Precious Objects: A Story of Diamonds, Family, and a Way of Life [Hardcover]

Alicia Oltuski (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 19, 2011

In the middle of New York City lies a neighborhood where all secrets are valuable, all assets are liquid, and all deals are sealed with a blessing rather than a contract. Welcome to the diamond district. Ninety percent of all diamonds that enter America pass through these few blocks, but the inner workings of this mysterious world are known only to the people who inhabit it.

In Precious Objects, twenty-six-year-old journalist Alicia Oltuski, the daughter and granddaughter of diamond dealers, seamlessly blends family narrative with literary reportage to reveal the fascinating secrets of the diamond industry and its madcap characters: an Elvis-impersonating dealer, a duo of diamond-detective brothers, and her own eccentric father.

With insight and drama, Oltuski limns her family’s diamond-paved move from communist Siberia to a displaced persons camp in post–World War II Germany to New York’s diamond district, exploring the connections among Jews and the industry, the gem and its lore, and the exotic citizens of this secluded world.

Entertaining and illuminating, Precious Objects offers an insider’s look at the history, business, and society behind one of the world’s most coveted natural resources, providing an unforgettable backstage pass to an extraordinary and timeless show.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In the end, Ms Oltuski’s book is an honest look at the diamond trade. And in telling this story, it is obvious the real precious objects in the book are not the diamonds, but her family members and the other men and (few) women who inhabit New York’s diamond district.”

-Gems & Gemology

"[A] fascinating book...a multifaceted portrait of a New York city-within-a-city, bound by custom and religion and, for some, by obsession with the beauty of diamonds." --Maureen Corrigan, Penn Gazette

“Oltuski has paid fond, affecting and informative tribute to the world of her fathers.” –The Washington Post

“At once global and local, impersonal and intimate, the ins and outs of the diamond industry are grist for the writerly imagination. Oltuski is up to the challenge. The daughter and granddaughter of men in the business, she brings an insider’s perspective to the proceedings as well as a keen eye for the telling incident and quirky personal trait.” --The New Republic

“She writes most fascinatingly about the strange characters that clutter the streets.” –New York Post

About the Author

Alicia Oltuski received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in writing from Columbia University, where she was awarded a David Berg Foundation Fellowship. Her work has appeared on NPR’s Berlin Stories, in The Faster Times, The Bulletin in Philadelphia, and other publications. She has taught at the University of the Arts and lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (July 19, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416545123
• ISBN-13: 978-1416545125
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 1.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,204 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alicia Oltuski's first book, Precious Objects (Scribner 2011), was named a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. Her one-act plays were included in Ensemble Studio Theatre's festival, and other work of hers has appeared or is forthcoming on NPR's Berlin Stories, in the Financial Times, W Magazine, The Faster Times, The Penn Review, Prairie Margins, Peregrine, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, where she received a David Berg Foundation Fellowship, and a BA and MA from the University of Pennsylvania. She has taught at the University of the Arts, Politics & Prose, and the Bethesda Writers Center, and was a reader at The Paris Review. Interviews with her have appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, Marketplace Radio, Ireland's Newstalk Radio, Vox Tablet, and several newspapers. Visit her website at [e-mail]

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliciaoltuski

Become a fan of her facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Alicia-Oltuski-Writer/180505738643494

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The People Behind the Diamonds July 19, 2011

By Lisa

Format:Hardcover

In Precious Objects, Alicia Oltuski gives an insider's look into the world of diamond dealing. Her father works in the diamond district of New York City. It's a different world there, entrenched in tradition and religion. Through good times and bad, the dealers have formed their own code of ethics and way of doing business. They are a unique family of sorts, but things are slowly changing with new technologies and new generations of dealers. The allure of the sparkling stones will never change though.

This book does a very thorough job over covering many different aspects of diamonds. From their usage throughout history to their important role in shaping the political and economical structure of many parts of Africa, diamonds have never been just jewels. The author does a fabulous job of keeping things from ever getting too dry. I learned so many different things about diamonds, both about their physical characteristics and the more esoteric traits that have made them so highly desirable. More than this though, I felt like I really got to know the dealers of these jewels. You get a real sense of their passion for their trade and the diamonds themselves. They understand the gems like no one else can, and this allows them to understand each other in ways no one else can.

I thought this was a very enjoyable book. Anyone with an interest in diamonds will find something of interest in here. More than that though, I think this book is a fabulous study of the dealers themselves. They are some unforgettable characters, and they seem like a bit of a dying breed. Things may be changing for the dealers, but they will forever be immortalized in a beautiful way in this book.

Galley provided by publisher for review.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating peak behind the curtain July 31, 2011

By J. Margulies

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My favorite non-fiction books teach me something new on every page while telling a story in an engaging and enjoyable way; Ms. Oltuski's portrait of the jewelry industry easily passes this test. I knew next to nothing about the jewelry industry before, and now that I've finished the book I feel like an insider.

Ms. Oltuski found fascinating characters through which to tell her story: a pair of crime-fighting brothers who work to prevent and solve robberies to karmically avenge their own family's jewelry business; the real DeBeers family, who walked away from a fortune because it was ruining their nice farm; a mogul who made his money creating a product that the diamond industry simultaneously hated and found themselves needing to use; and a group of Ms. Oltuski's own family members, both lucky and tragic.

Before I read this book I didn't think I had any interest in how jewelry was found, made, and sold. To me, jewelry was an overpriced rip-off, and it was enough to know I just shouldn't spend a lot of money on it. Now, I still think jewelry's a rip-off, but I'm glad it exists: The fact that these products have very little practical use or intrinsic value has created a unique world of fascinating characters and unique behaviors that just aren't necessary in normal markets. It makes me want to go to 47th Street and haggle.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Diamonds were my best friend... August 22, 2011

By billyspargo

Format:Hardcover

This book was a vivid reminder why I got out of the diamond business: in the good old days before Rap, Certs, and Bloods (not what you think); and don't forget Yehudas! It was good to remember the many close relationships I developed (even though I'm a goy), some only over the phone. I recall mentioning to one dealer that I was looking for a Micky Mouse watch for my young son: one week later there was one in my mailbox, the invoice marked "paid in full". Then there was the time I contacted the wife of a dealer for help in finding a specific stone: "you walk by me on the street but you remember my engagement ring!": both diamonds in question were heart shapes. And the time that I was sure I was talking to a golf pro until his wife walked up: 1.04 ct. Rb. IVS1, Ideal cut: the man worked for FedEX. And don't forget my wife's constantly-changing "personal" jewelry collection. This book is also a comprehensive update of all of things I've missed since my departure: Some I can't believe: cremains into diamonds?! A wonderful trip down memory lane for me, a fascinating behind the scences look for the casual reader, an important industry overview for the scholar, and a heartwarming story of family and friendship for everyone. Ms. Oltuski: M&B!