Jewelry books to read now

Jewelry books to warm up on winter days when it’s cold outside. There’s nothing like a book with gorgeous photos and a compelling narrative to warm a jewelry enthusiast’s heart when the temperature drops below freezing or when it’s raining or snowing outside. Here are some books to check out that came out late last year or early 2022.

If you are looking for a book on renaissance jewelry that is both quick to read yet informative and offers stunning depictions of jewelry from that era, then look no further. The ideal past: renaissance jewelry (Les Enluminures 2021) which accompanies a permanent exhibition of jewelery by 16 master goldsmiths who have worked in the revival style. The text encapsulates the movement with the expert knowledge we’ve come to expect from Les Enluminures founder Sandra Hindman and author and jewelry historian Beatriz Chadour-Sampson who have collaborated on numerous catalogs that accompany Les Enluminures jewelry exhibitions and are also autonomous. Says Sampson in his introduction to the book, “The present collection presents a unique take on the renaissance movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries, recounting the past through accomplished craftsmanship and extraordinary imagination.” The gems presented in the book and the exhibition touch on the medieval, Gothic Renaissance, archaeology, Etruscan, “Orientalism” and a hybrid of multiple influences.

The book delves into the work of the most important jewelers of the 19th century, including, but not limited to, Castellani, Giuliano, Falize, Wise and Froment-Meurice. Hinderman explains. “It is said that what differentiates the art of this region is that there is no style that can properly be called its own. We focus on how each piece of jewelry presents a unique and ideal past with a spirit of innovation which is itself a distinctive feature of the times.

You can order the book on lesenluminures.com

Buccellati (the multi-generational jewelry company born in Milan) has produced a jaw-dropping range of jewelry. Take for example the intricately designed gemstones and rings that were first handcrafted by Mario Buccellati when he opened the first boutique under his name in 1919. Upon his death, his son Gianmaria took over the business. business and brought his son, Andrea, and then Mario’s. great-granddaughter Lucrezia Buccellati also entered the business. Different generations continue to work in the style and tradition of Mario, creating pieces that appear to be spun in Italian and French gold lace and brocade and interwoven with small diamonds. But that’s just a small glimpse into the range and history of the legendary house.

Chez Buccellati: a century of timeless beauty (Assouline, December 10, 2021) with a text by Alba Cappellieri, a preface by Franco Cologni and an introduction by Vivienne Becker, the story follows that of Mario Buccellati, an apprentice jeweler, who started his own business to open his first boutique in Milan and how over a century and four generations, the famous Italian jewelry house has evolved and perfected its goldsmithing techniques. From European and Middle Eastern royals to popes and cardinals and global clientele, Mario has remained true to his craft, just as the generations that followed Gianmaria, Andrea and Lucrezia all added their own distinctive elements, but all in keeping with its engraving and carving. techniques of precious metals inspired by ancient Greece and the Italian Renaissance. . The text reveals the story of how each generation has brought the elegance and sophistication of the Buccellati brand into a modern context and illustrates the story with stunning photos that illustrate and help represent the Buccellati legacy that continues. still today.

Dream Tiara, Dreaming of Tiaras (Rizzoli, March 2022) is one of the most engaging and enchanting books I have had the pleasure of reading. It not only transports me to the famous world of Chaumet and its most iconic tiaras, but it takes me back to my youth and the days of pop-up books, fairy tales and the fulfillment of fantasies through storytelling. imaginative. Author Michèle Gazier and illustrator Kristjana S. Williams have captured the hypnotic quality of Chaumet’s most famous tiaras and the women who wear them in a three-dimensional “jewelry-lover” pop-up book, accompanied by ten stories which allow you to “travel in space”. and time: strolling strolling in the Malmaison garden with Napoleon and Joséphine; partying during the Roaring Twenties; stroll in the shade of Japanese cherry blossoms; or dancing on a rooftop in contemporary Shanghai.

It’s a refreshing change from the more academic tomes and large coffee table books that offer a wealth of information and jaw-dropping photos but take a while to read and don’t offer the magical world of books we grew up on, mesmerized and educated on. at the same time. It’s a treasure trove and a fine accompaniment to the more detailed books written about the legendary 240-year-old jewelry house.

Every year the legendary Roman house of Bulgari creates a new high jewelry collection and in recent years the house has been involved in high design books. The history of Bulgari, its beginnings, its know-how and its famous customers have been recorded in many books and articles. However, in each book of the last three years that we have reviewed, there has been a new twist to the story, a different way of exploring the famous and modern jewels of the famous house. Bulgari Magnifica: the power of women (Rizzoli, December 2021) not only presents the most complex collection to date and is a tribute to women – house muses – writers, artists, entrepreneurs, activists and storytellers all bring the collection to life – in which creative director Lucia Silvestri, explains the jewels that were “created by women for women”. The book is edited by Tina Leung with texts by Amanda Nguyen and Lucia Silvestri, Mia Moretti and Noor Tagouri. It is divided into three sections “Head”, “Heart” and “Hands”.

“Head” focuses on what Bulgari calls the muses who helped shape a new perception of women based on their courage to cross boundaries, the resilience to survive struggles, and the talent and vision to think outside the box and creating new standards as they reinvent the future.

“Heart is an ode to the sublime and stunning gemstones that Bulgari sources from around the world, gemstones that inspire jewelry and are the vibrant heart of the collection.

“Hands” pays tribute to artisans, to jewelers who create unique, rich and diverse works of art, which sometimes took thousands of hours and sometimes years to complete.

This is a collector’s book that merges the intellectual with the emotional, innovation with old word techniques, and explores new masterpieces of jewelry that represent the revolutionary and evolving house.