For more than 40 years, Parisian jeweller Lydia Courteille has been confounding the Place Vendome jewellery houses with her bold and brazen designs. Her unique and avant-garde style is legendary. Her collections spark the senses. In this impassioned new biography, Juliet Weir-de la Rochefoucauld takes us on a voyage around the world, sharing the stunning locations and famous women from whom Courteille draws inspiration. In the disposable world of 21st century consumerism, amidst the monotony of marketing algorithms and ceaseless production lines, Lydia Courteille has forged her own creative path, refusing to let the individuality of her work slip from her fingers. Her jewels crystalise memories, honour the dead, make powerful social statements, poke fun at modern absurdities, and transport us to the other side of the planet. Guided by an acclaimed author and jewellery expert, this colourful monograph renders her odysseys of creation and discovery in stunning visual detail.

Dickson Yewn is the quintessential modern-day literatus. His contemporary jewellery is a crystallisation of thousands of years of Chinese material history. Square rings rub shoulders with antique porcelain forms, shapes taken from Ming furniture and the geometric latticework found in Chinese architecture. Yewn focuses on these traditional Chinese motifs, but also understands the significance of different materials. Wood, one of the five elements in Chinese philosophy, is present in most of his collections. To wear a contemporary jewel by Dickson Yewn is to delve back into China's works of art and its history, blended with a contemporary twist. This new monograph of his work details the inspiration Yewn has drawn from the Imperial court, exploring its influence on the art of jewellery, from silks, embroidery, painting, architecture and cloisonne enamel to courtesan culture. Beautiful, detailed illustrations and photographs highlight Yewn's fealty to the artisanal techniques employed by the Imperial courts. Esteemed jewellery writer Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld invites the reader to explore the deeper symbolism behind Yewn's jewels.