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.

A stylish and beautifully crafted celebration of LV's Tambour watch, a masterpiece of modern design and technical innovation. Published to mark the twentieth anniversary of Louis Vuitton's entrance into the field of luxury watchmaking, this landmark volume tells the audacious tale of the Maison's renowned Tambour watches. With the goal of creating uniquely stylish timepieces, yet not succumbing to ephemeral fashion, the Maison brought together the most skilled craftspeople in the Swiss tradition of fine watchmaking to work at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Geneva watchmakers behind the brand's reputation for excellence. In a display of creative freedom matched only by the Maison's own glamour and dynamic drive, Louis Vuitton launched the Tambour watch in 2002, which became the triumphant result of this distinctive approach. Essays by journalist and luxury watch expert Fabienne Reybaud explore the creative origins of the Tambour design and the history of Louis Vuitton watches, along with the precision work of La Fabrique du Temps. A catalogue of major models and exclusive insights from watch specialists make this a useful resource for collectors and connoisseurs. With more than 350 illustrations and a lavish design, this book is a beautiful object in its own right, for all lovers of luxury accessories and the Louis Vuitton lifestyle.

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.

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

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.

"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.

Open this book to find 3,200 glittering jewelry items distributed by Avon Products, Inc. from 1965 to 2006. It is an almost complete record of the company's production. Read the authority's guide to identifying each design by its official name and date of release, based on the original company brochures, along with current market values. Then go to your jewelry box and see your collection in a different light; now you, too, can become an authority. Learn how the Avon company evolved since 1886. The jewelry line began in 1965 and grew, through original designs and direct marketing home parties, into a giant with about 250 new designs each year. Avon packaging is also an important part of the jewelry's success, and here you will see all the variations that are so desirable among collectors today. Some of the original box styles may even inspire designers today to "think outside the box." This comprehensive new book will become the standard reference for Avon jewelry because it is handsome, complete, and wholly accurate. What more could a jewelry lover want?

Newly published in a fifth edition, this definitive guide takes the mystery out of appreciating, buying and selling gemstones. It covers everything from the romance and history of more than 1,800 gemstones to their geographic locations; scientific, physical and colour properties; and the way they are formed, structured and mined. The book also fully covers the optical features of gems - light and colour, luminescence, refraction and inclusions - and key information about the densities and chemical elements of each stone, with fascinating details on different cuts, polishing, gems, hardness, cleavage, classification, trade names, rarity and more. There are also many charts and diagrams as well as magnificent colour photographs of the stones with data about them on the facing page. If you want only one book on gemstones in your library, this would be the one!

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.

Newly Updated and Expanded

Critical and up-to-the-minute information for the novice, advanced collector, jewelry dealer, curator and appraiser for all who buy and sell cameos, or who are just fascinated by them.

Antiques Roadshow Book Club Selection

Since ancient times, cameo making has allowed artists of every era to capture and reflect on the history, literature and lore of their culture. Today, the allure of finely carved cameos is drawing a new generation of both savvy collectors and gifted artists who are captivated by their transcendental elegance.

This first and only comprehensive reference guide offers valuable information on: Where to successfully hunt for cameos How to separate old from new, imitation and newer synthetic materials from original shell and stone cameos How to differentiate between ultrasonically produced and hand-carved cameos

Richly illustrated with many new cameo photographs, this new edition will facilitate the recognition and evaluation of quality in cameos and increase your confidence in buying and selling cameos with: Key factors for defining value Information on how to buy cameos from retailers and antique dealers, via the Internet or at auction A clear explanation of The MasterValuer Program of Quality Ranking that serves as a vital guide for use when evaluating cameos An extensive review of outstanding contemporary cameo artists throughout the world, their style, subject matter, unique and identifiable techniques, contact information and more

The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, holds stunning examples of jewellery and metalwork from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This exceptional period of design covers the neo-Gothic and historicist designs of the mid- to late nineteenth century, the groundbreaking work of British Arts & Crafts designers, sinuous curves influenced by the European Art Nouveau movement and the structural modernity of the 1930s. The collection contains jewellery by some of the finest historicist designers, including the Castellani and Giuliano families and John Brogden, as well as a spectacular decanter by William Burges. There are important pieces of jewellery and silver by the most famous of Arts & Crafts designers, including C.R. Ashbee, Henry Wilson, Gilbert Marks and John Paul Cooper. Unique pieces designed by the artist Charles Ricketts hold a special place in the history of queer art in Britain, having been designed for his friends Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper, a couple known collectively as Michael Field. Modernist silver is represented by leaders of the field Omar Ramsden and H.G. Murphy. This beautifully illustrated volume reproduces 70 of the Museum's most important pieces from this period, many previously unpublished, with comparative illustrations of some of the original designs. Importantly, the book is arranged chronologically by designer and includes biographies, a description of their work and how it changed over time, as well as commentary about the specific works in the Museum's collection. The resulting book therefore brings together for the first time the Fitzwilliam's exceptionally fine holdings of jewellery and metalwork from this highly popular and fruitful period of design.

As entertaining as it is incisive, Stoned is a raucous journey through the history of human desire for what is rare, and therefore precious. What makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet beautiful things? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire. What moves the world is what moves each of us: desire. Jewelry-which has long served as a stand-in for wealth and power, glamor and success-has birthed cultural movements, launched political dynasties, and started wars. Masterfully weaving together pop science and history, Stoned breaks history into three categories-Want, Take, and Have-and explains what the diamond on your finger has to do with the GI Bill, why green-tinted jewelry has been exalted by so many cultures, why the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch were initially considered a fair trade, and how the French Revolution started over a coveted necklace. Studded with lively personalities and fascinating details, Stoned tells the remarkable story of our abiding desire for the rare and extraordinary.

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.

Diamonds tell stories that are captivating and timeless. On the one hand, they are just stones, pieces of pure carbon with optical properties that make them glitter and sparkle like stars. On the other, they are mystical entities hypnotically drawing the viewer into a time machine as it were, wherein a cinematic montage of their journey unfolds. Diamonds Across Time presents a sweeping overview of diamonds across time and space, featuring ten essays by world-renowned scholars in love the stone. Here, these authors present new discoveries; explore extraordinary collections; investigate histories, science, and trade; the nature of diamonds; legendary gems, jewellery collections, and great designers. Above all, they tell the human stories that underpin the adoration of diamonds. Diamonds Across Time is a richly illustrated publication with high-quality images of gems and jewels, archival documents, rare drawings, and fabulous photographs. The volume places diamonds in the context of the time in which they were discovered, and on the political, social, and cultural stage on which their histories were etched. In a rapidly changing world, diamonds are eternal. They were created by nature and grew in the womb of the earth. They tell stories, and they record history. With this book, diamonds will finally have their own storytellers. The book was compiled and edited by the World Diamond Museum's chief curator and world-renowned jewellery expert Dr. Usha R Balakrishnan. She and nine other distinguished authors wrote ten monographs written in the order in appearance: Introduction; The Nizam Diamond: Bala Koh-i-Noor, in the Sacred Trust of the Nizam of Hyderabad - Usha R. Balakrishnan; Diamonds of the French Crown Jewels: Between East and West - Francois Farges; A Concise History of Diamonds from Borneo - Derek J. Content; Indian Diamonds and the Portuguese Duriing the Rise of the Mughal Empire - Hugo Miguel Crespo; Two Large Diamonds from India - Jack Ogden The Romanov Diamonds: History of Splendour - Stefano Papi; The Londonderry Jewels, 1819-1959 - Diana Scarisbrick; Dress to Impress in Southeast Asia - Rene Brus; Powerful Women, Important Diamonds - Ruth Peltason; One in Ten Thousand: The Unique World of Coloured Diamonds - John M. King.

Costume jewellery is commonly understood to mean fashionable yet affordable adornments made from non-precious material. Originating in in mid-1700s France with the rise of the bourgeoise, the earliest 'costume jewellery' mimicked fine jewellery styles. Since then, costume jewellery has always been evolving. From Victorian sentimentalism to the mass-produced ornaments available today, costume jewellery has developed into an artform in its own right. An encyclopaedic study of its history is long overdue. Flush with expert information, identification tips and historical anecdotes, Adorning Fashion explores the development of costume jewellery across the past four centuries. The styles of each era - Victorian, Edwardian, Arts & Crafts, Jugenstil, Art Nouveau, and each decade of the twentieth century - are given individual attention. Production methods are also explained in depth. Alloys and gilded electroplating can mimic silver and gold, while the refraction index of treated glass can, to the untrained eye, be mistaken for diamond. Adorning Fashion discusses the contributions of a remarkable roster of designers and innovators, including Kokichi Mikimoto, Arthur L. Liberty, Carlo Giuliano, Rene Lalique, Elizabeth Bonte, the Castellani brothers, Jean Fouquet, Jean Despres, Fulco di Verdura, Jean Schlumberger, Salvador Dali, Miriam Haskell, Lina Baretti, Countess Cissy Zoltowska, Line Vautrin, Kenneth Jay Lane, Francisco Rebajes, Diane Love, Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Paco Rabanne, Yves Saint Laurent, Napier, Haskell, Trifari, Brania, Bulgari, Versace and more.

Sapphire is the third and final instalment in Thames & Hudson's showstopping series on coloured gemstones, created by Violette Editions. A feast for all the senses, the book features page after page of exquisite sapphire jewels and artefacts from the 4th century BC to the present day, interspersed with text exploring the history of this beautiful gemstone and its enduring popularity with style icons, past and present. Joanna Hardy, the highly regarded jewelry and gemstone expert, reviews the sapphire's history with captivating stories told in a succinct exhilarating style. She takes the reader on a journey from early trade along the Silk Route and the creation of medieval talismans, to the jewelry collections of the great royal houses of Europe and the finest designers at work today. Along the way, she showcases spectacular jewels worn by many notable figures, including Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Windsor, as well as pieces by such iconic jewelry houses as Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet and Tiffany. A selection of work by 21st-century jewelry designers such as Shaun Leane, Hemmerle, Lauren Adriana, Bina Goenka and Mish is featured. There is also an exclusive insight into six major private collections, including previously unpublished pieces. With its rich, royal-blue silk cover and gold-foil blocking, Sapphire is a beautiful addition to any gem-lover's library.