Liza Urla is the author of the jewelry blog, Gemologue https://gemologue.com/tag/jewelry-blog

Romance, love and courtship are as universal as the precious jewels they inspire, objects which express deep affection for a loved one and eternal commitment. Wedding traditions have evolved over thousands of years and are based on blessing the couple with good luck and good wishes for unity, happiness and prosperity. The ring is the most personal of all jewels, its endless circular form symbolising the everlasting union of two people. The tradition of giving a betrothal or wedding ring as a promise of marriage goes back to ancient Rome and the ring was believed to have a direct link to the heart when worn on the ring finger of the left hand. It was not until the 15th century that diamond rings were primarily associated with marriage, but from the earliest times rubies or garnets were emblems of passionate love, diamonds or rock crystals symbolised virtue and constancy, sapphires denoted eternal love and emeralds desire and hope. Decorative motifs such as clasped hands, lovers' knots, crowned hearts, Cupid's arrows, flowers with hidden messages, snakes and butterflies were imaginatively used by jewellers to create magnificent jewels as symbols of romantic love.

"The women in Man Ray's life, as well as his reverence for the female form more broadly, were reflected in his jewellery. He kept the wearer in mind with each piece; never impractical or obtrusive, his jewels played with illusion, language and form as he employed the medium to further explore the artistic preoccupations of his career." Art as Jewellery is a visually stunning introduction to jewellery made by the titans of twentieth and twenty-first century art. From Salvador Dali, Man Ray, Alexander Calder and Pablo Picasso, through to Anish Kapoor, Damien Hirst and Grayson Perry, the great figures of modern art have all turned both thought and talent to jewellery. Often, they have eschewed the traditional jeweller's preoccupation with material value and provenance, more concerned with the conceptual or aesthetic significance of their work. As is fitting for a book that covers a range of artists, every image is as striking as it is unique. By using contemporary pictures, Art as Jewellery develops a chronological timeline of jewellery presentation. Its pages are home to a stunning variety of design sketches and photographs. Some were shot by renowned 20th century photographers, such as Ugo Mulas and Antonia Mulas, while others have been buried in archives for decades, unseen since the '60s. In contrast, modern works have been given model treatment by top photographer Alexander English, making this book a glamorous blend of new and classic jewellery art. AUTHOR: Author Louisa Guinness, collector and gallery owner, provides insightful commentary on each artist and their work. Her input can be felt on a personal level; having worked alongside many of these artists as they developed their jewellery, she is in the perfect position to reveal the personal stories behind these pieces creation. Full-page colour photographs and sketches, some showing the artist at work in the studio, or with their muse, accompany each profile. Louisa also explores each artist in the context of the genre's evolution, looking at the key exhibitions that have shaped the interest of artists and collectors. This book will be of interest to jewellery and art lovers alike. SELLING POINTS: * Includes an introduction by Vivienne Becker, an award-winning jewellery writer, and a contribution from Julia Peyton Jones, previous director of the Serpentine Gallery, London * A marvellous array of images, from archived photographs and sketches that have not been seen since the '60s, and the work of 20th-century photographers such as Ugo Mulas and Antonia Mulas, to modern shoots by Alexander English 200 colour images

This sumptuous book showcases the work of women jewellers from around the world. It tells the story of influential women in the jewellery industry throughout the twentieth century, continuing to the present day. Along with beautiful images of the fantastic work they have produced, Women Jewellery Designers also follows the role of women in the jeweller's workshop. Jewellery designers include: Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel, Suzanne Belperron, Line Vautrin, Wendy Ramshaw, Gerada Flockinger, Claude Lalanne, and many more. Jewellery firms include: Boivin, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Jensen, Tiffany & Co. AUTHOR: A Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem A), Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld began her career at Sotheby's & Co., London. Based in France, she is also the author of Twenty-First Century Jewellery Designers: An Inspired Style. Juliet's Great-grandfather, Thomas Weir, founded the jewellers Weir and Sons in Dublin in 1869, a company that is still run by members of the family. 500 colour illustrations

The definitive illustrated biography of one of the most influential and important jewelry designers of the twentieth century. When asked why she never signed her work, Suzanne Belperron replied, "My style is my signature."

Forty years of the legendary artist and sculptor Daniel Brush's sublime work with jewels. A unique figure in the world of contemporary art, Daniel Brush is in equal measure artist and craftsman. Over the course of forty years, Brush has created an unparalleled body of work, whose scope ranges from large-scale abstract drawings to sculptures in steel, aluminum, and gold. Collected here are more than 150 objects that bring to the fore Brush's astonishing work with jewels. Far from the products of the world of commercial jewelry, these are jewel-encrusted objects of virtue and fantasy that reflect not just the artist's rigorous personal aesthetic and mastery of technique, but his lifelong fascinations with philosophy and Asian thought, and his exhaustive knowledge of the history of precious stones. With photography made of the objects in situ inside Brush's studio in New York City, this book presents not only a catalog of his jewel work to date, but also an ethereal portrait of the artist himself. Housed in a slipcase, with photographs by Takaaki Matsumoto and an illuminating text by Vivienne Becker, this is an intimate study of the work of a master artist and a beautiful object in itself.

The scandals, mysteries, and human stories behind the world’s greatest gems are brought to life by the curator of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection Dr. Jeffrey E. Post, curator of the National Gem Collection for more than 25 years, separates fact from fiction in an all-new and original book, revealing fresh information and regaling the reader with anecdotes and tales of some of the world’s greatest and most famous gemstones. Dr. Post is the author of the now out-of-print book The National Gem Collection (Abrams, 1997), which has sold more than 50,000 copies. In this brand-new book, he tells the stories of the Smithsonian’s most famous gems, including the Hope Diamond, Star of Asia Sapphire, Carmen Lucia Ruby, Hooker Emerald, and Blue Heart Diamond—and also presents the tales, details, and fascinating facts surrounding rarely displayed gems from the Smithsonian vault and additions made to the collection since 1997. Not only a resource for learning about rare and beautiful gems, the book also presents the stories of the people who once owned or were associated with these jewels—from ordinary people to kings, emperors, maharajas, celebrities, and captains of industry.