1 comments about Practical Jewellery Repair.

1. I'll update this once I receive "Practical Jewlery Repair", but wanted to point out that professional jewlery websites have this item selling for well over $40, so the savings is actually higher than noted on this web page - it's currently list price $35. It covers the techniques of soldering, casting, wire-drawing, polishing, sawing and filing, among others. Note that it's not designed for the string-and-beads jewlery maker, unless s/he is also interested in metal/gem jewlery making or is looking for techniques that can be carried over.

No comments about Catalogue of the Byzantine and Early Mediaeval Antiquities in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection, 2, Jewelry, Enamels, and Art of the Migration (Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection).

5 comments about Queens' Jewels.

1. This magnificent book is so finely put together. The information is fascinating and the extraordinary photos are printed with such high quality. The author has created a work of art in itself.



2. Hi
   I'd be interested to know which typos, grammar errors and careless proofreading you found in Queens' Jewels.



3. A feast for the eyes, of course, but so many typos, grammatical errors, and careless proofreading should never be permitted by any publisher, much less one with such a distinguished subject. Were there no editors?



4. This Vincent Meylan's "Queens' Jewels" makes an interesting read. It did a good job on the English aristocracy/monarchy. The same applied to the French, the Scandinavian, and the Russian overlords. Its chapters were well-grouped and well-sectioned: thus making it easy for readers to select whatever interests them with great ease.
   Sadly, little effort was made as to improve the quality of the included photographs. Also, some of the information which Mr. Meylan presented were flawed. And, the details of some royal treasures, (particularly those of Italy, Austro-Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal) were scanty.
   Overall, this is a good book (if one ignores its pardonable errors and omissions).



5. The paper used to print this book is of better quality thant the text. The "research" Mr. Meylan has made, at least in the case of Spain, is simply inaccurate. On the other hand the book doesn't make any reference to such important treasures as those of the Dutch and Portuguese Queens. Finally, the quality of the photos is poor in many cases.

No comments about Costume Jewelry in Vogue.

No comments about Cartier Design Viewed.

No comments about Fine Fashion Jewelry from Sarah Coventry (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

4 comments about Christmas Jewelry, Second Edition.

1. If you are going garage sale shopping, this book will fit in your tote and provide immediate information. Ms. Morrison does a good job of organizing alphabetically by designer, and she takes the time to warn about copies, particularly the Weiss tree pins. She also has a theme section with pointsettia pins, candles, reindeer, etc. I really like the cover where she lays a selection of her pins on a piece of Christmas fabric. I do find the print of the captions very small, even wearing my glasses, no doubt an accommodation for the size of the book. I also sometimes have trouble deciding which pin among three or four she is describing. Each is noted in the text with a letter of the alphabet, but there's no letter on the picture. I would also recommend that in her next edition, her husband not photograph any pins on dark paper backgrounds. In several instances, a dark burgundy or sapphire paper makes it impossible to see the details of the pin.



2. Mary Morrison has put together a wonderful array of some of the best costume Christmas jewelry out there! A good range of the inexpensive and available to the rare and most desirable pieces with reasonable prices that reflect the market of the time the book was published. If you only get one book on this collecting area, this is the one to get



3. I love this book! I am a beginning collector and this book has inspired me. The research is thorough, and it is great to finally know the story behind the pins I already have.



4. Christmas Jewelry by Mary Morrison is the very best book currently available concentrating on costume Christmas jewelry. The photography is excellent, allowing you to clearly see the details in each pin. Mary's descriptions with each photo are informative and interesting. It's size is very convenient for carrying to shops and shows. It is extremely easy to use. The variety of pins shown is staggering; as a Christmas tree pin collector with over 100 pins, my only disappointment with this book is that it is not a catalog where I can place orders!

1 comments about Bernd Munsteiner: Reflexionen in Stein / Reflections in Stone.

1. This is a book for all those who facet stones and love gemstones in jewellery. This man Bernd is the personification of excellence....the Michaelangelo of the gem crystal.He took what other stone faceters call inclusions and turned them from a negative feature that detracts from the stones value to a positive feature that enhances and gives personality, value and historical context to the gemstone. In the age of synthetic gemstones Bernd Munsteiner has made inclusions the gem buyers friend and moved gems from jewellery to art gallery. A fantastic book for gemmologists, jewellers, faceters and all rock and crystal hounds. The book is well written with amazingly clear and accurate photos and good history of both Bernd and his talented artistic family.Buy this book.

3 comments about Art Nouveau and Art Deco Jewelry: An Identification and Value Guide.

1. While this book might be of some use to an antiques dealer, the photos are much to small and of to poor a quality to be of any use to a student of jewelry. I was very disappointed.



2. I think that this author had a lot of good information, but needed better help from an editor in organizing and presenting it.

   The first section is disorganized and hard to follow. It was intended to cover the "inspirational forces" for Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelry (people, places, ideas, and events) but the way it was presented made the information not very valuable, at least to me.

   One thing I learned---while I knew that "nouveau" meant new, I learned that "deco" meant "young.

   Section 2 had some wonderful color plates of pieces of jewelry and the third section had lists of designs, motifs, and materials for "new art" jewelry.

   Section 4 had "thumbnail sketches" of jewelers, jewelry designers/makers, manufacturers and retailers.

   The last section was an interesting glossary of jewelry terms and types. I especially enjoyed the information about hallmarks, enamel, combs, hatpins, and purses (mesh and beaded).




3. Baker presents a definitive guide to Deco and Nouveau Jewelry. She outlines the historical influences on the designs, offers beautifully photographed and representative pieces and concludes with a glossary and price guide. Her format is logical and the placement of the price guide as an addendum allows periodic updates that keep the book current. Overall a helpful guide for the novice or experienced collector and a pleasurable book for simply viewing lovely jewelry pieces. The paperback format allows affordability.

2 comments about Shultz Bakelite Jewelry (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This is a splendid book! Beautiful workmanship of Ester and Ron Shultz. I couldn't put it down as it really shows off the vintage bakelite with the original vibrant colors once the Shultz's has sanded off the oxidation. I'm most impressed with Ron's skills inserting dots, Belle Kogan's, fingernails, checks, etc. A good study. However, this book is about 6 or 7 years old and the prices have risen quite substantially.
   This book is for the serious $$$ collector.



2. Even if you are not the slightest bit interested in Bakelite plastic jewelry, you will enjoy this book. It introduces Ron and Ester Shultz, who are a husband and wife who are artists and craftspeople who make modern jewelry from recycled Bakelite plastic. Their story alone is inspiring, but wait until you see the jewelry- it's whimiscal, colorful, and fun to look at. Along with careful examinations of the Shultz's various techniques, this book is filled with beautiful full color photos of their jewelry. The author, Karima Parry, has already written two books on Bakelite jewelry which are collector 'must haves': "Bakelite Bangles Price and Identification Guide", and "Bakelite Pins". In those books, she not only shows plenty of Bakelite jewelry, but she also demonstrates a great deal of knowledge about her subject, and a mission to teach the reader/collector what she knows. "Shultz Bakelite Jewelry" is given the same scholarly treatment that Parry has taken with vintage Bakelite jewelry in her other books. She guides the reader through the techniques and decorative patterns that are used by the Shultzs, and introduces a workable terminology to describe them. Unlike many of the other books on Bakelite jewelry, Parry discusses the pieces in detail and helps the reader to understand why some pieces are considered more collectible, or better examples of a technique than others. Every piece is shown in full color, and includes it's measurements and a realistic price range. This book paves the way for collectors to collect Shultz Bakelite jewelry with knowledge and confidence. For anyone from a beginner to a serious advanced collector, if the subject is Bakelite jewelry, the best guide around is Karima Parry.