5 comments about Cameos: Old & New, 3rd Edition.

1. The book is very thorough and spotting every important and relevant issue concerning old and newer cameos. Very easy to read and remember, giving all that's good to know about cameos. Recommended for anyone interested in knowing them - collectors, dealers, teachers...
   
   The only thing is that almost all of the photographs are in black & white, and in a rather poor quality. If the photos were in good quality color, this would have just made the book perfect. I, for one, would be happy to pay for the difference.



2. I liked the book. It could of had alot more information in it because there was a few things that I did not get answered...like I had hoped. But I guess you can't expect one book to give you all the information that a person seeks.



3. If you love cameos and collect them this is a wonderful little book for you. Tells you the history, the types, the reasons for certain styles, how to tell the age, how to tell the value, and all the necessary terminology for discussing them. Good illustrations are also a plus.



4. When most people think of cameos, they think of the standard woman's profile carved from shell and mounted as a brooch or necklace. But the art of the cameo encompasses far more than that. Historically, it dates back to the ancient world, and over the centuries many materials have been used in making these works of art. Although female heads are probably the most common subject, mythological figures, animals, portraits of individuals, and many other things have found their way onto cameos. The quality can range all the way from cheap mass-produced modern items to fine hand-crafted pieces worthy of any museum.
   
   Anna Miller's "Cameos" is a wonderful introduction to cameos. She covers the history of the form, the subjects normally found and what each one looks like--very useful in an age where few people know their mythology. She describes the different materials that have been used in making cameos--including lava from Mt. Vesuvius, shell, agate, onyx, plastic, and glass. There's an extensive section on how cameos are made and on the people who made (and make) them. One particularly useful discussion describes the differences between traditional hand-carved works and those made by modern ultrasonic machines (vital for any modern buyer). The author also gives information on how to evaluate quality and condition and on market value. The book is illustrated throughout with black and white pictures, and there is an extensive color section in the middle. One of the best things about this book is that the author is able to convey her appreciation of the art of cameos to the reader. "Cameos" is an essential reference for anyone who wants to acquire a knowledge and understanding of this art. Highly recommended.



5. I am one of the small number of portrait cameo carvers on gemstone.

   I found this book to be excellent. There is a wealth of detail on all aspects of cameos. There are also good illustrations. There is valuable info for collectors on identifying and valuing Cameos.

   Information on how to distinguish Ultrasonic Cameos from the more valuable hand-carved cameos is given.

   You will gain a lot of knowledge on how Cameos are made and valued from reading this title.

No comments about Costume Jewelry (POCKET COLLECTIBLES).

3 comments about Southwestern Indian Jewelry.

1. I wanted this book for some time. I must say, I love it and don't know why I did not buy it sooner. An all time favorite of mine for sure.



2. Hi I bouhgt Southwestern Indian Jewelry and it arrived with no plastic wrap and the jacket was damaged. Please let me know how to go about exchanging it for another in perfect condition. I am a collector and condition is important. Thank You, Joe Garcia.



3. As a collector of Indian art, jewelery, pottery and rugs, I had the wonderful good fortune to know and consider the Hopi Master jeweler Charles Loloma my friend.

   Finding a book on American Indian jewelery was almost impossible to come by until this great book by Dexter came out in 1992. The artists, their work in magnificent color will move anyone to want to own some of this jewelry.

   From it's beginings late in the 19th century jewelery was the Indian method of carrying their wealth around in the form of necklaces, braclets etc, Indian jewery was mainly of two schools. Most prominent was the Navajo and the other Zuni.

   Then in the mid 1960's came a Hopi indian Charles Loloma. He was the Picasso that was going to revolutionize American Indian jewelery and he did. This book is a testament to Charlie's followers who now produce jewlery that is both modern and magnificant. Buy the book then go out to an Indian Art shop anywhere in CA, AZ, NM or even NJ and you will not be able to resist owning someting.

No comments about Jewels And Jewellery.

5 comments about Inside the Jewelry Box: A Collector's Guide To Costume Jewelry, Identification And Values (Identification and Values).

1. I had been collecting costume jewelry for over a decade when I discovered this treasure of a book. Immediately, I was drawn in by not only the beautiful photographs and great reference material, but by the author's writing style. She's one of those rare authors that can take the same information (not that she did) as another writer and make it her own. Her great personality and warm generous spirit shine through on every page.
   
   This is truly one of my very favorite books on costume jewelry!



2. This book covers a host of costume jewelry, better than average photos of the manufacturer's signatures or maker's marks (very important if you are a collector!), along with good descriptions and some pricing information. Included in the back of the book are copies of some of the original advertisements for some of the jewelry. Good stuff! I'd recommend this book if you are a collector.



3. Wonderful pictures! I like the way she has some jewelry shown under designer headings while she also shows groups of brooches, necklaces, etc., with various designers together. I especially like the beginning that shows the backs of designer pieces; something you don't get to see a lot in these jewelry guides. It's one of those books you take out on the porch on a nice day and go through page by page from beginning to end (for me, it was like a kid in a candy store), and by the time you get to the end, you feel much more knowledgeable about costume vintage jewelry!



4. The jewelry in this guide is mainly from the author's and apparently her friends' collections. Quite a bit of the jewelry is unidentified by company. The book is strangely organized beginning with around a dozen companies, unalphabetized, followed by sections under the headings of "Quality," "Fruits & Vegetables," "Bakelite, Lucite & Other Plastics," "Parures & Demi- Parures," "Necklaces," "Bracelets," "Brooches & Pins," "Earrings," "Rings & Things," "Pebble Jewelry," and "Guilloche." Under these headings there is no discernible organization. The book concludes with a short section on contemporary jewelry, general information on reproductions and care and repair, thirteeen pages of vintage ads, and some costume jewelry internet web sites. The strengths of this book are that the photography is pretty good and the collection of figural pieces is extensive.



5. I am so happy to add this wonderful costume jewelry book to my collection of reference books. Very well written and I love the sections on DeLillo, Rosenstein, Claudette, Hobe and especially Calvaire since I recently purchased a magnificent Calvaire wide collar necklace & bracelet set with emerald green rhinestones. I was also happy to see the green "baked potato" set since I also have the same set but in a different color. It would be fantastic to one day find out if this set is really a Nettie Rosenstein set. Thank you so much, Ann, for featuring these special designers. Hope to see another book from you soon!

No comments about Georgian Jewellery 1714-1830.

1 comments about Art Deco Jewelry: Jakob Gengel, Idar-Oberstein/Germany.

1. Probably the dawn of art deco fashion jewelry was the 16-28 May 1927 machine-age exposition in New York. This exposition showed how modern technology could be fused with the arts, bringing German bauhaus design to America's attention.
   
   The prior year, 1926, saw the release of the silent film "Metropolis," Fritz Lang's anxious vision of a world demanding conformity in which "the masses" are controlled by machines and their owners. This film's art direction makes use of many art deco design elements which find their way into mainstream costume jewelry design. Geometric shapes and simplicity dominate costume jewelry in which new, inexpensive materials, such as bakelite and corolite could be incorporated, adding translucent and opaque color.
   
   Fashion jewelry components in the 1930's were manufactured primarily in Bohemia so, when Jewish owners lost their factories in 1938, art deco costume jewelry also vanished from the fashion scene. This book gathers -- and preserves in photographs -- much of art deco jewelry's beauty within its pages.

1 comments about Perfume: Joy, Scandal, Sin - A Cultural History of Fragrance from 1750 to the Present.

1. This giant book is a wealth of information, not just about perfume but about the position perfumes have taken in cultural history. Special attention is given to perfume in literature (especially Baudelaire) and the illustrations are fantastic. This is not just a surface-treatment coffee-table book, it is dense with information on every facet of perfumery and goes into great detail regarding the creation and significance of many specific perfumes. Well-researched and beautifully written, it is a must for any serious collector or fan of the olfactive arts.

2 comments about Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewelry, and Nature.

1. A superb book! A visual ravishment!
   
   The book is well researched and wide ranging in its study of flora based jewellery!
   
   Focusing not only on the great jewellery houses but also on historical pieces, it makes for interesting reading for anyone who appreciate fine workmanship but also the history of jewels!



2. A "Must-have" for jewelry collectors, designers ..... Excellent pictures!!!! Great details!!! With lots of great masterpieces! 100% +++++ satisfaction in owning it!!!

3 comments about Tuareg Jewelry:Traditional Patterns and Symbols.

1. I bought this as a Christmas present for my mother. Since she makes jewelry for a living, I thought she would find some of the unique Tuareg designs inspiring. In this regard, I think the book is quite good-- there are photographs of many beautiful pieces, and there's good text to go along with them.
   
   However, there are some things about this book that really disappointed me. First, most of the photographs are very low resolution and have been blown up such that there is glaringly obvious pixelation. It looks as if many of the photos were taken with a camera phone. Not surprisingly, the colors in most of the photos are also quite dull, which makes the visual presentation of the jewelry even less effective. I also am not a fan of books that use light text on a dark background in their entirety-- this book does just that.
   
   I understand now that this book was probably published in a very small run, but I still expect much higher quality when I pay nearly $50 for a small book of photographs. Furthermore, obvious pixelation from blowing up images too much is absolutely inexcusable. If you're going to buy this book, understand that its draw is the anthropological aspects of the jewelry and not their visual presentation.



2. The cover photo of a beautiful antique Berber necklace was carefully and purposefully selected by the author of the book, Helene Hagan, to reflect the Amazigh (Berber) origins of Tuareg culture, identity, and jewelry. The reason for this choice is explained in the book, which also extensively covers Tuareg tales of origins from the south of Morocco, as well as what it means to be an "Amazigh" ("Berber" and "Tuareg" being labels imposed by outsiders.) The book specifically emphasizes the commonality of traditions, language and worldview between "Tuaregs" and "Berbers" who are apparented and all call themselves "Imazighen." (Free Human Beings).
   
   The Kel Tamasheq spoken by Tuaregs of Mali, Niger, and Algeria, and the Tamazight, Tachelhit, Tarifi and Kabyle spoken by Berbers of North Africa are variants of the same language.



3. This book makes a perfect companion to Art of Being Tuareg. In this book the symbolism of Tuareg jewelry is explored. Excellent examples of Tuareg jewerly are shown. I only regret that the necklace in the cover photo, while Berber, is not Tuareg.