This is the first comprehensive and fully illustrated study of silver vessels from ancient Macedonia from the 4th to the 2nd centuries BC. These precious vessels formed part of dining sets owned by the royal family and the elite and have been discovered in the tombs of their owners. Eleni Zimi presents 171 artifacts in a full-length study of form, decoration, inscriptions and manufacturing techniques, set against contemporary comparanda in other media (clay, bronze, glass). She adopts an art historical and sociological approach to the archaeological evidence and demonstrates that the use of silver vessels as an expression of wealth and a status symbol is not only connected with the wealth spread in the empire after Alexander's the Great expedition to the East, but constitutes a practice reflecting the opulence and appreciation for luxury at least in the Macedonian court from the reign of Philip II onwards.

A complete and practical guide to using precious and semi-precious stones in any metal - from traditional settings to contemporary looks. This is a detailed, technical guide to stone-setting for jewellers and jewellery students. It explores traditional, modern and experimental approaches to stone-setting, from the purely functional to design-led solutions for securing stones. This book takes you through the entire process of setting stones from choosing a suitable stone, designing and making the setting, to seating and setting the stone. The extensive setting techniques are combined with step-by-step demonstrations, precise diagrams and images of contemporary work from international jewellers. A comprehensive reference section, featuring an illustrated glossary, makes this book the essential stone-setting resource for both students and professional jewellers. Demonstrations produced using 3D modelling software provide the most up-to-date reflection of current practice and technology, and allow explanations of skills and techniques to be presented with expert accuracy. This book is the perfect resource for jewellers of all levels.

This new guide is the first to explore all facets of Native American jewelry--its history, variety, and quality--in one convenient resource. With coverage beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, this resource includes artists, techniques, materials, motifs, and more. The encyclopedia opens with helpful introductory essay to acquaint the reader with the subject. More than 350 entries and over 80 photos make this new encyclopedia and exceptional value.

"Understanding Jewellery is a love letter to glorious pieces from the last hundred years." -M. J. Rose, The Adventurine "An enjoyably scholarly romp through the past and a feast for the eyes for the novice and the consummate jewelry fan and collector."-Beth Bernstein, Forbes "A must-have coffee table book for jewellery aficionados..." -Elisa Vallata, Departures International "As with stocks, education is the way to begin. There are many excellent books on the jewelry market, but start with Understanding Jewellery, the industry bible by two former Sotheby's jewelry executives, David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti." -Bloomberg Understanding Jewellery, by authors David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti, is often described as the must-have jewellery book of our time - a 'Bible' in the jewellery trade. First published in 1989, it has remained in print ever since, amassing a loyal following of devotees who admire its detailed information and stunning imagery. In this new work, Bennett and Mascetti have taken the original concept of Understanding Jewellery a stage further. Now, with the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, they have concentrated on the 20th century alone by conducting a detailed survey of each decade, identifying the key players, trends and movements. The book is an encyclopedic history of the various forms, techniques and materials employed by the companies and individuals who defined jewellery in the 20th century. Most significantly, this book includes a new set of photographs, which make Understanding Jewellery: The Twentieth Century one of the most dazzling, absorbing and varied collections of jewellery images ever assembled in a book. This large format hardback volume is a perfect gift for all lovers of jewellery and the definitive guide for those who desire a deeper understanding of the subject.

"...here's eye candy on every page of the book." - Natural Diamonds This sumptuous book showcases the work of women jewellers in the 20th century. Beginning with Arts & Crafts jewellers in Britain, Europe and North America, the author then examines the key figures and movements of the pre-war period including Coco Chanel's legendary 'Bijoux de Diamants' exhibition of 1932, the designs of Suzanne Belperron and the roles of Jeanne Toussaint at Cartier and Renee Puissant at Van Cleef & Arpels. From the 1950s to the present day, a wide range of international designers are examined in detail with many examples of their work clearly illustrated. The author focuses on themes associated with jewellery, including colour, light, proportion, nature and legends. Among the many names included are Vivianna Torun Bulow-Hube (designer for Georg Jensen), Margaret De Patta, Wendy Ramshaw, Angela Cummings, Paloma Picasso, Marina B, Lydia Courteille and Michelle Ong. Jewellery firms include: Boivin, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Jensen, Tiffany & Co. Designers featured: Alma Pihl, Coco Chanel, Suzanne Belperron, Juliette Moutard, Olga Tritt, Elisabeth Treskow, Margaret de Patta, Jeanne Toussaint, Line Vautrin, Margret Craver, Vivianna Torun Bulow-Hube, Nanna Ditzel, Marianne Ostier, Barbara Anton, Gerda Floeckinger, Astrid Fog, Cornelia Roethel, Catherine Noll, Angela Cummings, Elsa Peretti, Wendy Ramshaw, Marina B, Marie-Caroline de Brosses, Marilyn Cooperman, Paloma Picasso, Victoire de Castellane, Alexandra Mor, Ornella Iannuzzi, Neha Dani, Paula Crevoshay, Nathalie Castro, Claire Choisne, Bina Goenka, Carla Amorim, Monique Pean, Michelle Ong - Carnet, Kara Ross, Lydia Courteille, Suzanne Syz, Sylvie Corbelin, Kaoru Kay Akihara - Gimel, Katey Brunini, Luz Camino, Cindy Chao, Aida Bergsen, Anna Hu, Barbara Heinrich, Jacqueline Cullen, Cynthia Bach.

Tiaras have always inspired a great fascination and the most beautiful and influential women have been painted, photographed and admired whilst wearing them. Even in the 21st century they are still worn and continue to inspire special poise, elegance and sophistication. This lavishly illustrated book includes exclusive photographs, many repro duced for the first time, of a variety of Royal tiaras together with those of French and Russian Imperial provenance, including four stunning tiaras designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria. Geoffrey Munn has also been granted privileged access to the archives of many famous jewellers, including Boucheron, Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels and Faberge, for his research. The regal images of some of the most prestigious jewels in the world will captivate the reader and ensure turning the page to the next enticing image becomes irresistible. Many of these mes merising tiaras also have great historical signifi cance and their provenance is fully explained here. Among the con temporary pieces referred to are tiaras belonging to Jamie Lee Curtis, Vivienne Westwood, Elton John and Madonna, that were made by Galliano, Slim Barratt and Versace. The scholarly text, which incorporates more than 400 illustrations, includes chapters on tiaras as crown jewels, Russian style tiaras, tiaras as works of art and the relationship between the tiara and the costume ball. Tiaras - A History of Splendour is a magnificent work that will enthral all those interested in fashion and style, jewellery, European history and Royalty. "... beautifully written and magnificently produced... for anyone interested in social history, it's as good a read as you are likely to have this year." Daily Telegraph "A truly majestic book" Antiques Info "... elegantly melds social history, fashion criticism and an appreciation of the jeweler's art." Town & Country

This inspirational book features over 35 master jewelry designers, organized alphabetically. Hailing from Australia, Brazil, France, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Russia, Turkey, the UK and USA, they represent a wide variety of approaches, from Aida Bergsen's flora and fauna-inspired designs, including emerald- studded frogs and diamond- encrusted salamanders; through Anabela Chan's exquisitely detailed laser-cut brooches of white gold and platinum with iridescent diamonds and natural grey pearls; to Elie Top's yellow gold spheres that are a feat of mathematical precision and ingenuity. Red-carpet customers and fans include Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, Madonna and Michelle Obama. Each designer is introduced with a biography that highlights their working practices and key sources of inspiration. Illustrations include sketches as well as images of glorious finished designs, all of which are unique and many of which are bespoke. Complete with an introduction, a useful glossary and notes of designers' websites (some work by appointment only), this is the perfect, curated resource for both aficionados and professionals who wish to view the craftsmanship of some of the most visionary practitioners working in the field of fine jewelry today

Edith Sitwell, Margot Fonteyn, Frank Sinatra, Yul Brynner, Barbra Streisand and Vivienne Westwood are just a few of the luminaries who have visited Wartski's showrooms, lured by a dazzling array of gems, jewellery, goldsmiths' work and the famous Faberge collection.Geoffrey Munn, managing director of Wartski, tells the remarkable story of how the firm rose from humble beginnings in Bangor, North Wales, to become jewellers to six generations of the British Royal family and famous throughout the world. The lively text of Wartski: The First Hundred and Fifty Years will be a source of deep fascination to all enthusiasts of jewellery, European royalty, Faberge and, in particular, celebrities from every walk of life.

Discover the common treatments and imitations plus gemstone properties, sources and typical cuts of stones, including a guide on appraisal techniques.

Jewellers and designer goldsmiths, lapidaries and gem cutters, stone setters, gemologists, geologists, collectors and people who buy and sell jewellery at antique fairs and on the internet, this book is for anyone who has ever had a gemstone and wanted identification and information. Featuring a mix of gemstones and gem-set jewellery, it puts gems in context and contains historical context for those buying and selling antique and vintage gem-set jewellery, including details of the stones typically found in Georgian, Victorian, early 20th century settings.

Packed with fascinating gemological details and up-to-minute data on more than 70 of the most exquisite gemstones, and written by leading expert, Judith Crowe, learn the common pitfalls in identifying stones and clarify areas of confusion and misidentification.

Goldsmiths' products examined, combining discussion of object with analysis of inscription and design, and literary and archaeological evidence for smiths and their work. Throughout the Anglo-Saxon period, goldsmiths produced work of a high standard in both design and craftsmanship, both for personal adornment, and to embellish bookbindings, reliquaries, vessels and weapons. Some works are well known, particularly the magnificent gold and garnet regalia from Sutton Hoo, but this represents only a fraction even of the surviving work, and much more has been lost. This book is the first to look at the goldsmiths' products through the eyes of both a specialist in the period and a practical craftsman, combining close examination of the surface and structure of the objects with analysis of inscriptions and evidence for design, and with literary and visualsources of evidence for smiths and their work. Archaeological and documentary evidence for workshops, tools and working processes is also assessed, and up-to-date technical information on materials and techniques is juxtaposed with new practical research to throw light on manufacturing and decorative processes, and, more widely, to give a fresh idea of the position of the goldsmith in his society. Dr ELIZABETH COATSWORTH is Senior Lecturer inthe Department of History of Art and Design, Manchester Metropolitan University; Dr MICHAEL PINDER is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Architecture, Landscape and 3DD, at the same university.

This book discusses the current trends in luxury and jewelry and presents how to make these sustainable for a better future. In the age of sustainability, we increasingly see how designers and consumers begin to think beyond a product's look&feel and operation, and are especially concerned about what has happened during its manufacturing process and what will happen once its useful life comes to an end. Today, consumers value that every industrial product and process should be sustainable, beneficial for the people, the economy and the planet, and so is the case for jewelry.

"Stuart Devlin was probably the most original and creative goldsmith and silversmith of his time, and one of the greats of all time. His originality of design marked him out as a master craftsman and his prolific output was a tribute to the width of his imagination." - Foreword by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. This book gives an idea of Stuart Devlin's extraordinary creativity, his skill, and the beauty of his work. It comprises over 500 pages with hundreds of images of Devlin's gold, silver and coins as well as his jewellery, sculpture and furniture. Many collectors will recognise pieces that they originally commissioned or have bought. Also shown are numerous sketches and working drawings. The short sections of text include concise captions and reviews from primary sources. Although it has been impossible to encompass everything ever designed or produced by Devlin, the book highlights how remarkable it is that this wealth of ideas was conceived by just one man. Stuart Devlin was a pioneer goldsmith who rejected the anonymity of corporate design during the 1960s. He adapted old techniques and devised many new ones. His commissions included those for the Royal Households, cathedrals, the armed forces, sporting bodies and universities, as well as abundant private commissions. He was also a coin and medal designer. Australian born, recognition came to Devlin after designing the Australian decimal coinage in 1963. He went on to design coins for more than 30 countries.

The name Faberge has long been a byword for luxury. Combining an entrepreneurial vision for craftsmanship with innovative material sourcing and technical ability, Carl Faberge created an astonishing array of bespoke jewelled and enamelled objects at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. This beautifully illustrated book explores the history and legacy of the House of Faberge, from its origins in Russia - and its role in the glamorous world of the Romanovs - to global recognition. Much of the story is familiar, but less well known is the important part played by the London branch. Opened in 1903, and the only one outside Russia, it became a choice destination for Edwardian high society and an international clientele. Featuring over 120 pieces, from delicate flowers to Imperial Easter eggs, and with contributions from leading experts Faberge: Romance to Revolution celebrates the enduring fascination with this master craftsman's works.

A complete guide to identifying, buying, using and caring for a dazzling array of jewels. A complete reference for goldsmiths, collectors, and jewellery makers, this beautiful book is a comprehensive guide to identifying, buying, using and caring for a dazzling array of jewels and gems. The book includes practical advice on how to assess the quality, rarity, grade, durability, and cut of precious and semi-precious stones, and allows you to discover the origins of gemstones and understand the process of selecting the raw material. Learn how gems are calibrated, using the industry standard measurements of carats and points, and how they can be treated to improve both colour and clarity - a handy glossary contains all of the key terminology you need to know. Thanks to colourful illustrations and photographs, you can identify which gemstones are suitable for jewellery-making, from amethysts and diamonds to tourmaline and quartz, and learn how they can be used in different designs and settings.

From the Preface When I first went to Africa in the 1960s, I was bowled over by African art. What really got under my skin were the bangles, principally the bronze bangles from West and Central Africa. They were tactile, weighty and full of design and form. Later, when I lived in Ghana and Togo, I built up my own collection of bangles. In recent years this collection was seen by past and present curators of the British Museum and I was encouraged to work up the expertise to comment on and possibly help classify the Museum's collection of African bangles. They recognised that they have thousands of these bangles lying mostly untouched and unloved because they could not be given a story, a context, a meaning. They were so enthusiastic and helpful that I secured introductions to many major museums around the world, to study their substantial and interesting collections. Museums in Europe and on the East and West Coasts of the United States gave me access to the rich material they had accumulated. I had the rare privilege of spending days in their storerooms in the course of which I could see and compare many thousands of bangles. The curators who accompanied me in the inspection of their bangles were aware that these beautiful artefacts had lain undisturbed because they could not be explained or set in a wider context. The bangles were attractive but seldom came with a meaningful provenance. To their great credit, these highly-qualified specialists would listen enthusiastically as my wife and I noted bangles which we had encountered elsewhere. Seeing all these bangles and thus, over time, gradually building up a picture of their types, uses and probable areas of origin, I began to realise that I was looking at a decorative culture which was self-generated, wholly unlike the decorative cultures of the rest of the world. It was unique. Astonishingly, it was to be found in almost every inhabited part of the vast semi-continental area of sub-Saharan Africa. Gold and silver were of little consequence. Copper was their "precious metal". The style - instantly recognisable - was chunky, solid, weighty. Rarity was not a concern; the Eurasians' "precious stones" were unknown. Rings had no great meaning. It was bangles that were the standard means of conveying status, attraction and readiness for marriage. Most importantly, as I read the stories of explorers and the later accounts of African life in the 19th and 20th centuries while I worked through the museums' storerooms, it became clear to me, that for centuries, the bangle had been the one and only defining material culture shared by all Africans south of the Sahara. At last, an overall picture was emerging and there was now a chance of describing it before it was too late. The bangle culture that had unified Africans, through which and in which they had lived much of their lives, was fading fast. In their heartland of West and Central Africa the tactile bronze bangles that everyone wore in the 19th century - and which I saw occasionally in northern Ghana in the 1980s - were now encountered more in museums than on the bodies of inhabitants of those regions. This book will follow the art-historical practice of using "bronze" to describe all forms of copper alloys, including brass, when the composition is not directly relevant and retain "copper" for occasions when the pure metal is being discussed. "Bangle" will be used as the generic term for all forms of jewellery applied to the human body. This bangle culture is still an unselfconscious part of daily life in a few isolated African tribes and used quite naturally to send messages. But, in a few decades, this bangle culture will survive only in less traditional forms and only in limited areas in East and Southern Africa. At its height, it was an admirable system of great importance to social intercourse, replete with significance, great beauty and craftsmanship. It deserves to be recorded and I will try to do this in this book. I will set out why this bangle culture was so different from anything else in the world; the skill with which the bangles were made; and how the bangle culture spread throughout all Africa south of the Sahara; I will have to admit that the industrial world and its products have led to the Eurasian hierarchy of gold and silver overtaking bronze in Africa and, indeed, eliminating it as a "precious metal". But I will end on a note of hope, that there are indications that the sense of solidity of form and the respect for copper that was evident in classical African bangles may still live on among African Americans.

Royalty, Aristocrats, American heiresses, exiled Russian Grand Dukes, Randlords, Maharajas, Socialites and Financiers with newly made fortunes flocked to Faberge in London to buy gifts for each other. The Imperial Russian Goldsmith's London branch was the only one outside of Russia and its jewelled and enamelled contents were as popular there as they were in St. Petersburg or Moscow. Using previously unreferenced sources and a newly discovered archive of papers relating to Faberge in London, Kieran McCarthy studies the branch's structure, customers and exclusive stock. The book will be of interest to enthusiasts of the decorative arts, the social history of the Edwardian Golden Age and especially of European Royalty. Faberge's works were and continue to be intimately associated with the British Royal Family. For Violet Trefusis, daughter of King Edward VII's mistress Mrs. Keppel and lover of Vita Sackville-West, a Faberge cigarette case was the emblem of Royalty, as symbolical as the 'bookies' cigar', or the 'ostler's straw'.