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.

This book is the catalog for two of the first major exhibits to show only modernist jewelry from such a broad group of artists. Both take place in 2008 in Fort Wayne, Indiana: one at The Fort Wayne Museum of Art (May 2 to August 24) and the other at The University of St. Francis School of Creative Arts (May 2 to May 30). Over fifty collectors and living art jewelers have lent some of the best examples of this innovative style. Sculptors Alexander Calder, Harry Bertoia, Jose de Rivera, Peter and Daniel Macchiarini, Earl and Tod Pardon, and merry rank are among the 96 artists featured, along with their extensive jewelry creations. Their work was experimental and stimulated originality in successive generations. Plastics, pearls, brass, copper, silver, gold, and enamels are among the materials found here in mini-sculptures and jewelry ornaments for men and women alike. The author's extensive research uncovers connections among the artists and documents this important art period and medium. Artists, collectors, cultural historians, and students all will want to see the exhibits and own the catalog.

Over the years J. Steele has worked with some of the best gems God's earth has to offer. He has now put this guide book together for all to use. This is a simple informative guide book. Buying colour gems is a challenge. Written for both consumers and professionals, it is easy to read, has colour photographs and gives practical pointers on how to decipher the differences. Whether you are interested in jade, opal, ruby, topaz, spinel, garnet, tourmaline or some other coloured gem, you will find this guide to be a fascinating and valuable resource.

The collectible appeal of Mexican metal art can be attributed to artistic quality, variety, and large production volume. In addition to jewelry, it includes wearable art, table art, and wall art, with something for everyone. See Mexican jewelry and metal art made with copper, brass, alpaca, and silver. From glass mosaics on brass to silver jewelry inlaid with crushed stone, to metal combinations such as metales casados, the variety in color, texture, and form is wonderful. While other books have made significant contributions to raising awareness of Mexico-designed silver jewelry, little has been written about other metal objects, often made by the very same designers, such as Salvador Teran, Los Castillos, Miguel Martinez, Miguel Pineda, Estele Popowski, and Bernice Goodspeed. Additional names found on illustrated brass and mixed-metal items include Maya, ToA+/-o, Cecilia, Caballo, and Victoria. Detailed captions with value ranges accompany 1000+ color photographs. Includes a bibliography, index, illustrated glossary, and illustrated hallmarks.

What are the origins of the imagery and designs on common jewelry and portable artwork between late antiquity and the Middle Ages? These dynamic centuries encompass the transformation of the Greco-Roman world into the nascent kingdoms and medieval states upon which most modern European nations are based. But the choices of jewelry and other forms of personal expression amongst the lower classes in ancient times is notoriously difficult to contextualize for a number of reasons. Nonetheless, these precious articles were expressions of individual identity as well as signifiers of one's rites of passage. As such, they reflect not only the people who wore them, but also the social milieu and artistic trends impacting their lives at that moment in time. This new study assists in identifying the types, origins and routes of transmission of personal artwork, particularly finger rings, across Europe and Byzantium from late antiquity to the late middle ages, an area of study that has been neglected in previous works. Some of this material represents the first time relevant research from Central and Eastern Europe has been translated and made available to the general reader in the English speaking world.

This fascinating work delves into the origins and contemporary interpretations of Kachina and Ceremonial Dancer designs. This groundbreaking study establishes for the first time the identities of Zuni artists and their works from the 1940s through the 1960s. Their mosaic stone and shell inlay pins, bracelets, bolo ties, and other ornaments appear in 240 vibrant color photos revealing subtle variations that indicate a particular master's work and distinctive style. For the first time, this research introduces John Lucio's earlier pieces and confirms Anna Rita Homer and Lambert Homer Jr.'s pieces clearly, as never before. It also introduces Robert Cachini Sr. (formerly known only as R. C. Sr.)and his pieces. The author's analysis explains the changes and connections among early and recent makers and their individual styles, materials, and designs. For anyone with a passion for jewelry of the Southwest, this book will be a treasure.

The bead played a vital role in Pueblo Indian jewelry design, and its influence continues today in modernist American design. In these pages, featuring more than 250 breathtaking photos, renowned expert Baxter integrates her decades of research with updated findings. Beads were made in the prehistoric American Southwest by the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians, and survived into the historic era. Bead jewelry creations in shell, stone, and silver are important in the Native American jewelry marketplace. This book revisits some leading misconceptions about Pueblo jewelry-making in the existing literature. A survey of modern Pueblo jewelry innovation confirms that its design is second to none, and discusses how Pueblo design meshed with American mid-century modernist expression. Today's Pueblo jewelers, also featured here, continue to offer invention and originality.

Lavishly illustrated and exquisitely deisgned, this book opens with a stunning series of images of style icons - historic and modern - wearing their favoured emerald jewelry. As befits a prized gemstone that is twenty times rarer than diamond, here we see together, for the first time, pieces worn by celebrities ranging from filmstars to royalty, all alongside classic images of emeralds from art, advertising and fashion, celebrated in a text by Franca Sozzani, editor of Vogue Italia . The second part of this major volume showcases more than forty of the world's most significant and famous pieces of emerald jewelry, including many previously unseen designs from private and royal collections. Historic creations that are up to 5,500 years old are represented alongside all the modern jewelry houses. The third and final part of Emerald tells the story of the emerald trade from mine to market, illustrated with specially commissioned photography taken across four continents.

More than 1,000 exciting pieces accompany the story of plastic jewelry from the 1920s to the present in this revised and expanded 5th edition. Colorful and lightweight, examples include natural tortoiseshell and horn, synthetic celluloid, Bakelite, and Lucite - all in a variety of forms. Jewelry has been made from natural plastics since ancient times. Today, they are much sought after collectibles as plastic jewelry has found its place in the history of fashion design. Original designs of bracelets, pins, necklaces, buttons and buckles are featured accompanied by text that gives the materials used and a history of the styles. Updated price guide included. This book is a great resource for collectors, fashion design students, and history buffs.

Navitimer. A mysterious name at first glance. It is in fact a contraction of two words, which correspond to the two major functions of a revolutionary watch: NAVIgation and TIMER. A chronograph designed for airborne navigation. But much more than that, an exceptional destiny, shaped by extraordinary and visionary actors. From the very beginning of its existence, in 1884, Breitling specialised in time measurement, namely the design of timers and chronographs. It was in the 1930s that the foundations of a close relationship with the world of aviation and aeronautics were laid, under the aegis of Willy Breitling. These ties have remained unbroken ever since. In 1952, in collaboration with the AOPA, the largest aeronautical association of the time, Breitling launched the development of the Navitimer, which offered what no other watch manufacturer had ever proposed: a chronograph combined with a slide rule for aircraft pilots. The Navitimer was available only to AOPA members in 1954, and then marketed to the general public in 1955. For 70 years now, the Navitimer has enjoyed glory, flown into space and weathered crises, integrating numerous evolutions without ever losing its original DNA. It has appealed to several generations of professionals, celebrities and lovers of exceptional watches, undoubtedly earning its status as an icon of watchmaking history. This second book in the Watch Stories series, dedicated to the history of emblematic timepieces, traces its heroic and unique destiny from its creation to the current models.

Vintage carved Bakelite jewelry, from the great style era of the 1930s and 1940s, remains a highly sought-after category of collectible interest worldwide. From ever-popular bangles and hinged bracelets, to pins, dress clips, buckles, pendants, and earrings, these little works of art are endlessly satisfying. The great carved pieces are hard to find, valuable, and much coveted. An eye-popping array of over 1,000 vintage jewelry items in carved Bakelite is explored. Organized to highlight their many patterns and brilliant colors, these little gems of fashion are displayed in over 300 detailed color photographs. This jewel box of a book honors the art and painstaking craft of carving Bakelite into fun and interesting personal adornments. Admire it, collect it, and enjoy it!

This new study presents striking parallels in both ethnic (non-European) and folk (European) traditional costumes and ornaments made with silver and glass. African ornaments include Zulu beads, Maghreb necklaces, the Oba's crown, and Massai headpieces. European ornaments extend from the Baltic to the Alps and from Russia, Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. Asian jewelry comes from the Fertile Crescent, the Silk Route, and the foothills of the Himalaya. Each example exquisitely displays a common sense of beauty among many distant peoples.

Cartier: The Story Behind the Style is a beautifully illustrated, handbag-sized visual history of one of the world's most iconic brands. From the brand's inception in Paris in 1847, Cartier has been the go-to jeweller for the world's most stylish set. Filled with photographs and information from the company's 175 years, go behind the scenes to discover the story of how Cartier became synonymous with luxury. Chart the rise of the famous jeweller and watchmaker from humble beginnings in 19th-century Paris to the slick empire it is today. Discover how the ambitious Cartier family broke fresh ground in design, enchanted maharajas and presidents, struck up strategic creative partnerships, and became a household name with iconic designs such as the Panthere, Tank and Love bracelet. Cartier: The Story Behind the Style is the perfect book for any fashion or jewellery lover. Also available, Tiffany & Co.: The Story Behind the Style

Popular carved wooden jewelry and novelties, from the 1920 to 1950 era, are attracting attention at antiques markets because they are delightful design images and happy reminders of a by-gone age. With over 425 color examples to delight the eye, this book gives readers a wonderful variety of items that often incorporate Plastics, Bakelite, and Lucite. The jewelry includes bracelets, necklaces, and charming figural pins in design themes encompassing of water creatures, military, cowboys, Indians, animals, fruit, nuts, and more. The related novelties include advertising and kitchen items, buttons, masks, clothespin figures, pictures, toys, and more. Value ranges are included with the captions.

"When you land on this book, if you do not yet have an appreciation of butterflies or Chan's workmanship, after reading, it will leave you in awe of both."-Beth Bernstein, Forbes "When I was a young boy, butterflies were flying colours - I knew not their name. Then butterflies became the Butterfly Lovers: a tragedy, a love story, a symbol of eternal love. As I grew older, I found them to embody the words of a great philosopher: life is but a dream; only we need to decide whether we want it to be the dream of a man, or the dream of a butterfly. I could not decide, and so I became The Butterfly Man." - Wallace Chan Father of The Wallace Cut - an illusionary three-dimensional gemstone carving technique - and The Wallace Chan Porcelain - a ground-breaking material five times stronger than steel - Wallace Chan is a guiding light in the world of jewellery design. Always innovating, always testing boundaries with his materials and technique, Chan's creations are as stunning as they are intricate. Compiled by jewellery experts, this book explores the cultural and personal significance of Wallace Chan's most famous emblem: the butterfly. Winged Beauty: The Butterfly Jewellery Art of Wallace Chan features approximately 30 of his finest pieces. Enter a butterfly house of colourful gems, with brooches and necklaces so delicate they might have flown down and alighted on the page.

Explore designs for jewelry in natural and synthetic plastics throughout the 20th century. This fun and visually exciting book presents lavish and popular jewelry designs chronologically, covering many types of plastics - from Bakelite, celluloid, and Lucite to Plexiglas, natural plastics, and resins. Brooches, necklaces, beads, and earrings appear in many colors and textures that represent the leading styles of each decade. 365 color photos and period catalog pages display all the styles in an interesting and easy-to-understand sequence. Popular makers such as Trifari, Lisner, Coro, Kramer, Kenneth Jay Lane, and Les Bernard, and more are all well represented. Enjoy the diversity that defines plastic jewelry of the 20th century!

Stunning Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and modern jewelry was manufactured by the firm of Theodor Fahrner for a hundred and twenty-five years (1855-1979.) Growing into a major producer of style-conscious jewelry, the company both led and was inspired by the major European art movements of Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Art Moderne, and Contemporary styles. This new book is profusely color-illustrated, documenting the designs and the people who made them. Working in silver, enamels, marcasites, iron, and semi-precious stones, the designers made each contemporary style of jewelry available to a wide segment of the population. From their workshops in Pforzheim, Germany, they exported large quantities to near and distant cities, including London and the U.S.A. A detailed chronological study, the volume displays Fahrner jewelry through precise, original research and over 480 photographs, most in full color. Sections include advertisements, original design sketches, all known marks, pictures of the important people, and, most of all, hundreds of pieces of jewelry.

The Art Deco style of the early 1930s can be seen as domesticated Cubism. As with cubist paintings, the elements of design were reduced to their minimal essence and applied to everyday items for public consumption. Here Bakelite plastic jewelry and boxes are studied as reflections of this style. The book is a visual garden of Deco design, with hundreds of items photographed in color and described with their useful purposes, materials, and current values. Bakelite is collected because it is different and fun. This book is important because it demonstrates how the new Art Deco style provided the Depression-ridden world with color and style in a form most people could afford.

The various worldwide uses of glass beads, from antiquity to the modern time, are presented in this new book, along with the fascinating evolution of the beadmaking industry. From roots in Asian and African glassmaking, the European beadmaking industry is shown to have developed in response to political and economic factors of international trade and keen businessmen who saw potential profits, 475 color photographs, illustrate the different styles uses, and patterns of glass beads that originated from or influenced the European industry. Phoenician, Celtic, Viking, Venetian, African, Bavarian, Bohemian, Dutch, French, and Russian styles that were made for symbolic, fashion, magic, and controversial uses are shown. Even today's foiled, flower, mosaic, pearl, bronze, and fancy beads are discussed and shown. As beads play an important role in ornamentation today, this book will be of interest to a wide circle of creative people. The price guide reveals the current collector's market for popular bead types.

Rhinestones (colored glass imitation gemstones) comprise the most popular form of jewelry. High-fashion as well as costume designers produce rhinestone jewelry, which has been an important fashion accessory in the West since the late 19th century. Today, great designs are avidly collected, boldly worn, and thoroughly enjoyed by people around the world. Nearly 300 color photographs display jewelry with rhinestones of many colors, shapes, and optical styles in a variety of visual effects. Updated values in the captions reflect the current market.

This second book by Nick Snider presents the popular collectible military sweetheart jewelry and collectibles that were so important to the home front during World War I and II. Over 200 color photographs, most of full-page size, display thousands of items of jewelry, banners, pillow covers, paper items and compacts, as well as special sections on the Seabee(Construction Batallion) and WASP(Women's Airforce Service Pilot) items. Experience the human side of warfare through appreciation of the patriotic items displayed herein.

Never before has the full history of Hatton Garden and its diamond and jewellery trade been revealed in such detail. Stories of individuals who made the community what it is today and events that are usually hidden from the public's eye have been compiled by one of the Garden's best-known jewellers, Vivian Watson FGA, who joined the family business in the 1960s, becoming the third generation of his family to work there. With a unique network of contacts, he has interviewed the great and the good. Richly illustrated from a private collection of hundreds of images and maps, this book will inform and entertain the reader on the secret world of diamonds and gems. Many will feel compelled to read it from cover to cover and others will enjoy dipping in and out.

Here is a magnificent presentation of the Mexican artisans and their creations displayed in 484 beautiful color photographs. The chapters present the master designers and silversmiths whose reputations have grown to international fame with an intimate look at one of the principal designers, H-ctor Aguilar, and the personnel at this workshop. Valentin Vidaurreta, Los Castillo, William Spratling, Antonio Pineda, Hubert Harmon, Enrique Ledesma, and many more craftsmen are represented by their exquisite designs.

Jewelry and decorative manufactured goods in Egyptian Revival style capitalized on public fascination resulting from the rediscovery of Egyptian monuments and artifacts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Museum exhibitions, movies, and political events popularized Egyptian architectural designs throughout the world. This is the first book of its kind to focus on revival consumer goods inspired by the ancient culture, including jewelry. Over 400 color photographs and line drawings depict beautiful examples with symbols and images of Egyptian design. Bold colors of natural pigments created the pallets that modern manufacturers used. Images of sylized insects, hieroglyphics, sphinx, royal symbols, and geometric patterns are explored. The manufacturers are introduced with pertinent information that collectors will reference. A chronology of Egyptian history identifies the kingdoms and their relevant styles. This should be an important reference for designers, historians, and ornamental collectors alike. The values with the captions reflect the market today, and the glossary and index are useful for all.