Contains the full texts of Cardinal Francesco Gonzaga's will and the post-mortem inventory of his possessions (1483), together with related correspondence. This book analyzes these texts and provides background information about the man himself and his collections.

The Danner Rotunde, the jewellery room in the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, was opened in 2004. Ambitious activities by the Danner-Stiftung and Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum, with the support of renowned jewellery artists such as Hermann Junger, Otto Kunzli and Peter Skubic, bore the fruit of two globally renowned jewellery collections. Today these comprise far in excess of 1,700 jewellery items, presented in pictures for the first time in this synopsis. Interviews with the creative minds behind these two unique collections in the field of studio jewellery enable insights into a previously unknown history, and an illustrated chronology arrives at astonishing results. Biographies on more than 300 jewellery artists also present those who have been virtually forgotten today. An indispensable compendium on the subject of contemporary jewellery art. Text in English and German.

A beautiful book for those who love fine wristwatches. In Time in Gold, the histories of the seventeen leading luxury wristwatch companies of Switzerland are presented together for the first time, Beautifully illustrated with color and black and white photographs, Time in Gold contains over 450 important and elegant watches by these fine makers. 200 years later, the resulting wristwatches are among the most exquisite in the world today. The following companies are each presented as separate chapters: Audemars Piguet Blancpain Baume & Mercier Breguet Gerald Genta Cartier Vacheron Constantin Chopard Girard-Perregaux Corum IWC Ebel Jaeger-LeCoultre Rolex Patek Philippe Piaget Ulysse Nardin

From the bronze age to the present, molten metal has been poured into molds to create an infinite variety of forms and to serve a variety of functions. This marriage of form and function is what has made figurative cast iron so popular among collectors. This beautiful new book will give the reader insight into the creativity of the designers of cast iron which allowed the mundane objects of life to become interesting works of art and fancy. From doorstops to doorknockers, still banks to lawn sprinklers, bottle openers to bookends, their functionally was hidden in the forms of animals, flowers, buildings, people, and more. Figurative Cast Iron: A Collector's Guide documents this practical art with over 900 beautiful full-color photographs. A price guide will help make this book useful as well as pleasurable.

The extraordinary jewelry creations by the famous Maison from its beginnings to the present day.

This book presents the legendary jewelry and precious objects of Van Cleef & Arpels, and how they relate to time, nature and love. Time is a fundamental element for both creativity and craftsmanship. Time gives objects their shape; defines their style; determines their function, social utility, and the choice of materials and techniques; indicates origin; hones taste; and reveals context. Time is interpreted through eight values inspired by Italo Calvino’s Lezioni Americane, or Six Memos for the Next Millennium, to honor the iconic pieces created by Van Cleef & Arpels over the years, from Art Deco masterpieces to the illustrious Zip necklace, gravity-defying Mystery Set, or celebrated Minaudières―some of the most important innovations in the history of 20th century jewelry-making.

Nature plays an equally important role for Van Cleef & Arpels as an ever-present source of inspiration and tribute, embodied in unique gems and timeless masterpieces drawing on flora and fauna. Van Cleef & Arpels is founded on love, the most powerful energy in the world. Each object is handcrafted with love, and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry has sealed some of the century’s most legendary love stories.

In a brilliant historical and critical essay, illuminated by a stunning iconographic selection of jewelry, precious objects and archive materials, this work describes the Maison’s eternal values of time, nature and love.

This is the seventh edition of a book which has been for years the 'bible' of professional and amateur gemmologists, as well as retail jewellers. Originally written by Robert Webster, an expert who dedicated most of his life to the subject and who worked in the London Gem Testing Laboratory for twenty-five years, this edition has been completely revised and updated by E. Alan Jobbins, Keeper of Minerals and Gemstones at the Geological Museum in London for thirty-five years. The first part of the book is a comprehensive glossary on all aspects of gemstones and the terms associated with them. The second part includes sections on manufactured gems, the enhancement of gem materials and on the precautions necessary for avoiding damage to gemstones and jewellery during manufacturing, repairs and cleaning. There are comprehensive sets of tables of the physical constraints needed for gem testing, of the sources of gem materials and the cuts used to demonstrate their beauty. Fifteen pages of colour photographs will assist in the identification of inclusions and there are many useful conversion tables. Acknowledged as one of the most useful reference books available, this should be the vade mecum of all gemmologists.

This gorgeous book is a delight for all who are interested in fine craftsmanship, beautiful jewelry, and the role of fashion in an ever-changing world. Costume jewelry is an intimate reflection of its age. Shaped by the attitudes and fashion of the women who wear it, this jewelry reveals their temperaments, their fantasies, and the spirit of their times. This lushly illustrated book is a comprehensive retrospective of commercial costume jewelry, from 18th century Georgian, Neo Classic, and Romantic pieces to 20th century Edwardian, Art Deco, Cocktail, and modern "Glam Rock" jewelry. It discusses in great depth the roots of jewelry movements, the cultural trends that influenced jewelry designers-industrialism, wartime, the growth of Hollywood, technological breakthroughs, and the women's movement-and the effects jewelry had on women's fashions.

Michelle Ong established Carnet, her Hong Kong-based boutique jewelry house, over twenty-five years ago, and her unique one-off creations draw on Chinese motifs and her love of European culture and craftsmanship. Her multi-hued jewels crystallize natural forms with invisible mastery. The hovering translucency of dragonfly wings, the succulence of ripe fruits, the whisper-light touch of a feather, the seductive fragility of black lace, meticulously hand-wrought from silver, the velvet petals of an anemone, a voluptuously curled seashell, the evanescence of a floating cloud evoked in a scroll of diamonds: each jewel is a miniature sculptural work of art. Jade, China's imperial gemstone, is reworked into an Art Deco-style cocktail ring. Her Chinese dragon, a fiercely benign creature, writhes in blackened gold and pave-set emeralds, breathing a stream of fiery rubies. Ong's work is now acknowledged among the greatest names in high jewelry, renowned for her sublime designs, idiosyncratic colour combinations and deft craftsmanship. This volume will be required reading by serious collectors and aficionados, and a source of deep delight for all those seeking inspiration from the finest of contemporary jewelry creators.

Men's jewelry has a long and fascinating history, with storied houses, famous patrons and a diverse range of modern designers. Behind each tiny piece often lies a complex narrative of patronage, personality and craftsmanship. This is the first publication dedicated solely to a neglected subject. Drawing on his expertise on men's style and insider's knowledge of the jewelry industry, men's style aficionado James Sherwood tells the story of men's relationship with jewelry and presents the contemporary artisans who keep the art alive. Through thematic chapters, works by key jewelers are profiled and richly illustrated, including pieces by Tiffany & Co., David Yurman, Cartier, Boucheron and Ara Vartanian. Hundreds of exquisite photographs, many specially commissioned, of rings, cufflinks, studs, pins, slides, bracelets, chains and pendants chart changing fashions and evolving attitudes to men's jewelry over the centuries. Pieces by great craftsmen and -women and the patrons who commissioned them, from the Maharaja of Kashmir to David Bowie, are brought to life through vivid texts and contemporary and archival portraits. This sumptuous guide to sartorial elegance sets men's jewelry in its proper historical and cultural contexts, offering an unexpected resource for jewelers and a trove of inspiration for anyone who wears, gifts or simply admires men's jewelry.

Drawn from the extensive holdings of the Staatliche Museen in Berlin, this collection of jewelry through the ages links cultures and eras to show how the design, wearing, and collecting of personal adornment has evolved over the ages. They range from classic items such as necklaces, rings and earrings to less common items with origins in non-European cultures. The book features jewelry, ranging from the splendid crowns of ancient Greece, gold earrings from Babylon and jewelled collars worn by 13th-century Islamic royalty to more modern pieces such as those contained in the imperial collection of Queen Louise of Prussia, Art Nouveau jewelry designed by Rene Lalique, and work by contemporary designers. This chronologically arranged survey includes numerous brief essays and 400 illustrations with detailed captions, making it an ideal reference for anyone interested in cultural history, the history of jewelry, or the art and craft of jewelry making.

This is volume three in a series of books that explains with close-up photos the price factors and identifying traits of unusual gems. The stones are shown not only loose but also in jewellery, in the rough, under magnification and as beads. Fun facts, historical anecdotes, geographic sources, gem treatment information, cutting advice, gemstone lighting recommendations, and tips on gem care are included along with diagrams and tables to aid in identification and evaluation. If you are interested in matrix opal, fire agate, blue chalcedony, Paraiba tourmaline, rubellite or other tourmalines, this guide can provide you with jewellery design ideas and in-depth information that will help you be a smart buyer and seller. Written in a succinct and user-friendly style, this is an ideal reference for jewellers, sales associates, appraisers, gem collectors, gemology students, designers gem dealers and consumers.

This richly illustrated study of Southwestern Indian jewelry-design history is a must-have for collectors, jewelry designers, and students and scholars of Native American arts. Southwestern Indian jewelry inspires admiration and creativity through its beauty, mastery, and meaning. Delve into this fascinating and creative world with renowned design historian Paula Baxter as she explores the work of Navajo and Pueblo craftspeople in the years following the American Civil War to the end of World War II. During this productive 75-year period, Native American jewelry became increasingly popular in the US and international marketplace. Collected and celebrated as examples of true American artistry, these works continue to be highly desirable and eminently wearable. Through Baxters well-researched yet accessible text and more than 450 color images, readers will come to understand how Navajo and Pueblo silversmiths and jewelry makers exercised shrewd judgment to retain control over their inventive designs. Starting in the 1870s, these artisans interwove tradition, new fabrication methods, and personal vision to create works both for tribal adornment and tourist commodity. From the turn of the century to the 1940s, these designs evolved in harmony with the emerging modernist aesthetic. Native jewelry was winning critical attention and praise, becoming highly desirable products in the national and international marketplace. Follow the development of Navajo and Pueblo jewelry chronologically, from design origins to the pairing of silver and stone to the modernist styles around midcentury. Included are historical timelines, boxed supplemental information, a glossary of key terms, and an extensive bibliography. Written by a recognized authority and the author of such go-to references as Southwest Silver Jewelry and The Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry, this book is destined to become a classic in the field.

The fabled land of Nubia, whose very name means 'gold,' was famous in ancient times for its supplies of precious metal, exotic material, and intricate craftsmanship. Many of the adornments made in Nubia are masterpieces of the jeweler's art-marvels of design and construction rivaling, and often surpassing, adornments made in Egypt and the rest of the ancient Mediterranean world. Although these unique treasures are among the most stunning to have survived from antiquity, they remain little known. Richly illustrated with beautiful photographs of these exquisite items, many of them never before published, Nubian Gold also places the jewelry within the cultural contexts in which it was manufactured and employed. It tells the story not only of the treasures themselves but of the exciting tales of their discovery and the rich background of the exotic and remote civilizations that produced them. The book also explores the innovative techniques used to procure the precious materials used in the jewelry and to craft them into intricate ornaments replete with magical purpose and coded meaning.Featured in the book are not only the intricately crafted pieces themselves but depictions of them in sculpture, relief, and painting as well as references to them in ancient texts, locating them within the full spectrum of Nubian history, from the earliest beginnings of society to the advent of Christianity.

La Bijouterie Francaise au XIX "e" Siecle by Henri Vever is an indispensable survey of the jewelry produced in Paris from the Empire to the Art Nouveau period. Since it was first published in three volumes nearly one hundred years ago, it has become the definitive source of information for the jewelry profession as well as for those who simply revel in the intricate beauty of fabulous jewels. Now, for the first time, the entire text is available in English in a single volume.

Vever, himself a highly accomplished jeweler, compiled a study that charts the histories of both the humblest and the most famous of his colleagues, including Bapst, Boucheron, Falize, Fontenay, Pouquet, Froment-Meurice, Gaillard, Lalique, Mellerio, and Wiese. This vivid contemporary account is full of data gathered directly from the jewelers themselves or from their descendants. It contains fascinating anecdotes concerning Imperial and Royal commissions together with entertaining tales of workshop practices. In crediting the designers, chasers, engravers, and enamelers who collaborated with the famous jewelry houses, Vever acknowledged the talents of technicians who often worked anonymously. In identifying unrecorded craftsmen, he made his book a unique document.

Political, economic, and industrial developments are discussed, as are their repercussions on society and fashion. With his intimate knowledge of techniques, Vever was able to analyze changes that were continually taking place in manufacturing processes. He also recorded the changing styles in jewelry and their sources of inspiration, ranging from the Antique to the Orient.

A unique feature of this English-language edition is the inclusion for thefirst time of over 130 color illustrations of pieces, many from Vever's collection, which appeared only in black and white in the original.

Celebrate three generations of significant American jewelers-their stories and their stunning work-in the only authorized history of the Patania family. The family's unique jewelry blended their Italian heritage, midcentury modern design, and influences from Native American southwestern jewelry, resulting in a singular and striking style. The authors chronicle the history of the family from 1899, when Frank Patania Sr. was born in Italy, through his son Frank Patania Jr., up to the present day, where the third generation, Sam Patania, continues the tradition of designing and making modern jewelry with a southwestern flair. This first full-length publication for collectors, historians, and enthusiasts documents the jewelry made by the Patanias and other craftspeople sold at their Thunderbird Shop, including information to attribute and date pieces, history of hallmarks used, and biographies of noted silversmiths who worked there. Beautiful images, including full-page photos of never-before-published masterpieces, make this the definitive resource on the family and their continuing legacy.

This pocket travel guide is part of the `Gemstone Detective' series, created for those planning a trip to the vibrant country of Thailand. Known as the `Land of Smiles', Thailand is famous for its exquisite gemstones and jewellery. Written by Kim Rix, a gemmologist (GIA) and professional photographer who has travelled to more than 50 countries, this book explains in layman's terms how to make a savvy purchase to treasure forever. If you are considering buying a gemstone or piece of jewellery on your holiday, this invaluable hand-book contains all the practical advice, tips and essential grassroots information you need to make your purchase - no matter how big or small. Whether you are shopping for a special occasion or simply for a souvenir, Buying Gemstones and Jewellery in Thailand will help you avoid the infamous gem scams all tourists need to avoid. Kim Rix is dedicated to visiting each country in the `Gemstone Detective' series to provide readers with up-to-date and trusted information to help travellers avoid the cons, tricks and disappointments of a bad buying decision. Without this book, you could make a very expensive mistake!

Prepare to shop for gemstones and jewellery on your next holiday Going on holiday and fancy buying a piece of jewellery? Are you planning on making a romantic gesture, but your lack of knowledge makes you uneasy about parting with your hard-earned cash? What should you look out for? How do you know it's real? How do you bring it home safely? This handy little guide answers these questions and many more. It's an easy read without any gem jargon, and is packed with useful tips and priceless information that could save you a fortune! Whether you are shopping for an engagement ring or special anniversary gift, or perhaps for a souvenir of your trip, Buying Gemstones and Jewellery Worldwide will guide you through the experience. An integral part of the `Gemstone Detective' series, this unique book provides the essential knowledge you need to buy with confidence. Written by Kim Rix, a gemmologist (GIA) and professional photographer who has travelled to over fifty countries in her lifetime.

The first book devoted exclusively to the spectroscope
and its use in gemstone identification.

Until 1933 the refractometer and the microscope were the two principal tools in gem testing. Then B.W. Anderson introduced the hand spectroscope which quickly became the third vital instrument for the UK gemmologist. The publication of Anderson s papers in the mid-1950s alerted gem laboratories worldwide to the importance of this instrument. Today its use is universal.

Anderson and his lifelong colleague, Payne, both of the world s first full-time gemmological laboratory, were the pioneers in recognizing the vast potential of the spectroscope for this purpose, and The Spectroscope and Gemmology, as the extensively edited, updated and enlarged version of Anderson s original papers, provides a vital textbook wherever gemmology is used or taught. The distinguished gemmologist R. Keith Mitchell has undertaken the editing and has added chapters on the Pye spectrophotometer and on lasers. He has also reproduced new line drawings of spectra in three aspects to accommodate the prism instrument in both the British version and in that favoured by American gemmologists, and in another version as seen through the diffraction grating instrument.

Written for gemmologists everywhere and incorporating the latest developments this book will prove indispensable to all engaged in gemstone identification.

'Diamonds' is the leading guide of its kind to learning about these precious gems and understanding the main factors that determine their value and quality. Whether coming to diamonds for the first time or already knowledgeable in the field, every reader will find something of interest and value in its pages. A unique feature of the book is the chapter dedicated to natural colour diamonds, with descriptions and illustrations of every colour group. While colour diamonds are an increasingly important part of the diamond trade, there is little information about them in the popular literature, and their full treatment here has received much praise from readers. The story of diamonds is told from their humble origins in the form of carbon, the most basic element of life, through their many transformations by the forces of nature and the human hand on their way to becoming beautiful gems. The book is equally informative about the recent history of diamonds and the forces re-shaping the industry today, including the global shifts in centres of production and distribution, the implementing of international ethical standards within the trade, and the emerging roles of China, India,Russia and Dubai as major players in the diamond market. The author aims to promote the highest standards of good practice in the diamond industry to a wider audience. 'Diamonds' is designed with equal attention to the text, written in clear and jargon-free language, and the images, which show diamonds in their full range of cuts, shapes and colours, along with some of the world's most stunning contemporary and historic diamonds.

This guide provides concise, interesting and practical details on uncommon gems that are now being used by designers to create distinctive jewelry. It not only lists the identification properties of the gems, but tells you where they are found, how they are used, why they are unique, how they are priced, and how to care for them. High quality photos show the different colors, cutting styles and varieties of each gem and give you ideas on how each can be used creatively in jewelry. Written in a succinct, user-friendly style, this is a companion book to Newman's "Gemstone Buying Guide" and an ideal reference for jewelers, sales associates, appraisers, gem collectors, gemology students, gem dealers and consumers. The following gems are discussed and illustrated in Rare Gemstones: amblygonite, andalusite, apatite, aragonite, axinite, azurite, benitoite, bixbite, brazilianite, bronzite, calcite, cobaltocalcite, charoite, chrysocolla, cuprite, danburite, diaspore, diopside, dumortierite, enstatite, epidote, fluorite, gaspeite, hauyne, hematite, hemimorphite, howlite, idocrase, jeremejevite, kornerupine, kyanite, larimar, lepidolite, magnesite, marcasite, maw-sit-sit, moldavite, obsidian, pectolite, phenakite, phosphosiderite, prehnite, psilomelane, pyrite, red beryl, rhodochrosite, rhodonite, scapolite, scheelite, seraphinite, serpentine, sodalite, sillimanite, smithsonite, sphalerite, sphene, sugilite, taaffeite, titanite, tugtupite, unakite, variscite, vesuvianite and zultanite.

This book charts the changes in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter over the last twenty years, and is the first work to look beyond the area's unique early history and the jewellery trade itself. Today the quarter is a vibrant urban village, and here former Jewellery Quarter regeneration director Andy Munro tells the story of its transformation. The regeneration of the area sought to achieve the difficult act of revitalising the area while protecting its unique jewellery trade and heritage. This book offers a fascinating insight into the successes and failures of the initiative and draws on interviews with the many interesting characters who were players in this regeneration game.