Originally published on November 14, 2022 (Episode 293)
Introduction
At the turn of the twentieth century, Amsterdam glittered with the hum of nearly seventy diamond factories and 7,500 steam-powered polishing mills. Many of the workers who shaped the gems arriving from South African mines were Jewish—so much so that by the late 1890s, half of Amsterdam’s Jewish population depended on what was simply known as “the profession.”
In A Brilliant Commodity: Diamonds and Jews in a Modern Setting (Oxford University Press, 2022), Saskia Coenen Snyder traces the Jewish relationship with diamonds across the globe—from South African mines to London markets to the consumer boom in the United States. Alongside stories of work, wealth, and migration, she examines how Jewish involvement in the trade became entangled with modern antisemitism.
About the Guest
Saskia Coenen Snyder is Professor of History at the University of South Carolina and a core faculty member of the Jewish Studies Program. Her work focuses on the intersections of Jewish history, economic life, and modern European society.
For Further Investigation
Saskia Coenen Snyder, A Brilliant Commodity: Diamonds and Jews in a Modern Setting (Oxford University Press, 2022)
Related conversations:
Episode 5: Diamonds Are a Problem, on mining in South Africa
Episode 19: Department Stores and Immigrant Entrepreneurs, with Vicki Howard
Episode 91: Wanamaker’s Temple, on the democratization of luxury
Postcards from the Past, with Lydia Pyne on communication and consumer culture
💬 Listen & Discuss
What do diamonds reveal about the connections between migration, labor, and luxury in modern history? Share your thoughts in the comments, and pass this episode along to anyone interested in Jewish history or global commodities.
