No comments about English Pewter Touchmarks (Dealer Guides).

2 comments about Diamonds Famous & Fatal : The History, Mystery and Lore of the World's Most Famous Gem.

1. The history of the famous diamonds is just fascinating. This book is very thorough and Mr. Kendall really gave me an education. From ancient India to present day, from the Maharaja's to Louis XV to Victoria to Elizabeth Taylor, powerful people have aways coveted rare diamonds. The story of the Louis XV's French Blue is probably the most famous, but all of these stories are interesting, really a fun book to read. If you have any interest in diamond's or just interesting history in general then I believe you will not be disappointed in this wonderful book...it's hard to believe what people will do to possess something noone else has.



2. In Diamonds Famous & Fatal: The History, Mystery & Lore Of The World's Most Precious Gem, Leo Kendall shares his fascination for the ways in which diamonds have influenced the history of the world. All the major diamond finds of the centuries are chronicled, examined, and described. A wealth of anecdotal and historical stories of outstanding diamonds are dramatically recounted and range from the Koh-i-Noor (dating back to at least 1526 and which affected the course of the Mogul Empire and finally ending up a part of the British Crown Jewels) to Henry VIII's diamond collar, the collection of Louis XVI, the Romanov gems, and more. Here also are the stories of such luminaries in diamond history as Cecil Rhodes and such diamond mines as the DeBeers. If you have an interest in the history, legend and lore of diamonds, the give a careful reading to Leo Kendall's Diamonds Famous & Fatal!

5 comments about Jewels and Jewelry.

1. This is a rich & informative antique jewelry book. The contents are categorized under materials, styles vs periods and the details of manufacturings. Great for jewelry designer and those who interested in jewelry history. One of my favorite jewelry collectibles!



2. This book goes into alloys. Mixing copper with gold turns it red, silver turns it green, arsenic turns it blue or grey. White gold the author says, is barely gold at all, it is simply silver with gold _added_ to keep it from looking too much like silver. Very helpful for jewelry buying as well as jewelry making, as I could use this to know how to extract silver or copper, assuming I manage to separate the two.



3. "Jewels and Jewelry," by Clare Phillips, is loaded with full-color photographs of a rich assortment of jewelry. The introduction notes that most of the pieces pictured are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The book is divided into 3 main sections: "Materials," "Chronology of Style," and "Manufacturing and Distribution."

   The book includes many informative and well-illustrated spreads on a number of topics: the pendants of the Renaissance, pieces celebrating Queen Elizabeth I, 18th century paste jewelry, the Art Nouveau style, etc. The book covers jewelry made from a rich variety of materials--gold, pearls, emeralds, cast glass, brass, coral, platinum, steel, etc. There are even pieces made from such startling material as a real fish head or recycled bus stop signs!

   The book portrays the work of an international gallery of artists, together with interesting biographical facts about these creators. Among the many designers included are Gijs Bakker of Holland, Wendy Ramshaw of England, Fritz Maierhofer of Austria, Yasuki Hiramatsu of Japan, and more. Some really unforgettable creations are pictured, ranging from elegant pieces with a traditional flavor to futuristic or quirky pieces. Overall, a superb book that truly celebrates the tremendous imagination and skill of the world's jewelry makers.




4. This is amazing- a really comprehensive history of western jewelry from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection. The photography is just primo, and any jeweler or gem mad type needs this book. The text is clear and super informative. As a part time jewelry maker I find this an amazingly inspirational reference work, the pictures are so good you can see tool marks and technique. Period portraits illustrate fashion and the use of jewelry in different forms at different times.
   Highly reccomended- and just plain pretty to boot. Even you all who just like to look at beautiful things will thoroughly enjoy this book.



5. I must have a dozen books on jewelery and the history of jewelery. This is the best yet. First off the book very clearly organized. On any page that you might flip to there is a short chapter with a title, photos and supporting text. For instance, the section called "Jewelled Bouquets" shows five full color photos of flower themed broaches, descriptions of each an a well written history of the beautiful little things. Much of the jewelery is supported with photos of period portraits, to further illustrate how the pieces were worn. It's a wonderful, wonderful book and I'm not surprized to find it's from the fabulous Victoria and Albert Museum.

No comments about Handbook of Fine Jewelry.

5 comments about The Essence of Gemstones (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones) (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones).

1. I purchased this book as a science resource for my school library and was horrified when I began reading it. There is almost no scientific data, and many descriptions are similar to this one for the pink pearl: "With this pearl, the animal kingdom points out to us that we have forgotten the agreement that we have made with God - to protect all living beings and especially those that are subordinate to our development." Nearly all crystal descriptions are filled with references to God and most impart human characteristics to the crystals.
   Whacko! This is not a scholarly resource.



2. I love the beauty of the pictures of the crystals out in natural locations. They are breath taking. The energy discriptions are short and to the point with the usual hardness and vibrational information. I greatly appreciate information regarding the misrepresentation of some stones as other more expesive or rare stone too. This book just plane feels good. There is a definate Christian spin to some of the energy discriptions.



3. but otherwise a little lacking.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it really comes from the heart and has themes that differ from other book that encompass this topic. The entire book contains very encouraging, spiritual messages, and many are of a very Christianized nature, which gives it distinction from the traditional books. Nothing is inherently exclusive, so the messages presented are very open to all people of all traditions.
   
   The weaknesses that prevent this stone from getting a five star rating really lie in the incompleteness of the work. Many very unusual stones are discussed, and all but very few have pictures to accompany them, though most of the unusual stones have very little information regarding their uses. The book does a beautiful job of including so many different gemstones, but their origins and mineralogy are totally left out of this work. Locations from which they come and the chemical formulae are found with each page, but there is insufficient data concerning any other of the scientific aspects of these stones. Some things, like relative refractive indices or easily identifiable physical properties would make identification of cut gemstones so much easier.
   
   This book is not unlike a textbook; it is a sturdy volume meant to be treasured like its subjects. I am sure you will enjoy this one!



4. This book is awesome! It tells all about crystals and what they do. It shows a great picture, composition, hardness, color,and the source! I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves gemstones and would like to learn about the effects that they have on people!



5. This book contained vast amounts of information on every gem topic there is. It helped me tremendously in learning about gems. It also saved me a lot of money when I went out and purchased a ruby bracelet for my mother and diamond ring for my wife. I probably saved at least a thousand dollars just from using the knowledge obtained from this book. It is a great book and I recommend everyone buying it. It is a great investment!

No comments about Rubies: Are a Girl's Best Friend.

1 comments about The World's Great Treasures.

1. I have now spent many hours with this book with the hope of giving you more details. This book has captivated me. Instead of giving you the table of contents I will tell you a story about a woman I met in Miami Florida twenty-five years ago. She was an artist with some sinister connections and she placed a small solid gold Elephant in my had, it was about the size of my computer mouse but its weight drew my had to the floor at #8211; I was out classed I surely could not have afforded her or her Elephant. This magic book evoked that story I love dealing with these items and meeting people who share my interest in them. In each of the great civilizations ( From the time of the Pharaohs to the present had,, artists working with working with gold and other precious metals have created objects of eternal beauty, beauty so rich and well defined that it sets the standards for each succeeding age across the chasms of time for centuries and even millenniums With 580 superb and vivid color photographs. Some of them covering two pages this book is sort of a portal across time. The Worlds great art treasures will supply you with the next best felling to actually seeing and holding these objects. If you are an artist this is an idea book, if you are a jeweler this is an inspiration book, if you are a costumer or movie or television producer this is a source book, if you are a writer this is a reference book if you are student of high culture across the ages this is your stuff. More and more history is moving away from it textual obsession and back into the world because its public demands it, and in most cases is paying for it. Resplendence of the Spanish Monarchy-Renaissance Tapestries and Armor from the Patrimonio Nacional Antonio Dominguez Ortiz, Jose A. Godoy (Contributor), Concha Carretero (Contributor) Metropolitan Museum of Art. ASIN: 0810964082 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.79 x 12.40 x 9.40. 172 pages Hardcover copyright 1992, as new condition (Still Shrink Wrapped). This book is the result of the collaboration of two of the important forces in the world of art, Abrams Publishing , and, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is the sort of item that makes a bookseller weep. This book is the physical record of Spanish Monarchy's Commemorative exhibit which took place at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York honoring the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, this breathtaking collection of Armor an Tapestries covering the 16th Century from the birth of Charles V in 1500, to 1598 The death of Philip II. With an Introduction by Spain's King Juan Carlos I is really Spain's gift to The America's and the world. Not just the world of art, however, because this wonderful book has something for everyone. From the Renaissance art historian to the weekend member of SCA (Society for Creative anachronism. This book will fascinate of the student of material culture, (like myself) who might want make an analysis of 16th Century Hapsburg Material culture. It would be just as interesting to the recreations or the late Medieval Interpreter Someone, for example who might what to try his hand at making a reproduction of the worlds best armor from the 16th Century one who might want to Look at the full-page detail on the joint of the suit of armor on page 116 and 117. I could write hundreds of more words about this book, and I might even touch on the historical narrative, and, allegorical tropes within the twelve tapestries presented but I must stop somewhere. You have Sword armor tapestries in detail where they could probably be computer scanned and reproduced if one chose, of course within the limits of copyright. This is a time when I wish I had a scanner but Probably am lucky I don't This is an amazing combination of Tapestries and armor, two very disparate art forms, which are collected together to portray the taste culture and formidable power of Hapsburg monarchs Charles V And his son Phillip II in Spain during the 16th century in this catalogue of an actual historical exhibition which Celebrates the quincentennial of the European discovery of America and introduces American audiences to two of the Patrimonia's most prized collections. The 157 new color photos focus on both the complete works and Specific details in each, with complementary text describing each piece.

   Philip Kaveny Reviewer

3 comments about Cameos: Classical to Costume.

1. It definitely should have been better! Pictures and info lack any real knowledge of the subject, and often times just had wrong information. Very disappointed. A big book with little value to me.



2. Expectations of visual and historical information for this expensive book should be high. But exceptionally poor photography and lack of any rigorous understanding of the history of jewelry and design in the text from these authors rate this book a tepid two stars only. It should have been better, coming from this antique specialty publisher, since it is a facinating subject, and there isn't much available in print.



3. I have had this book for the past year and have been a cameo collector for 25 years and this is my favorite book of all my collectors books ,I use it nearly every day to chech things out or to just browse and wish.It is very informative and the pictures are clear .I highly recommend this book to any cameo collector ,

No comments about Art of the European Silversmith, 1430-1830.

No comments about Kids Around the World: We Live in India (Kids Around the World).