Hi everyone, I am looking for some good books featuring compilations
of jewelry pieces from different time periods (not instruction or
design how-to books, but simply books showing photos of jewelry).
I’m interested in books with good color photos if possible, but not
required if there is just a really great book. I’m wanting them
mainly for design elements/inspiration. None of my local bookstores
have anything similar to what I’m looking for and I’m afraid to just
purchase something and pay shipping without knowing whether it is
what I am looking for.
Does anyone have any favorite books they can recommend?
Carrie: I am an absolute junky for this kind of jewelry book. Here are
a few of my favorites–
"Adornment" by Michel Butor and Pierre-Alain
Ferrazzini, ISBN 0-500-01641-0
"The Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry" by France Borel and
John Bigelow Taylor, ISBM 0-500-01640-2
"Maharajas' Jewels" by Katherine Prior and John
Adamson, ISBN 0-86565-218-X
"Power and Gold" by Susan Rodgers and Pierre-Alain
Ferrazzini, ISBN 3-7913-0859-9
"Ethnic Jewellery" by John Mack, ISBN 0-7141-2515-6
"Contemporary American Jewelry Design" by Ettagale
Blauer, ISBN 0-442-00362-5
"Jewelry of Southeast Asia" by Anne Richter, ISBN
0-8109-3528-7
"Stone, Bone and Jade" by Donn Salt, ISBN 1 86953 110
8, which (to my knowledge) is only available from
http://www.newzealandbooks.co.nz
These are just a few of the many great books available. I hope my
list gets your search off to a good start. Happy book hunting!
Jeweled Bugs and Butterflies
Authors: Marilyn Nissenson and Susan Jonas
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (www.abramsbooks.com)
US: $29.95 (hardcover)
ISBN0-8109-3523-6
I picked up a copy at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC) bookstore
a while ago. It’s a lovely book with 127 excellent photos of pieces
ranging from antique Egyptian to ultramodern, on the motif of jeweled
insects (a favorite of mine).
Carrie-- Our local library has a book called “Rings through the ages” by Ann Ward that is a real favorite of mine. I don’t know
whether it is still in print… that’s what I love about libraries!
Good luck! --Noel
I can suggest a couple of other books for you. For European jewelry
from 1800-2000 there is “Understanding Jewellery” by Daniela
Mascetti and David Bennett, with great pictures and descriptions.
Also try “The Master Jewelers” edited by A. Kenneth Snowman. Hugh
Tait’s book, “7,000 Years of Jewellery” (already mentioned) is
indeed a great compilation of pieces from many cultures and eras.
Charlotte Gere, Vivienne Becker, Janet Zapata, Penny Proddow, Diana
Scarisbrick and Graham Hughes are others to examine…And of course,
there are lots of coffee table books about various famous retailers
like Cartier (great books by Judy Rudoe and Hans Nadelhoffer),
Tiffany, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, etc. Abebooks.com and Amazon.com and Alibris.com are all good resources with which to
search for jewelry books.
All, Since no one has mentioned it, I will share a little treasure
that I found at a used book store recently. THE RETAIL JEWELER’S
HANDBOOK by A .Selwyn, London, 1945. Published by Heywood and Company
Ltd. Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmiths. This book contains a
little over four hundred pages of text, 300 illustrations and ten
color plates of Some of the content is as follows; repair,
manufacturing, gemology, appraisal, design, hallmarking, window
display, law, and mining. There are copious illustrations of designs
from the pre world war II era and there are about fifty pages of
advertisements in the back, many of which illustrate designs from
that era. The most interesting aspect of this book is that nearly all
of its wisdom and technique is nearly just as applicable today as it
was over a half century ago ! Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA.