3 comments about Jeweler's Resource : A Reference of Gems, Metals, Formulas and Terminology for Jewelers (Revised Edition) (Jewelry Crafts) (Jewelry Crafts).

1. Whether you are a Professional Jeweler or a student this book has all the technical info you need...
   
   Alloys, Flux and Solders
   How long do you cut the band for a size 7 ring?
   
   Just loads of stuff!!! THE Jewelery Reference Book!



2. This is a must have for anyone at all interested in jewellery and its sidelines. The amount of information at hand is absolutely wonderful and does save a lot of precious time by having all the info so readily to hand.



3. Excellent content, a must have for the serious jeweler, student or craft person. Covers a multitude of areas not found in other books. This book should be at the top of anyones list that has an interest in making or designing 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.

2 comments about A World of Rings.

1. I'm afraid to say you did a confusion regarding your Editorial Review (book description) between A WORLD OF RINGS, and a new book, which is not yet published, from the same author Anne Van Cutsem: A WORLD OF EARRINGS (November 2001). These two books have of course two different subjects despite the fact they have the same author. Thank you in advance to make the appropriate corrections in your review section.



2. First, this book has a misleading title. "Rings of Africa and Asia" would be more accurate (the few pages of rings from America hardly seem worth mentioning). I purchased this book for the library in our college jewelry lab, hopefully to inspire students with the variety of rings created around the world and throughout history. It will be looked at and enjoyed I am sure, but I am still searching for a book that would show rings from the entire world and throughout history, ancient to present. Second, in order to read the descriptions of the rings pictured, one must flip to the back of the book for details. While this makes for a beautiful coffee table type book, with great photos and no print on the page to distract, it does make it difficult to use the book as a reference. Also, many of the descriptions leave out important information, such as dates. The best descriptions include details regarding the symbolic meaning of the designs or similar information; I would have liked to have seen more of this type of content. On the plus side (the reason I give it four stars and will buy a copy for my own library)... it is a beautiful book that does present a great variety of rings from the two continents. The large collection of ethnic rings are well photographed (all in color) and presented in an artistic fashion. For this alone, I feel it is worth its modest price and recommend it despite the shortcomings I mentioned above.

No comments about Warman's Jewelry Field Guide: Values and Identification (Warman's Field Guides).

5 comments about Costume Jewelry: A Practical Handbook & Value Guide.

1. I was very pleased with this book!! It covered many jewelry manufacturers that had not been mentioned in any other books. It's very useful to me. I sell vintage, high-quality costume jewelry. The only draw-back, and it is small, is that some of the black jewelry doesn't show as well as it would have on a lighter background. Great Job!!!
   Laura
   City Scavenger Vintage



2. Of all my jewelry reference books I own, I use this one the most. It has a wide range, good photos, practical information on the manufacture. I wish I could find one like it with current prices. It's great!



3. This book is one of the bes t for covering the different makers and I especially enjoyed the charts and guidelines for buyers.



4. This book provides a short introductory section on cleaning buying selling etc and then write ups on different jewelry companies. The introduction is good for people with little information about caring for jewelry: displaying, cleaning, storing and repairing. It is sometimes humorous, as when Rezazadeh describes the meticulous procedure he goes through to clean his jewelry and then recalls discovering that his wife cleaned her jewelry by scrubbing it with a tooth brush and then blow drying it. There is also a bit about apraising and the supply and demand at work. I doubt that this is a book for dealers, because they presumably already have good resources and knowledge.
   
   The body of the book has short entries on different jewelry companies. About a page is dedicated to each, but there are sometimes two to a page and sometimes four or five pages to a widely spread company. Each company gets a short write up and photo of some jewelry pieces. The photos are good, but obviously not full page. They are enough to oo and ah over. Each photo has a caption describing the jewelry and giving an estimate for price it would cost. Companies are grouped into European and imported depending on where they were located. There are also sections on unmarked jewelry. These are grouped by how they are made (enamel, Austrian crystal, plastic, etc.). Since there is no company these sections have more pictures to text.
   
   If you are into vintage including jewelry then this could be a fun book. Also if you design jewelry then the multitude of pictures here can be a good resource for ideas and inspiration. The pictures are the highlight of this book.



5. Overall, the commentary in this book in wonderful. But the photography leaves something to be desired. Some of the photos are too dark to be very beneficial in identifying the items.
   Many are just not up to the quality which one would expect in a publication of this topic. Where's the sparkle in the stones? Why is the metal so dull looking? I'm happy to have the book, but found the photography a big disappointment.

4 comments about Rhinestone Jewelry: A Price and Identification Guide.

1. I found the opening chapters of this book very informative. However, the section of pictures could use some organization. If there is a pattern to how the pictures are organized, I have yet to discern it. Very few if any dates are attributed so it's not organized chronological. Very few pieces are attributed to designers so that's not it either. Some pages seem to have a theme but are unrelated to the page immediately before or after. It seems like photos were grouped by what would fit on the page.
   
   Great information and the jewelry is very well photographed. If it were better organized, I'd absolutely love it.



2. Very informative book on rhinestone jewelry. I own every book in Leigh Leshner's collection and she leaves you wanting for more books to be published. Excellent samples of jewelry; beautiful photography and very informative on jewelry from this vintage. A must for the rhinestone collector.



3. I bought this book to supplement my collection for information on the jewelry I sell on my web site, Atlanta Vintage Jewelry. It's full of excellent pictures on black backgrounds that make the jewelry really stunning.
   
   There are not too many books out there that feature only rhinestone pieces so I found this book to be a great addition. I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in vintage rhinestone brooches or necklaces or earrings . . . or any vintage jewelry.
   
   Gail Gupton, Author: The 31-Day Diet of Spiritual Enlightenment and Seekers of Truth.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed Leigh Leshner's first book on vintage costume jewelry and feel this book is even better! Very well researched information, fascinating facts and, of course, gorgeous photos. I highly recommend this book to anybody who loves vintage costume jewelry, it will be a wonderful addition to your library!

5 comments about Tiffany Pearls.

1. A great reference book for those who love vintage jewelry and for those who make jewelry. I think this is the best pearl book and book on Tiffany jewelry there is.



2. We saw the Martha Stewart TV show when John Loring was a guest and immediately ordered his book.It is a wonderful addition to our library of precious gems. We highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in knowing more about pearls. [...]



3. Gorgeously illustrated, in-depth history of the spherical nacre form. It's a must read for anyone who has even entertained the idea of owning pearls, or for anyone who has inherited grandma's necklace.



4. Gorgeous photos! Enjoyed this beautiful survey,documentation of tiffany pearl jewelry designs very much.



5. THE most wonderful gift for that special woman in your life that loves pearls! Seduces you with breathtaking photos of collectable pieces & educates you about the history of pearls & how to care for them. Also stirs the imagination to create similar...
   I consult in an exclusive jewelry boutique, (The Jewelry Doctor/Vienna, VA) and am ordering my SECOND copy as one of our clients loved the book so much that I gave her my copy; mournfully, yet happily to see her love for it...
   You simply will not believe the high quality photos and the depth of the historical information provided by this author...a wonderful gift idea for the holidays! ~Shannon @ THE JEWELRY DOCTOR, Platinum & Diamond Boutique, 703.255.1330

1 comments about Copper Art Jewelry: A Different Luster.

1. This book covers the major designers of copper jewelry, Rebajes and Matisse/Renoir as well as some other less well known names. There are great full color photographs throughout with accompanying descriptions. It is an important addition to the wide range of jewelry books.

5 comments about Jade: 5000 B.C. to 1912 A.D., a Guide for Collectors (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Very nice book well ilustrated covering aspects of the jade stone through the History. I recommend it to those that are interested in this subject.



2. Gives you a sense of value for items you already own or want to purchase made of Jade. I found that the information was well organized and the photographs give you a sense of the detail of carvings. I strongly recommend it!



3. I just received as a gift a copy of this beautiful and informative book on jade. As a jade collector for many years, I was gratified to find similar pieces in the book to those I have. The author is very knowledgable and I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of jade carvings and particularly to those who own objects created from these beautiful and varied gemstones.
   
   The book now enjoys a prized location on my livingroom coffee table.



4. I found this book to be a comprehensive collection of images and information on jade. It was well organized and easy to read - I found Mr. Veleanu's writing style very comfortable yet knowledgeable! I know I will continue to reference it for many years to come.



5. I ordered this book hoping that it would attempt to provide a reference tool on authentication, dating and typology of jade for Western collectors. Such books exist in Chinese language, although they tend to be overly subjective, written by collectors, or narrowly academic, written by academics. There are also Chinese-language references for the general public that are simplistic and lacking in the most basic grounding in history and academic references.
   
   This turns out to be a highly subjective book by an amateur Western collector with little or no knowledge of the extensive bibliography on jade in Western languages, let alone Chinese. I am tempted to throw this book away. Almost all of the jade illustrated is fake or very crude, or misattributed (Liangzhu culture to Shang, for example). Here and there an interesting piece sneaks in but this author would not be able to identify it or tell the reader what makes it interesting.
   
   About the only redeeming feature of the book is an introduction in which Mr. Veleanu talks about his own life experience and how he came, quite late in life, to an interest in jade. I only hope that he applied more rigor to his studies of medicine than he does to his research on jade.
   
   Edith Terry
   Hong Kogn

1 comments about The Jeweled Menagerie: The World of Animals in Gems.

1. THE JEWELED MENAGERIE: THE WORLD OF ANIMALS IN GEMS provides a wealth of jeweled wonders from 19th century artists to survey world design developments through the 20th century. Animal jewelry and makers are profiled with a wealth of color photos and details that include both craftsmanship and historical reflection. Insights on jewelry makers and changing interests in how animals are represented in jewelry make for an inviting, revealing survey perfect for art collections strong in jewelry history and construction.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch