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A selection of essential books for jewelry lovers’ shelves, courtesy of JewelryConnoisseur.net and Rapaport Magazine’s contributors.

Two millennia of history
Diamonds: An Early History of the King of Gems
by Jack Ogden (Yale University Press)

Chronicling the history of diamond mining, commerce and jewelry-making over two millennia — through the 18th century — this exhaustive yet enjoyable tome features a cast of larger-than-life characters, including Alexander the Great and the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Historian and gemologist Jack Ogden has paired his study with more than 100 images — some previously unpublished. These range from close-up, full-color photographs of historic diamond-set jewelry, to diagrams depicting historical methods of cutting and polishing diamonds.

Spotlight on female jewelers
Women Jewellery Designers
by Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld (ACC Art Books)

This latest offering from the author of 21st-Century Jewellery Designers profiles 50 talented female jewelers from the early 1900s onward, ranging from Alma Pihl to Michelle Ong. Weaving its way from pre-World War I through post-World War II to the present day, the book showcases a cross-section of designers and the movements they represent, including luminaries such as Coco Chanel, Jeanne Toussaint, Suzanne Belperron and Marina B. The book details each jeweler’s background, inspirations and influences alongside illustrations of their work.

For the boys
Jewelry for Gentlemen
by James Sherwood (Thames & Hudson)

Authored by London-based style journalist James Sherwood, this fascinating account examines male adornment from the sixth century BCE to the present day, with an emphasis on the past 100 years. The 256-page volume — the first reference book to focus exclusively on men’s jewelry — documents numerous individual works by key jewelers like Cartier, Tiffany & Co., David Yurman, Boucheron and Ara Vartanian. Accompanying them are hundreds of photographs, illustrating how both fashion and attitudes have changed during this recent revival.

Article from the Rapaport Magazine - March 2020. To subscribe click here.

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