20th Century Jewelry & the Icons of Style
Product ID: 89719563
“Worthwhile, both for the sumptuous jewelry and for the stunning lifestyle photographs.” ―Society of Jewelry Historians For many centuries, collecting precious jewels was the province of kings and queens, emperors, and maharajas. But in the aftermath of the First World War, royal gems passed into the hands of a different kind of elite that included celebrities and a coterie that reveled in a nouveau riche whirl. Changes in fashion and the rise of Art Deco style led them to reset pieces or commission exquisite contemporary designs. Authors Stefano Papi and Alexandra Rhodes explore this dazzling era via profiles of eleven glamorous women who built up astonishing jewelry collections in the mid-twentieth century. This revised and updated edition includes two new chapters that explore the lives and jewels of Ganna Walska and Hélène Rochas. The authors reveal the remarkable stories behind the jewels and their collectors. Not only do they bring to life the worlds in which these women moved, but they also describe the gems in detail and chronicle the work of the leading jewelers of the day, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston. The book is illustrated with gorgeous close-up photography of the jewels as well as drawings of the original designs, and includes portraits of the collectors by Beaton, Horst, and other leading photographers of the time. 470 illustration in color and black-and-white Review: Amazing Quality photos...great purchase - This book has amazing photos (of such notable personalities as the Duchess of Windsor, Barbara Hutton, Mona Bismarck) that are sumptuous on so many levels. The jewels are showcased and photographed beautifully, and the accompanying descriptions are detailed and thorough. A definite investment and keepsake to pour over for years to come...The jewels just come to life! Review: Awesome Jewelry Porn - I love making jewelry and this book has amazing photography of high-end pieces from Cartier, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpel, and many other fine jewelry retail that I would probably never be able to shop in. :) Makes the crap worn at the Oscars look like stuff from Claire's, believe me. :)
| Best Sellers Rank | #4,264,826 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #841 in Antique & Collectible Jewelry (Books) #2,700 in Fashion History #5,532 in Fashion Design |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 41 Reviews |
A**.
Amazing Quality photos...great purchase
This book has amazing photos (of such notable personalities as the Duchess of Windsor, Barbara Hutton, Mona Bismarck) that are sumptuous on so many levels. The jewels are showcased and photographed beautifully, and the accompanying descriptions are detailed and thorough. A definite investment and keepsake to pour over for years to come...The jewels just come to life!
P**0
Awesome Jewelry Porn
I love making jewelry and this book has amazing photography of high-end pieces from Cartier, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpel, and many other fine jewelry retail that I would probably never be able to shop in. :) Makes the crap worn at the Oscars look like stuff from Claire's, believe me. :)
K**O
20th Century Jewelry & the Icon of Style
Did you ever wonder about all the elegant women who were known for their fantastic collection of jewelry? Well, wonder no more, in this book you will see how the women who are part of the book took to "collecting jewelry" the buying, changing with times, style & look, most of all keeping the quality of the stones in tact and making sure that the value goes up and keeps going up with the right provenance. One will read and imagine the life of these women and not all had the greatest of lives but most certainly had the most beautiful jewelry I have set eyes on.
S**L
Surprising
Bought this for the pictures. Had no idea I’d be so mesmerized by the stories. Definitely worth every cent (And yes, I want a lot of the jewels!!!)
A**1
Very interesting Beautiful original pictures Nice purchase
Very interesting Beautiful original pictures Nice purchase !
D**S
aiconic book
Excellent historical reference and beautiful photos
M**E
shows great ladies and magnificent collections
i have a large jewelry book collection and this is a great addition. great addition to my great jewelry collectors
A**T
Five Stars
It is beautiful book. I love jewellery.
T**U
Super schönes Buch
Ein so geniales Buch über Juwelen, teilweise die Geschichten der Juwelen, aber auch der Besitzerinnen. Die meisten Aufnahmen sind farbig und zeigen die unfassbare Pracht dieser Schmuckstück. Bin total begeistert!
D**E
The book is a jewel itself
This was a beautifully illustrated and well researched book. It included a lot of well known names, Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor and Maria Callas. But it also included women I had heard of, the Hollywood stars, but also women I had no knowledge of. The book included enough biographical information on all of the featured women.
M**M
Nice book
Liked this book. Well presented
J**N
Superb book.
Thames and Hudson produced the title 'Famous Jewellery Collectors' and this book is somewhat similar. This book, (like all similar books from this publisher) is enjoyable, visually splendid and of high quality. Each chapter focuses on a legendary lady and how her jewellery collection was formed. There are lots and lots of superb photographs of each 'icon' and close-ups of the gems. It is hard to believe people were so wealthy. This is a very pleasing book to return to and re-read or flick through.
R**R
Jewellry of the 20th Century
A fascinating review of the jewellry and of the women who owned and wore this pieces. Anyone interested in this subject would enjoy this book.
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