4 comments about Faberge Eggs Imperial Russian Fantasies Poster Book.

1. While in Moscow, we were able to see the traveling exhibition of Faberge eggs and pick up this book. The exhibition itself was stunning - the individual settings were chosen especially for the particular egg, the accompanying commentary intriguing, the lighting spectacular.

   The only thing that compared to the eggs themselves was this book which is one of the best of its type. It is large and the photographs and descriptions lush. One is transported back in time to the days of Tsars and Orthodoxy and the now disappeared Russian craftsmanship. This is a must for your coffee table.




2. This book is amazing! The oversized photos are mezmorizing. I am a collector of the small egg charms used in the Czarina's Maria Feodorovna's necklace. I was thrilled to see photos of many of the egg charms I own. I love this book!



3. I couldn't ask for a better Faberge book. Exepting those by my freind Geza Von Habsburg.



4. An exquisite book, large format. Beautiful color plates. If you get one book on Faberge for the quality of its plates, this is it.

No comments about Russian Silversmiths' Hallmarks 1700 to 1917.

5 comments about Wristwatches: A Connoisseur's Guide.

1. Hello. The LIBRARY JOURNAL review you have for WRISTWATCHES: A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE is botched. You're including review information for some book on jewelry. Please do something about this, pronto. Thanks!
   Ken Goldberg



2. This is a good overview of watch history and availability. Highlighted are 55 of the major collectible watch companies with good photo selections from each. The detailed pages on the companies is good and informative. Not bad for the coffee table, either.



3. This is an OK gift book with nice photos of watches, but it fails as a "connoisseurs" guide. There is scant history of the various brands and almost no technical information. No connoisseur would seriously consider a Timex watch, but Timex is presented along with the finest Breitlings, Bulgaris, Breguets et al. In the section on Bulgari, the author describes in detail a watch given by Count Galazzo (sic) Ciano to a friend, but there is no illustration to go along with the description.

   A watch collector or connoisseur should not waste his or her time with this lightweight giftbook




4. Nothing much to learn from this well illustrated book, at least nothing more than what can be found in "wriswatch annual". For newbies only.



5. Accurate and concise history of time keeping, with a brief history of the technical evolution as well as a generical presentation of the main 50 makers and their actual products. Good photos.

No comments about American Luxury: Tiffany: Jewels from the House of Tiffany.

No comments about Australian Gold and Silver 1851ÃÂ1900.

No comments about Giuliana Michelotti: Inform.

3 comments about Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry: From the Colette and Jean Pierre Ghysels Collection.

1. This is, indeed, a very beautifully photographed book. The represented pieces are all exquisite.

   Though, it's true there could have been more background information provided, giving the book a rating of one star, as the previous reviewer did, is grossly unjust - an act of spite rather than of informed criticism. Clearly, the book was never meant to be a exhaustive examination of all the ethnological aspects of each piece (though there is ample annotation); such a book would have run to 2000 pages rather than 250! So the Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry is not a doctoral thesis but rather a stroll thru a museum; in this case, the Ghysels Collection. A coffee-table book if you want, but beautiful none the less and of the highest standard.

   If you have previously had no interest in ethnic jewelry per se, this book will open your eyes to the extraordinary artistry of these ornaments created by the world's non-industrial peoples. Each object in itself says much more than an accompanying treatise ever could, and I cannot imagine anyone coming away from this book without a desire to learn more.

   A second copy purchased for a friend who deals in ethnic jewelry was very much appreciated.




2. The photographs by John Bigelow Taylor are wonderful, but this book has a paucity of explanatory text. I don't just like to look at pretty pictures. I want to know about the jewelry. Who made it? How was it made? Who wears it? How is it worn? Why was it worn? What is the human history behind it? I particularly want to know all this about ethnic jewelry. You won't get it here.

   No people are shown wearing the jewelry, so the book is sterile. There is no cultural context. It's a lot to pay for no additional knowledge about ethnic jewelry.




3. This is a HUGE book filled with georgeous close-ups of really inspirational jewelry. A favorite of mine!

1 comments about Diamonds.

1. A short, but interesting book about diamonds. It has a few beautiful color photographs. It also gives the history of a few famous diamonds. Fred Ward's book "Diamonds" is a better, more detailed book.

No comments about Old Domestic Base-Metal Candlesticks.

No comments about Reflections of Elegance: Cartier Jewels from the Lindemann Collection/New Orleans Museum of Art.