1 comments about Faberge: Imperial Jeweler.

1. Born in 1846 in St. Petersburg, Russia, perhaps little at his birth, save for his father's profession as a jeweler, presaged the intricately exquisite art objects that Carl Faberge would someday create.

   In fact, the earliest products of his house have been described as "somewhat clumsy gold bracelets." Today his name is synonymous with the incomparably beautiful.

   Famous for his jewel adorned Imperial Easter eggs, Faberge the artisan produced so much more - jewelry, picture frames, presentation boxes, cigarette cases. More than 300 stunning full-color pages bring these treasures to us.

   The text is impeccably researched and written.

No comments about Pewter: At the Victoria & Albert Museum.

No comments about Jewelry From Sarah Coventry And Emmons.

No comments about Jewelry: The Decorative Arts Library.

1 comments about Jewelry by Chanel.

1. I acquired this book for jewelry design reference, it was highly recommended by a designer friend who trained in Paris for Jewelry design. The book contains just over 140 pages, the first 54 dedicated to text accompanied with quick sketches depicting Coco Chanel and her fashions; the remainder is filled with glossy photos of Chanel's jewelry creations, most in full color, a few other period stills in black and white. The photos are large, very sharp and show much of the fine detail of her jewelry, often dedicating one page to a single piece.
   
   The book includes some images of objects of antiquity from which Chanel was clearly inspired, or in some cases copied directly. Chanel's Byzantium crosses are especially intriguing for capturing a look of great antiquity. I found the strong Renaissance and Baroque forms to be equally inspiring.
   
   I would have welcomed an even more expansive book that included more photos however this book covers pieces from the 1930's to the 1960's, and some space has been dedicated to all the various styles.

3 comments about Costume Jewelers: The Golden Age of Design (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. If you like browsing through excellent photos of vintage jewelry and seeing a sampling of old jewelry ads, this book is for you. I find the quality is first class for paper, photography and binding. This would make a good 'coffee table' book.
   
   Although containing no index for its 205 pages, the book does have a table of contents and is broken down in sections by designer. So, if you have an interest in fashion jewelry, but not a particular design or substance, you can easily read the names and histories of those who brought costume jewelry to its glamourous height, along with viewing the pictures of jewelry by that particular designer in their own appropriate chapter.
   
   I like looking through the pages on a lonely winter night.
   
   Gail Gupton, Author: The 31-Day Diet of Spiritual Enlightenment and Seekers of Truth



2. Joanne's book is not exactly a research project, designed for someone who wants to know about costume jewelry designers, even though the book's title might think lead you to think that.

   Joanne is a collector and dealer of costume jewelry. This book is almost exclusively a catalog of her personal collection. She includes a price list for the items pictured.

   A very brief explanation accompanies the photographs, usually little more than an identification of the manufacturer. There is no index and a too-brief bibliography.

   Better books on costume jewelry are out there. For instance, try Vivienne Becker's Fabulous Costume Jewelry : History of Fantasy and Fashion in Jewels (1997).




3. Ms. Ball presents interesting and insightful information about the periods, styles and signatures and the lives of the vintage jewelry designers. It's exciting to learn the history surrounding the artists of the 19th and earlier 20th centuries, while comparing things passed down from our families' generations.

No comments about Fun Jewelry 3ED.

No comments about Art Deco Fashion and Jewelry (Centuries of Style).

No comments about Contemporary American Jewelry Design.

3 comments about Hattie Carnegie Jewelry: Her Life And Legacy.

1. The author of this book missed a great opportunity. This should have been a definitive history and a comprehensive illustrated survey of Hattie Carnegie's jewelry production. Instead, it's poorly written, scattershot and incomplete. Virtually none of Carnegie's fascinating and highly original 1940's designs (identifiable by the "HC" mark) are represented here. Almost all of the pictures are of 1950's and 1960's jewelry. The vast majority of pieces pictured in the book are ordinary and uninteresting - simple, plain and all-too-often trite goldtone designs of no particular distinction or style. Virtually none of Carnegie's most distinctive designs and spectacular jewels are illustrated in this volume. A serious author would have contacted dealers and collectors to obtain pictures of pieces that truly illustrate Carnegie jewelry's history, style and range. Much better Carnegie designs are pictured in GENERAL guides to collecting costume jewelry. To add insult to injury, what should have been a well-researched biography of Carnegie and narrative history of the company is instead a patchwork of miscellaneous tidbits strung together in a virtually incomprehensible style. Compared to the superlative books devoted to other jewelry designers (such as Miriam Haskell and Joseff), this book is a disgrace. A reader who knew nothing about Hattie Carnegie before reading this book would come away wondering why Carnegie was considered a great designer and fashion maven or why anyone would ever bother collecting her jewelry. If you are a serious collector of designer costume jewelry, you will be most likely be disappointed by this book. Who needs a Hattie Carnegie book that contains only a handful of her most inspired and creative designs buried among mountains of drek? It's truly a shame that the author wasted the opportunity to meaningfully document the career of such an important figure in the history of great American costume jewelry.



2. This author clearly loves Hattie Carnegie jewelry. The history is informative with some excellent research sources. The pictures are nice and give some idea of the style. I would have liked more detail on how the jewelry was constructed, the types of findings and a better idea of what was the true Carnegie style.
   
   The pricing was not helpful. Ranges like $95.00-$225.00 and $225.00- $525.00 do not help determine the true value. A collector would not be able to value a collection with this book.
   
   The pictures mix less and more expensive items all together and does not explain what key characteristics to look for to justify the higher price. I am not sure what to look for to distinguish the better pieces from the lesser. I have about 40 Carnegie pieces in my own collection and not one of them is shown in the book so it leads me to think that there are a lot more pieces out there that are not pictured so this is by no means a definitive representation of this designers jewelry.
   
   This book is not for the beginning collector because it is too general and it really is not a book you will refer to over and over because it needs more detail.



3. Until I read this book I had never collected any costume jewelry or even particularly liked it. I bought it because a friend wrote it. However, I have spent hours poring over the gorgeous color photographs and from now on will be alert for the Hattie Carnegie markings when I go to flea markets and antique shows. The book is not only a catalog of the more collectible Hattie Carnegie's pieces including estimated values, but also a well written entertaining biography of Hattie Carnegie. For a collector it must be a treasure.