As one of the oldest costume jewelry companies still in existence, Monet has, for almost 70 years, made jewelry that cannot be surpassed for its quality, craftsmanship, and audacious design. Monet: The Master Jewelers is a long overdue, in-depth look at this innovative and enduring company. Through comprehensive research, little known facts about Monet and its founders, Michael and Joseph Chernow, as well as the people behind it, are revealed for the first time. Misconceptions about the company's origins and its early years are finally corrected. This is also a visual celebration of the artistry of Monet jewelry throughout the decades. Delving well beyond basic gold necklaces and earrings, you will be overwhelmed by the diversified and unique styling of the many bracelets, charms, earrings, and necklaces Monet pioneered throughout their long history. The Monet experience is further explored through vintage magazine and newspaper advertisements, patents, rare company and family photos, as well as never-before-published memorabilia from the early Monocraft years. Collectors, dealers, designers, stylists, and anyone with an appreciation of costume jewelry and its history will find this book to be a valuable and must-have reference.

What awesome craftsmanship appears throughout this unique volume--the zenith of an art that marries the world’s most exceptional gems with exquisitely-honed metal designs. Approximately forty of the world’s top jewelers present expertly-fashioned settings that embrace a diversity of styles and techniques, including pav�, channel, invisible, gypsy, wire, and tension. Christoph Kr�henmann’s creations display a fabulous fusion of Swiss artisanship and American ingenuity, old world elegance and contemporary chic. Paula Crevoshay’s jewelry focuses on the way gems make light tangib≤ she is considered by many to be one of the finest colorists today. And Kent Raible finds his inspiration in the opulent, intricate gold work of antiquity. Whether encrusted with diamonds or emphasizing just one glimmering stone, all these bejeweled pieces are simply stunning.

The jewelry of Jesse Monongya is fully described and each piece tells a story that combinnes authentic concepts from his culture with cutting edge materials and techniques. 142 colour & 30 b/w illustrations

The first book devoted to Maison Chaumet, the prestigious jewelers in the Place Vendome, Paris, sheds new light on the history of jewelry and the development of styles from the French revolution to the present. Throughout its long history from 1789, Chaumet has always succeeded in attracting the greatest buyers; Russian princes, Maharajas, the aristocracy and millionaires of the Old and New World were all drawn by the combination of the finest stones available with jewelery epitomizing French chic and good taste. The founder, Marie-Etienne Nitot, who made jewels for Napoleon and his two empresses, set the standard which has been maintained ever since. The Chaumet archives go back to 1836. The author spent several years studying the ledgers, tradesman's accounts and correspondence, as well as albums of designs and thousands of daguerrotypes. She presents the fascinating story of this genius of jewelery in a scholarly but readable form using quotations from contemporary literature, fashion magazines, diaries and letters to bring the story to life.

Verdura’s beguiling jewelry, from ruby hearts wrapped with braided gold rope to scallop shells studded with precious stones. The exquisite creations of Fulco di Verdura (1898–1978) are noted for their glorious exuberance and refined glamour. Verdura left his ancestral home in Palermo in the mid-1920s and moved to Paris where he hoped to be a painter; his true vocation was revealed once he began designing striking jewelry for the discriminating customers of Coco Chanel. Patricia Corbett documents Verdura’s fascinating career, which took him from Paris to Los Angeles and New York. He was patronized by the rich and famous, who found that his sophisticated and flamboyant neo-Baroque style perfectly complemented their tastes. Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, among others, were devoted admirers, along with many of society’s prominent figures, including the Duchess of Windsor and legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland. Corbett was given access to all of Verdura’s archives and interviewed many of his surviving patrons. Wonderful color photography of the jewelry, as well as the archival images of Verdura and the people who wore his pieces, bring the irresistible beauty and genius of Verdura’s designs to life.

All that glitters here IS gold--and it’s gorgeous! This addition to the popular Masters series focuses on a topic--gold jewelry--with mass appeal to a wide audience: jewelers, metalsmiths, collectors, museums, and just about anyone who loves beautiful workmanship. Leading jewelry expert Marthe Le Van has chosen 40 of the world’s best goldsmiths and presents their finest pieces. A short essay accompanies each eight-page section, along with choice quotes from the featured artists. The talented creators showcased here include: Eva Steinberg (Germany): Art Nouveau influences abound in her colorful earrings and pendants Namu Cho (Korea/United States): Cho employs the ancient technique of Korean damascene known as poe mok saang gum. Claude Chavent (France): He plays with the optical illusions of trompe l’oeil, bringing volume and movement to his dazzling flat pieces. Stuart Golder (United States): Golder weaves sheets and wires of gold on a loom, designing elaborate patterns based on traditional cloth weaving.

"Here, for the first time in book form, the artist-craftsmen of Penland reveal their jewelry-making techniques - along with a set of magnificent projects - which have drawn thousands of students to the celebrated Penland School of Crafts in the mountains of North Carolina. In a fascinating step-by-step text, these master jewelers explain exactly how to make pieces of jewelry they have designed especially for this book. In language clear enough for the beginner to follow, they teach their own basic techniques, as well as some innovative ones that have never before been described in print. They also include lists of supplies needed to execute the projects, sources for obtaining them, and a glossary of standard jewelry-making terms. The instructional texts are enhanced by a series of close-up photographs - nearly 150 in all - which demonstrate with stunning clarity each step in the jewelry-making process. In addition, there are over 40 exquisite full-color photographs, forming a gallery of these artists' outstanding creations. The texts are further highlighted by autobiographical sketches of the artists, in which they reveal how they got their start, how they work, and what they think about jewelry making today." -back cover.

Miriam Haskell costume jewelry is highly sought after and the prices keep spiraling up. This gives collectors key information to make intelligent buying decisions. Over 600 color photos. Essential information and breathtaking pictures.

This book teaches how to use drawing as means of expressing a jeweler's creative ideas. In jewelry, there are other ways of creating which do not stem directly from working in the studio. The most important of these is drawing, an extremely useful tool for jewelers due to its speed and adaptability. Mastering this tool can be a great resource that can help jewelers to progress easily and steadily with designing jewelry and presenting their ideas and projects. Drawing allows creative ideas to be clearly visualized; on paper, the form or proportions of the jewelry can be modified quickly and confidently, the structure of clasps and hinges can be studied. It can also be used to visualize how a design will look with a polished or matt finish or with other changes such as different materials. This manual can be read from cover to cover or consulted when facing challenges in real projects.

A rare look at the exquisite world of Russian treasures that lies beyond Fabergé. Imperial Russia evokes images of a vanished courts unparalleled splendor: magnificent tiaras, gem-encrusted necklaces, snuff boxes and other diamond-studded baubles of the tsars and tsarinas. During that time, jewelry symbolized power and wealth, and no one knew this better than the Romanovs. The era marked the high point of the Russian jewelers' art. Beginning with Catherine I's reign in 1725, in the century when women ruled Russia, until the Russian Revolution of 1917, the imperial capital's goldsmiths perfected their craft, and soon the quality of Russias jewelry equaled, if not surpassed, the best that Europes capitals could offer. Who created these jewels that helped make the Russian Court the richest in Europe? Hint: it wasn't Carl Fabergé. This is the first systematic survey in any language of all the leading jewelers and silver masters of Imperial Russia. The authors skillfully unfold for us the lives, histories, creations, and makers marks of the artisans whose jewels and silver masterworks bedazzled the tsars. The previously unheralded names include Pauzié, Bolin, Hahn, Koechli, Seftigen, Marshak, Morozov, Nicholls & Plincke, Grachev, Sazikov, and many others. The market for these exquisite masterworks is also explored, from its beginnings to today's auction world and collector demand. More than 600 stunning photos reacquaint the world with the master artisans and their creations.