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 There is also an exclusive insight into six major private collections, including previously unpublished pieces.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.

An alluring dreambook and informative handbook for collectors of plastic bangle bracelets, illustrated with rare and common pieces in a profusion of colors and styles. Gorgeous spreads arranged by designs and techniques introduce the reader to the unexpected riches of this collecting field. 415 color photos showcase thousands of bangles.\nToday, when Bakelite and celluloid are snapped up at ever higher prices, many collectors turn to brighter, more playful, and more affordable plastic jewelry from the second half of the 20th century. Until now, collectors of Lucite and other plastic bangles had no information about these attractive collectibles.\nChapters cover the identification of plastics, techniques, designers, manufacturers, fakes and knock-offs, and collectible plastics of the future. All have current market value ranges.

This book was written for the novice. It contains good basic information any collector or dealer should know with over 500 beautiful color photographs of costume jewelry designed by nearly 100 designers. ABCs of Costume Jewelry will inspire a novice collector and new or small dealer, and increase knowledge of this fun-filled specialty field. Its non-technical terms and many illustrations derive from the authors' extensive experiences, both good and bad. It is written to improve your ability to recognize, value, purchase, collect, display, and clean your collection or inventory. After reading this book, if you make just one knowledgeable purchase, or avoid a bad one, you will more than cover the cost of your investment.

This comprehensive guide fills a critical void in the available literature regarding ancient finger rings comprised of base metals and low grade silver alloy. Increasingly, these modest relics of times past are being unearthed and sold through a growing assortment of worldwide venues. Unfortunately, the accompanying descriptions are often inaccurate and unreliable in the extreme. To date, the available reference material for researchers and collectors has been almost entirely restricted to the historic and "high end" pieces of the past, i.e., the gold and precious stones of royalty and the very wealthy. The public has had next to nothing with which to evaluate these common rings. This guide not only examines the physical structure of these pieces, but also the images and symbols which are such important elements of these ancient artifacts. As such, this book is an invaluable guide not only for merchants and collectors, but also researchers, students and educators regarding the types of ancient rings so conspicuously missing in the available literature.

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.

From the formal carvings of the nineteenth century to the colorful and informal plastic and glass examples of molded relief jewelry, this revised and expanded guide is the perfect reference for those on a search for cameos. Fourteen new designs are included in vibrant detail, along with values and tips that will assist today's shopper with appropriate cameo choice befitting their tastes and styles. See shell, stone, plastic, ivory, lava, glass, plastics, and metal cameos used in jewelry and ornamental objects. They were produced by inspired artists in fine detail using old-world crafting and are displayed here in full color. An excellent pocket guide reference for collectors or anyone who appreciates the simplicity and beauty of cameo designs.

Bakelite jewelry was popular during The Depression because it was decorative, fun, and very affordable. Today, it is sought after and worn for the same reasons-except its affordability is rapidly changing. This book is designed to show off an extraordinary variety of this wonderfully colorful, always appealing, and sometimes startling jewelry, along with a sample of other objects through 420 color photos. It shows how to rate quality-good, better, best-and answers the many questions asked about Bakelite, from dealers' secrets to historical facts. The photos, the detailed information, and the indispensable price guide will provide beginner and connoisseur collector alike with all that is needed in the hunt for Bakelite.

This is the second volume of the definitive reference series dealing with commercial bronze sculptures in the period 1800 to 1930. This period spans the rise and decline of commercial industrial foundries in Europe, especially in France, and a wide array of international sculptors. Together, they produced millions of fine statuettes for the general public. Volume 2 includes 1025 photographs of sculptures on 272 pages with a numbered list of the sculpture categories and an essay on early twentieth-century sculptural styles by Tom Tomc of Chicago. It incorporates lists of the sculptors whose work is shown, the founders represented, and 58 different founders' seals. The photographs are remarkably clear enabeling small details in the scuptures to be visible. With this reference series, collectors will be able to identify many of the old commercial bronzes found on the market today.

All of the beautiful American Indian jewelry shown in this book was actually for sale when the photographs were taken with the prices and ranges noted with each caption. Therefore, it will be useful to all enthusiasts of Indian arts, because it shows hundreds of pieces that are really available on today's marketplace. The 336 beautiful color photographs demonstrate the excellent craftsmanship in the jewelry and the text presents the variations of style to be exciting. Collectors, dealers, historians and travelers to the Southwest all will enjoy the concise and informative text and visual pleasure this book presents.

The lively and innovative jewelry of this era is presented in thousands of examples, including costume and semi-precious pieces with identifying text. This second edition includes many new pieces along with current market values. Organized by styles and materials, the book presents rhinestones to pearls, plastics, and various metals to aid collectors and dealers in identifying their items. Also, period advertising features the jewelry and adds a graphic sense of the clothing styles with which the jewelry was originally worn.

This encyclopedic study is the fruit of twenty years of collecting, research, and study of the most significant American costume jewelry from 1930-1950. It offers readers a meticulous, reliable instrument to knowing these gems, which are often true and proper little works of art. In the two volumes, over 966 photographs show hundreds of jewelry items in full color, with an additional 729 illustrations of patents, advertisements, and historic photos. Thirty-seven companies are included, with addtional chapters on "jelly belly" jewelry and patriotic jewelry in the second volume. In-depth research of the companies makes this the best source on the American costume jewelry industry. The first volume, A-M, covers the companies from Accessocraft to Mosell, and includes Boucher, Coro, Eisenberg, Miriam Haskell, Hobe and others. The second volume N-Z, continues with Norma Jewelry Corp., through Rebajes, RA (c)ja, Trifari, to Uncas Manufacturing, with chapters on jelly belly jewelry and American patriotic jewelry.

This newly revised book presents the beautiful jewelry of the prolific Zuni Indians of New Mexico, who are known the world over for their distinctive designs. From stone, shell, inlay, and silver, Zuni craftsmen have been developing jewelry forms for more than 125 years. Contemporary makers both reflect the traditional designs and explore new styles, all shown here with many examples. The lovely inlay work for which the Zuni are world famous is shown in all of its popular forms for men and women. 90 brilliant color photographs present hundreds of carefully chosen jewelry forms with a brand new price guide to tempt and delight collectors all over Europe and America. The modern artists are identified and credited with the skillful techniques that produce such exquisite jewelry.

Decorative art created to memorialize and commemorate death has been a part of Western culture for centuries. Extraordinarily beautiful examples of mourning art and memorial jewelry for members of royalty and the aristocracy date back to the 16th century in England and Europe. Medieval references to commemorative art predate even the extant pieces now in museums. During the Georgian and Victorian eras, outstanding pieces of mourning jewelry and artwork were found in a majority of homes in America, Britain, and Europe. Without being morbid or macabre, this book provides a fascinating text about mourning practices and historical influences that shaped individual and cultural perspectives surrounding death in the 18th and 19th centuries. During these centuries, memorial art reached its zenith in artistic beauty and some of the finest examples from collections in America, England, France, Germany, and Switzerland are featured here. Over 500 color photos display jewelry, portrait miniatures, pottery and glassware, paintings and sculpture, posthumous photographs, hair-work memorials, and more. Current values are provided in the captions. Historians, dealers, and collectors alike will find this book an excellent resource for Victoriana, Georgian and Victorian memorial arts, and antique jewelry, subjects never before treated together in a single volume.

The American Arts and Crafts Movement flourished briefly but brilliantly during the early years of the twentieth century. It was during this era that the Heintz Art Metal Shop and its successor the Smith Metal Arts Company (Silver Crest) produced decorative bronze wares of the highest quality. Today's avid interest in Arts and Crafts furnishings and accessories has collectors searching for examples made by these two firms. This book provides collectors and dealers alike with a pictorial panorama of such Heintz and Silver Crest items as bowls, jewelry, trophies, vases, and desk pieces, as well as essential data regarding value, rarity, maker's marks, and company histories.

"Collecting antique jewelry can bring you endless hours of enjoyment, for it not only satisfies a love of days gone by but also brings a yearning to learn more about other times and places. The collector shows a desire to be unique in setting, rather than following, fashion trends." Roseann Ettinger's book reads like a treasure hunt. In six chapters, she takes the reader on a tour of antique jewelry from the 1840s to the 1940s, covering the Victorian era through Art Nouveau, Transitional, and Art Deco. Fascinating details on various pieces, their origins, and their makers make the jewelry come alive. Beautifully arranged full-color photographs of cameos, hair combs, hat pins, necklaces, buckles, chokers, lockets, and many other pieces handsomely complement the text. Popular Jewelry aids the reader in identifying period jewelry and the materials used in their manufacture. It also provides invaluable information for the novice collector who cannot always tell a genuine antique from a copy. The effects of history, culture, and materials on jewelry, and the effects of jewelry on culture, are intricately interwoven. An updated price guide and index are included.

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.

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!

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.

Tortoiseshell, derived from marine turtles, has been used in decorative work for thousands of years. It featured in trade with, amongst others, the Babylonians and the Romans. In Europe it was used for furniture veneer in the seventeenth century, while in Polynesia it was used for personal adornment although turtles were viewed as sacred. Today it is important to be able to recognise tortoiseshell as all marine turtles are protected species and subject to global trade bans. This book covers the historical use of tortoiseshell in various parts of the world; how tortoiseshell artefacts were made, from moulding to pique work; turtles species, their habitats, and their conservation status today; the identification of tortoiseshell, and how to distinguish it from imitations, notably horn or the early plastics such as celluloid; testing methods , both simple and advanced and finally, information on laws and regulatory bodies. This is the only book that covers tortoiseshell from all aspects.

Jewelry was worn by ancient Egyptians at every level of society and, like their modern descendants, they prized it for its aesthetic value, as a way to adorn and beautify the body. It was also a conspicuous signifier of wealth, status, and power. But jewelry in ancient Egypt served another fundamental purpose: its wearers saw it as a means to absorb positive magical and divine powers-to protect the living, and the dead, from the malignant forces of the unseen. The types of metals or stones used by craftsmen were magically important, as were the colors of the materials, and the exact positioning of all the elements in a design. Ancient Egyptian Jewelry: 50 Masterpieces of Art and Design draws on the exquisite collections in the archaeological museums of Cairo to tell the story of three thousand years of jewelry-making, from simple amulets to complex ritual jewelry to the spells that protected the king in life and assisted his journey to the Otherworld in death. Gold, silver, carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli were just some of the precious materials used in many of the pieces, and this stunningly illustrated book beautifully showcases the colors and exceptional artistry and accomplishment that make ancient Egyptian jewelry so dazzling to this day.

This is the third volume of the definitive reference series dealing with commercial bronze sculptures in the period 1800 to 1930. This period spans the rise and decline of commercial industrial foundries in Europe, especially in France, and a wide array of international sculptors. Together, they produced millions of fine statuettes for the general public. Volume 3 includes 1315 photographs of sculptures on 320 pages with information on the Hirsch Foundry of Paris and Brooklyn, New York. It incorporates lists of the sculptors whose work is shown, the founders represented, and 21 different founders' seals. The photographs are remarkably clear enabeling small details in the sculptures to be visible. With this reference series, collectors will be able to identify many of the old commercial bronzes found on the market today.

In the 1960s and '70s, the fabulously versatile jewelry and fashion accessories from Sarah Coventry, Inc. were known as the "Finished Look of Fashion." These "simply chic" pieces were sold through in-home fashion shows, worn by stars and models, and advertised though TV, movies, and popular magazines coast to coast. With over 400 stunning color photos of jewelry and accessories, this exciting book rediscovers the still popular and highly collectible fine fashion lines from Sarah Coventry. Included are beautifully displayed bracelets, pierced and clip earrings, pins, pendants, necklaces, rings, belts, packaging and much more, along with company history, original catalog pages and advertisements, and both retail and current values. This essential guide to Sarah Coventry's "jewelry with know-how" will appeal to collectors, dealers, and all who admire costume jewelry.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of elegance and extravagance for Russia's ruling tsars and the wealthy families with whom they were linked by marriage, and nowhere are these tastes more apparent than in the imperial jewels. Stefano Papi uncovers the fascinating stories behind the jewels and the people who wore them. The revised edition has 48 more pages than the first and includes some 50 additional images of jewels as well as contextual photographs.