In 2000, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said "Yes" and then suddenly, walked out of his life and made Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road travelling to diamond mines in Africa, Canada, India, Brazil, and Russia to discover the true worth of this shining gem. He travelled to Japan to understand how diamonds were linked with engagements and delved into the history of our own romance with the diamond ring. He gained entry to DeBeers, the London diamond merchants. He visited shopping centre jewellers with starry eyed couples. Through all of his travels, he searched for an answer to the question, "How has one stone created empires, ruined lives, inspired lust and emptied wallets throughout history?"