the 10 publications that connoisseurs should add to their bookshelves.
Hidden Gems: The 20th CenturyThis beautifully illustrated book by David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti, published by Acc Art Books, is divided into chapters spanning 20 years each. each looks at the key aspects of those decades and the elements that inspired them, including fashion and the economic, social and political events of the day. There are notes on all of the jewelry featured, putting the pieces into perspective and helping readers understand why each one was chosen. “Like the original work, we have treated the century from a chronological point of view. we think this helps people see how the era evolved,” say the authors.
Unearthed: Surprising Stories Behind the Gems The Smithsonian Institution’s collection of minerals and gems is one of the largest in the world. One of its main attractions is, of course, the Hope Diamond, which millions of visitors a year come to see at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. While the stunning beauty of the gems on display is what draws people in, the story behind them is just as fascinating, as a new book from the collection’s curator, Dr. jeffrey edward post, illustrates in beautiful detail. The Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection, Unearthed: Surprising Stories Behind the Gems focuses on the backstories of these glorious specimens, not only in their historical contexts, but also their former owners. tales of how the gems ended up in the museum inevitably intrigue visitors, whether they are tales of “romance, power, war, or enviable wealth,” the publication says.
You are reading: Jewelry coffee table books
andrew grima: the father of modern jewellery celebrating the life and career of the designer who helped spearhead the british modern jewelery movement of the 1960s and 1970s, book by william grant Andrew Grima: The Father of Modern Jewelery Jewelery (Acc Art Books) is the first major monograph on the master jeweller. As the husband of Grima’s second wife, JoJo, and stepfather to his daughter, Francesca, he had access to family history, as well as extensive archives. These included thousands of grima sketches, fine line pencil drawings, formal painted designs, plus photographs and records covering grima’s life span in jewelry. Grant commissioned the book, he says, at his wife’s request, to coincide with her late husband’s centenary in 2021. The result is a detailed and lavishly illustrated portrait of grima’s personal and professional life, showcasing the collections in evolution of the jeweler, from the 1940s until his death in 2007.
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Winged Beauty: Wallace Chan’s Butterfly Jewelry ArtBorn in 1956 in Fuzhou, China, jewelry artist Wallace Chan is as well known for his sculptural creations as he is for the tools and techniques you have developed to achieve your vision. Demonstrating both achievements, his unique bejeweled butterflies are the subject of a new book, Winged Beauty: The Art of Wallace Chan’s Butterfly Jewelry (Art Books Acc). In it, five jewelry experts—Melanie Grant, Vanessa Cron, Juliet Weir-de la Rochefoucauld, Emily Stoehrer, and Ming Liu—discuss his technical advances, as well as the art of these jeweled fantasies, and Chan’s creative process. illuminating the tome there are color photos that bring to life the beauty of the pieces of it.
cipullo: making modern jewelleryone of the most iconic jewels of the 20th century was designed as a modern symbol of eternal love, following the heartbreak of its creator. This design staple, a bracelet attached to the wearer’s wrist with a special screwdriver, could have been signed Tiffany & co. If the company had accepted Aldo Cipullo’s groundbreaking idea. Instead, Cartier New York seized on the concept, and the rest is history. The bracelet has been seen on celebrity wrists since its launch in 1969, and has since become a must-have item in the collection of any fashion-conscious woman or man. The beautifully illustrated and elegantly narrated coffee table book Buddy: Making Modern Jewelry (Assouline) shows that the designer’s creative range was much broader than this classic best-seller for which he became famous.
tadema gallery london: jewelry from the 1860s to 1960stadema gallery london is the brainchild of two professional photographers, husband and wife sonya and the late david newell-smith, who founded the store to showcase their love of art and its expression in jewelry. Now the gallery and the fabulous finds it stored over the years are the subject of a new book, Tadema Gallery London: Jewelery from the 1860s to 1960s (Arnoldsche Verlagsanstalt). Jewelry historian and co-author Beatriz Chadour-Sampson felt it was “hugely important that the history of such an important gallery be documented”. The resulting lavishly illustrated tome features not only beautiful jewelry, but also information on the periods represented, as well as details on featured pieces, such as close-ups of the maker’s marks.
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the soul of jewelryjewelry is “a work of art, which arises from the talent of its creator and the beauty of its stones”. Thus begins the prologue of the soul of jewelry (flammarion), a new book that continues to describe its subject as “an object of transformation, of social intercession and of power that speaks of seduction and adornment”, among many other things. Casting a wide net, the publisher has brought together an eclectic group of contributors whose expertise ranges from science to the arts and who provide thoughtful tangents to the traditional discussion of jewelry’s finer points. These collaborators include botanist Marc Jeanson, mineralogist Érik Gonthier, artist Joana Vasconcelos, architects Dominique Jakob and Brendan Macfarlane, auctioneer Benoît Repellin, senior curator and Art Deco specialist Évelyne Possémé, composer and pianist Karol Beffa. , the novelist carole martinez, the perfumer frédéric malle, the art historian charline coupeau, the journalist virginie mouzat, the specialist in french literature sophie pelletier, the main curator and specialist in asian art amin jaffer, the philosopher emanuele coccia and the photographer julia hetta.
Sapphire: A Celebration of ColorA member of the corundum gem family, sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness, making it possible to cut it into cameos and intaglios. its crystals are typically larger than those of a ruby or emerald, meaning the stone can be cut into large shapes for impressive jewelry. and occurs naturally in a variety of colors, from the deepest blue, green and gray to yellow, orange, pink and purple, notes gemologist and fine jewelry specialist joanna hardy in her new book, sapphire: a celebration Color (Thames & Hudson).Having addressed emerald and ruby in previous books, Hardy completes his “Big Three” gemstone trilogy with this informative tome. She spent 10 years traveling the world while writing the trio of books, and recently visited sapphire deposits in Madagascar, the largest producer of sapphires since they were discovered there in 1998, she notes.
grand bazaar stonesit is not only the legendary strait of the intoxicating Turkish city, the animal species and the local flowers that spark the imagination of the creative director of meváris fatma altınbaş. The author of this delightfully opulent book (Rizzoli) is also a cultural anthropologist and professor of sociology, and she applies these fields to her narrative. colorful interiors, highlighting how the beautifully crafted adornments she has known since childhood have found their way into her contemporary jewelry. “i am forever indebted to the historical legacy of istanbul for helping me define my own design aesthetic. my jewelry brand, meváris, was born out of love for this heritage,” she writes.
g: glenn spiro – the art of jewelry featuring original photography of his most iconic designs, gouache drawings, and personal stories from the industry legends who know him best, g: glenn spiro – the art of jewelry is a true hidden treasure. it will enlighten anyone unfamiliar with his work as to why glenn spiro is one of the best high jewelery designers of our generation. The creation of this book was a labor of love between the assouline publisher and spiro, who sees it as “a memory of the pieces I have made and the adventures I have lived.”
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