Recutting 47th Street provides an essential, up-to-date analysis of the diamond industry in the throes of radical transformation. Perfect for students of business, anthropology, and urban studies-as well as industry professionals-this book explores how the traditional "black box" of the diamond trade has been pried open by global diversification, the flattening of supply chains, and the rise of lab-grown diamonds.
Tratner demystifies the specialized "trust-based" networks of the New York Diamond District, offering a rare look at the unsecuritized consignment trade known as the memo system. While popular media like the movie Uncut Gems and Netflix's Rough Diamonds have fueled an "exotic" public fascination with the trade, this research provides the scholarly rigor needed to understand the actual mechanics of this fascinating world. For anyone looking to see "behind the curtain" of the people and processes that brings jewelry from the mine to the consumer, Recutting 47th Street is the definitive guide to the modern Diamond District.