"The novels about precious stones tell about the nature, structure and search of the gems, as well as their history. Some of them are dedicated to the Russian gems, specifically to the Ural and Ukrainian emeralds, topazes and decorative stones. The thrilling storylines of the novels are interwoven with folk legends, myths and fairy tales." - Rustem Valayev, author

"Diamond is Fragile was one of my favorite books from my late grandfather's library. Much to my surprise (and dismay) it was only published once in the former Soviet Union approximately 50 years ago and (to the best of my knowledge) has never been published abroad.

I was inspired to translate Diamond is Fragile into English by my father-in-law - Thom Seymour, Sr. - due to his passion for geology and history (topics amply covered in the book). I hope that other English-speaking readers who are interested in these disciplines will enjoy it as well." - Maria K., translator