6 Gorgeous Jewelry Books That Go Beyond Sparkle
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to jewelry. Get the big picture with our long-form deep dives into the ever-changing, everlasting jewelry biz.
Your jewelry library just got serious
Here's a tip: if you can't afford the jewelry you've been stalking, get a big book brimming with hundreds of pieces to satiate your appetite. It's worked for me. We feel the next best thing to that glittering thing is a tome with tributes to the world's most incredible gems. A jewelry book is also an ideal gift with quick shipping for the jewelry enthusiast in your life, hint hint. Take a screen break and devour the eye candy within these collectible books. (And call up your local bookstore and buy local if you can!)
The Get
Coveted by Melanie Grant, Luxury Editor of The Economist's sister publication 1843, is an in-depth look at the super "coveted" side of the jewelry industry. Over seventy-five designers and brands are featured, covering everything from their approach to concepts to choosing materials for one-of-a-kind and limited-edition jewels. It's for anyone that wants to sink their teeth into all sides of the jewelry industry, including current topics like women's empowerment for both designers and consumers. Of course, for the days you just want to look at something out of this world, it has plenty of fascinating images to marvel at.
Wild at Heart
Beautiful Creatures: Jewelry Inspired by the Animal Kingdom was supposed to be released earlier this year with an exhibition at New York's American Museum of Natural History. The exhibit is now slated to open in February 2021, but fans of sparkly creatures don't have to wait for the book overflowing with creations from the 1800s to today. The author, Marion Fasel, Jewelry Historian, Founder and Editorial Director of The Adventurine, breaks down the categories of Air (Butterflies to Dragonflies), Water (Fish to Crocodiles), and Land (Snakes to Panthers), offering insight on how and why these wild things were tamed and made into modern adornments.
History Buff
When it comes to fashion and jewelry, no matter how much we move forward, we can't stop looking back. In Jewels That Made History: 100 Stones, Myths, and Legends, by Town & Country Editor-in-Chief, ELLE Décor Editorial Director, and author, Stellene Volandes, highlights some of the most famous and not-so-famous pieces, passionately depicting their history. The first line in the book sets the tone: "This is not the history of jewelry. And it is not a history of the world. Rather this book is a highly opinionated chronicle of select moments where these forces collide." It's a page-turner explaining Napoleon's fascination with cameos to spotlighting Aldo Cipullo, the designer of the iconic Cartier "Love" bracelet.
Upper Crust
Royal jewels seem to always be part of historical jewelry conversations. Once Upon a Diamond by jewelry designer Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia is a lavish insider look into his family's love affair with jewels. Proving that England isn't the only place where royal jewels reign, this luscious book includes Italian, Greek, Belgian, Russian, and Yugoslavian royalty and their adornments in both photographs and illustrations.
Once Upon A Diamond: A Family Tradition of Royal Jewels by Prince Dimitri with Lavinia Branca Snyder
Natural Forms
Jewelry designer Silvia Furmanovich takes inspirational objects stemming from nature to create her magnificent pieces. Her book, Silvia Furmanovich: Nature, Art and Adornment, is a collection of her work with craftsmen worldwide, from an artisan who practices ancient wood marquetry in the Amazon to Indian masters of miniature painting. An album for those who appreciate the skills of the hands behind the adornments.
Silvia Furmanovich: Nature, Art and Adornment by Beatrice Del Favero, Introduction by Rachel Garrahan
Fantasia
Jewelry designer Victoire de Castellane has been at the helm of Dior Joaillerie since it began in 1998. Her whimsical taste melds with unimaginably magnificent jewels with fantasy and nature inspiring the collections. The book starts with a dictionary that takes you through the alphabet according to Dior. It consists of 158 words defined and each letter of the alphabet illustrated by Victoire, and over 300 images of her mesmerizing creations. It's an Alice in Wonderland meets Secret Garden picture book—the ideal gift for any sparkle chaser.
©Dior Joaillerie: The Dictionary of Victoire de Castellane by Victoire de Castellane with text by Olivier Gabet
Editor: Samantha Durbin
Market Editor: Johannah Masters
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