SKU: 50494382893

Empire of Diamonds: Victorian Gems in Imperial Settings

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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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Amazon Customer
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 3
As advertised, Good Price.
Format: Paperback
As advertised. Good price.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2025
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jamiem
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
A must-read for OBE enthusiasts
Format: Paperback
Projection of the Astral Body I recently read The Projection of the Astral Body by Sylvan Muldoon and Hereward Carrington, and it’s a captivating classic! Published in 1929, Muldoon’s firsthand accounts of out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are vivid and pragmatic, detailing his involuntary projections from age 12 and experiments thereafter. His explanations of the astral cord, travel sensations, and the hypnagogic state are clear, avoiding excessive mysticism. Carrington’s scientific editing adds credibility. My only critique: the dated language can be dense, and the small font in some editions strains the eyes. A must-read for OBE enthusiasts
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Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2025
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James G. Burton III
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Basic Fundamentals of Astral Projection
Format: Paperback
This book is full of great information about Astral Projection that is presented in a straightforward manner. I have read many books and articles about this subject over the past 10 years. Many are full of scraps of insight that are glued together with abundant amounts of repetition and babble. Mr. Sylvan Muldoon, like many of the great occultists from the early 20th century, has created a work that will refresh the weary, "would-be" traveler by keeping his explanations short and concise. His theory on the astral body being ruled by the subconscious conveys why auto-suggestion is extremely important when attempting separation. He provides the traditional method of maintaining the hypnagogic state via the raised forearm of which Robert Monroe echoes in his own exercises 40 years later. His "Dream True" method is unique to any of the techniques that I have read about in the past. I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone who is attempting the art of Astral Projection.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2013
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Austin Farmer
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Good book, quite through
This was quite an in depth analysis on the subject which the author writes from his own experiences, and it seems quite obvious that he is not making any of it up. His explanations can be tedious at times, but this is in an effort to present the information as scientifically as possible, trying to answer any and all doubts and questions that would arise to the skeptical minded person. If you are interested in astral projection, I have never read a more revealing book on the subject.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2016
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JL Populist
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 4
Astral Projection From A Century Ago
Format: Kindle
This book is roughly a century old. With that comes a slightly different language but not one too difficult to follow. Some of the things that stuck out for me were: * The astral cable or “silver cord.” * The subjects of possession and the demonic. * The detailed suggestions for astral projection. This book could have used some editing ( there is the occasional “I” out of place) in spots but it remains very readable and helpful for understanding what astral projection is and different facets of it.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2025

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