engaging new book as the empire of diamonds.

Diamonds were a symbol of political power--only for the very rich and influential. But, in a development that also reflected the British Empire's prosperity, the idea of owning a diamond came to be marketed to the middle class. In all kinds of writings, diamonds began to take on an affordable romance. Considering many of the era's most iconic voices--from Dickens and Tennyson to Kipling and Stevenson--as well as grand entertainments such as The Moonstone, King Solomon's Mines, and the tales of Sherlock Holmes, Munich explores diamonds as fetishes that seem to contain a living spirit exerting powerful effects, and shows how they scintillated the literary and cultural imagination.

Based on close textual attention and rare archival material, and drawing on ideas from material culture, fashion theory, economic criticism, and fetishism, Empire of Diamonds interprets the various meanings of diamonds, revealing a trajectory including Indian celebrity-named diamonds reserved for Asian princes, such as the Great Mogul and the Hope Diamond, their adoption by British royal and aristocratic families, and their discovery in South Africa, the mining of which devastated the area even as it opened the gem up to the middle classes. The story Munich tells eventually finds its way to America, as power and influence cross the Atlantic, bringing diamonds to a wide consumer culture.



Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: University of Virginia Press
Published: 05/19/2020
ISBN: 9780813944005
Pages: 296
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.50w x 0.80d
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SKU: 50494382893

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momOfMaxx
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
zelda‘s “indoor” ⚽️ ball!
Color: Squeaky Green, Size: Medium Size 2 (6")
zelda loves her soccer ball - because of the fabric “tabs”, and the way she treats her toys, we keep it inside. she loves to place all of her toys and bones on our bed, after they’ve been cleaned. this ball is perfect and soft enough to throw it down our steps, where she will run down, retrieve it, and bring it back to the bed. it arrives deflated and comes with the pump and two needles - the pump is not the sturdiest and felt like it was not inflating, but after only having to reflate it once with a bit of air since receiving it ~5-6 months ago, it still holds up!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2026
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Desy
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 3
Small for a medium
Color: Red-Blue, Size: Medium Size 2 (6"), Color: Red-Blue, Size: Medium Size 2 (6")
I got medium.. and it does not look like a medium ball.. it’s rather small. It’s pretty sturdy and my dogs went crazy for it but it’s definitely not the size I thought it was going to be 😂 my dogs chewed one strap within 5 minutes of having it but they’re dogs and that’s what they do lol. I bought this to be an outside ball for them! It’s pretty light but that’s probably because it’s small. Not soft? But feels like a soccer ball. It also had no smell coming out of the box. Also comes with a pump and an extra thing to put in the ball to pump in case you lose one. I like these balls, I expect them to be chewed up because that’s what I bought them for! Fun for my dogs and they are! But the size… it is not medium and that’s the only reason for 3 stars 😂😂😂 Other then that I recommend, your dog will definitely love this! Inside or outside playing! Alone or with another dog!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2025
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James T.
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Great toy for a GSD
Color: Blue Gray, Size: Extra Large Size 5 (9")
My GSD loves to grab the flaps and shake her head with the ball bouncing of the side of her head. This is her favorite toy. I thought she would puncture it but it has held up great since she likes to grab the flaps rather than biting the ball.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026
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Richard H Harrison
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Great toy to play fetch with the dogs.
Color: Black/White, Size: Large
These balls are a great dog toy to play fetch with your dogs. This not the first ball I have gotten for the dogs. Just the right size and weight for medium sized dogs. I have less concerns about them possibly choking on these soccer balls versus tennis balls. So I can leave them out for them to play with. The are easy to inflate using the included pump. My only concern is the durability of the straps as my dogs have almost torn off one the straps of the previous ball I purchased.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2026
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Kendall
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Dog parents; buy this now!
Color: Black/White, Size: Medium
A must have for my pup! I have bought this at least 5 times. She eventually pops them and I need a new one. It's an amazing toy that she can thrash and we can play fetch with
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Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2026

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