No comments about Art Nouveau Decorative Ironwork.

2 comments about Kenneth Jay Lane: Faking It.

1. I really like many of the designs that Kenneth J. Lane has produced over the years and loved having a reference book of all his different styles and periods. The prose is of a chatty style that I usually am not too fond of but Mr. Lane is so upbeat and aware of the good fortune that has blessed him that you can't help but like him. The photography is wonderful and it is fun to see photos of celebrities wearing his jewels. The book could have been stronger if it has an addendix of technical information about the creation of costume jewelry or had a reference as to current pricing of some of Mr. Lane's vintage pieces. But I had many a fun evening looking and reading and will definately keep this book available for several more readings.



2. This book has beautiful pictures, but not enough info & absolutely no help on figuring out values.

3 comments about Cameos: Classical to Costume (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. It definitely should have been better! Pictures and info lack any real knowledge of the subject, and often times just had wrong information. Very disappointed. A big book with little value to me.



2. Expectations of visual and historical information for this expensive book should be high. But exceptionally poor photography and lack of any rigorous understanding of the history of jewelry and design in the text from these authors rate this book a tepid two stars only. It should have been better, coming from this antique specialty publisher, since it is a facinating subject, and there isn't much available in print.



3. I have had this book for the past year and have been a cameo collector for 25 years and this is my favorite book of all my collectors books ,I use it nearly every day to chech things out or to just browse and wish.It is very informative and the pictures are clear .I highly recommend this book to any cameo collector ,

5 comments about Vintage Jewelry: A Price and Identification Guide, 1920 to 1940s.

1. This is a great early guide for those earlier pieces that you don't often see in the other costume/vintage jewelry guides and therefore often hard to tell what they are worth. This book has plenty of pot metal made pieces, white rhinestone pave pieces, and lots of dress and fur clips. This is not a guide for beginners in collecting. My only disappointment would be the same I have with other guides - I would love to see the back of pieces; maybe not all of them of course, but I think it lends to a great education for the serious collector who isn't the most knowledgeable yet - like me! :)



2. eBay is NOT the be all and end all for collectible jewelry. Half of the people list items as "Bakelite" for example when they don't even know what it is. eBay is NOT the place for serious collectors of vintage jewelry. Half the time you don't know what you are going to get due to uneducated buyers trying to cash in on the term "Bakelite". Any serious collector does not use eBay as a barometer for actual values of these beautiful collectible items. There is my two cents on the topic.



3. Without a doubt, one of the best books on this period of jewelry. I have all the books in Leigh Leshner's series and cannot rate them high enough. Brilliant photographs, excellent jewelry samples and wonderfully informative on jewelry from this period.



4. This book is one of the best books for illustrations of the white metal/rhinestone forms of jewelry. All the photos are of high quality and show the pieces well. I found the price advisories to be questionable because the values listed seemed very high for local auctions and dealers and WAY high for the eBay world. Perhaps this is because the publication was over 2 years ago so the prices are even older. All in all a nice book - just get a second opinion on any $ values.



5. The author has wisely given us 400 beautiful pictures of
   old white metal costume jewelry. Since so much is unsigned
   the pictures will make it easier to evaluate pot metal pieces.
   This is the first book devoted entirely to white metal and is
   in a class all of its own. The illustrations make this a
   "coffee table" book. The author establishes all the variables
   taken in when pricing. All the jewelry in the book is mint
   condition. In few words she also explains that the book is

   devoted to the beauty and value of the jewelry, minimizing the
   importance of signed pieces. Thank you Miss Leshner.

5 comments about Tiaras: Past and Present.

1. What a lovely book. The photos are absolutely superb. So clear. Love the photo's of the owners wearing them. Such a diverse range of designs. The skill of the designers & the jewellers who made them is just brilliant. If you love jewellery this book will not disappoint you.



2. Excellent adventure into an art form using precious metals and jewels to make the perfect man made crowning glory. The text and photos bring a historical context to enjoy the art and creativity this subject requires. The gems , the glitter and imagined glamour make this book a must have along with Geoffrey Munn's definative text published earlier "Tiara's : A History of Splendour" .



3. I was lucky enough to SEE the exhibition at Vic and Albert in London and that is where I got this book. Tiaras were absolutely fabulous and the book transportes the magic and splendor very well. I gave this book to a friend who owns antique jewellery shop and am thinking about getting another copy for myself.



4. Wow! I just got this book, and G.Mann's huge other tiara book. This one is based on the exhibit that was done at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and contains not only old tiaras, but modern ones done just for the exhibit. There is very little overlap between the two books, so I was not disappointed. The photos are huge, clear, and show lots of detail. There's also lots of good information. The other, bigger book is a better deal at $47, but this one's no slouch either, and the price and size would make it a great gift.
   
   [...]



5. I recived this book as a gift. It was one of two books on tiaras by G.C. Munn, this book gives you a look at what kind of Tiaras are being made and worn by todays Women. The Photos are of good quality and sharpness You can see the Craftmanship in each piece.
   If you ever wanted to have your own Tiara this is the closest thing to it.

2 comments about A World of Necklaces: Africa, Asia, Oceania, America.

1. In my opinion, this book was much larger than it really needed to be and therefore more expensive than it really needed to be. I felt like I was seeing some of the same pictures over and over again. I actually looked back a few times to make sure it wasn't the same necklace. The best necklace is actually pictured on the cover, which i guess would make sense. However, I was hoping for more necklaces as interesting as that one on the inside. Many are very nice and have excellent detail, but it actually got boring seeing so many similar items. I wish it would have contained less of the same stuff so that it could have been more reasonably priced. Overall it is a nice book (beautiful photography, nice paper and binding) as long as you don't mind spending that much money. After spending as much on the book as I did, I did not feel I got my money's worth. I can't imagine paying full price for the book. I expected much more for that price.



2. I got this book as a gift and loved it so much that I bought the others in the series (earrings, rings, bracelets). The photos are gorgeous, full-page color beauties and the detailed notes that correspond with each photo are easily found in the back section of the book (where they don't interfere with the photos). If you love jewelry and love learning about ethnic pieces, you'll enjoy this book.

2 comments about Antique Trader Jewelry Price Guide.

1. Antique Trader Jewelry Price Guide is a reference book featuring thousands of listings and hundreds of photos of jewelry of all styles. Featuring detailed overviews of every major type of jewelry produced in the past 200 years, Antique Trader Jewelry Price Guide is divided into four major sections, each relating to a different form of jewelry: Antique (1800-1920), Costume, Modern (1920-1960s), and Watches. Each jewelry listing has a short, clipped but descriptive listing and a price, often with a black-and-white photograph for additional clarity. There is also a limited selection of color photographs. Economical, practical, and easy to use, Antique Trader Jewelry Price Guide is a staple reference for any auctioneer, collector, or dealer in jewelry from the past two centuries. It is also an invaluable reference for theatrical costumers and historical fiction writers seeking detailed authenticity for their projects.



2. Brand new book featuring 304 pages with 400 nice black and white photos and a 16 page full color section. There is a useful introductory section describing the collectible. Each item description is quite detailed to help identify specific jewelry items. Major topics range from Antique (1800 to 1920) to Modern (1920 to 1960's). It is a very complete up-to-date guide that will be of interest and value to jewelry collectors.

No comments about The Wolfers Dynasty: From Art Noveau to Art Deco.

No comments about 20th Century Costume Jewelry 1900-1980 (20th Century Costume Jewelry).

4 comments about World of Bracelets.

1. As dealer and collector of ethnographic arts from Africa I've found this book invaluable. And Africa is but one of this volume's beautifully photographed sections. Tribal groups around the world have developed bracelets- the most basic of human adornments- in stunning variety to express their ethnic identity. Although brief on text this book covers a lot of ground in celebrating and identifying the diversity.



2. Over the past years one can see a rising amount of publications dedicated to tribal art (primitive / ethnographic art) in many different ways. Books which intention is a scientific one and books which would like to attract regular (not already attracted to tribal arts) readers.
   Even if the scientific books are something very helpfull for scholars, dealers, collectors and any other "hard core" enthusiats, the mostly doesn't attract general public too much.
   Books which are made for many people mostly lack certain important information or doesn't always give very accurate or exact descriptions like all of the books from this serie (World of Rings/Necklaces/Belts...).
   This sometimes inaccuracy and the little complicated way that you always have to go to the end of the book to read the captions belongig to the pictures is the biggest (if so, because it always depends very much on the reader) problem with this book
   BUT
   thats the only and for myself rather minor mistake.
   
   On the other hand if you look through the book (as well as the others) you have a marvellous/wonderfull/phantastic view on a world of wonders.
   Probably anybody will be surprised by the variations of a single theme. What people all over the world saw as a bracelet is sometimes unbelievable.
   The book shows excellent pictures of pieces in very high quality; everything in color and displayed in a very well designed way which attracts the eye a lot.
   
   Personally i think the most important thing is to SEE as much as possible (in quantity as well as in quality) which is very easily done with this book.
   There hasn't been any kind of publication in this way ever before, hence i reccomend that if you like ethnic jewellry you will like this book.
   
   Because of the problem mentioned above and the fact that if its called "world" of bracelets but leaves the Americas to a minimum (like the other books do as well - i would reccomend Mrs. Ghysels to collect a little more of the Americas) i can't rate it with 5 stars but with 4.



3. This is a gorgeous book that will delight and inspire. The photos are beautiful and the accompanying captions, located in the back of the book, provide a good background on each piece. I recommend this entire series very highly (bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces).



4. This is a breathtaking, beyond-beautiful book of ethnic bracelets. If you're a jewlery artist, you will gain a tremendous amount of inspiration from this coffee-table (NOT a how-to) book. I highly recommend it.