2013/02/18 by Karin Hofmeester · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Archaeological Research and Protection
paper · doi:10.1017/s174002281300003x
openalex publication_date 2013/02/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Abstract Diamonds have a long global history in which India plays a pivotal though little-known role. Indeed, it was in India that diamonds were first mined, finished, and worn. Diamonds and their finishing techniques reached Europe in the fifteenth century. Subsequently, part of the industry moved from India to Europe, where manufacturing shifted from one city to another, before returning to India in the twentieth century. These shifts, I argue, are determined by changes in one or more segments of the global commodity chain and they reveal the global interconnections between mining, trading, polishing, and consuming. Furthermore, these shifting centres are themselves a sign of the globalized character of diamond production, exchange, and consumption.