Jewelry by Suzanne Belperron


Book Description

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."




Suzanne Belperron


Book Description

Suzanne Belperron (1900-1983) is one of the twentieth century's greatest jewellers; she is now achieving near iconic status in the jewellery world and in the auction rooms. Her reputation is as high as that of any of the great French Art Deco jewellers. Amazingly, she never signed her work, considering it so distinctive that it was instantly recognisable. She worked first for the famous firm of Rene Boivin, but in her thirties was encouraged by admirers to set up on her own. She opened a tiny shop on the Rue de Chateaudon and began selling her new designs, which were totally in vogue with modern taste and lusted after by a young and hip generation. It seemed destined that no book would ever be devoted to her work because it was thought that her archive was destroyed in a fire. However, the discovery of that archive has made this book possible. It has revealed all the drawings for her jewellery as well as order books containing a who's who of names of her customers. These ranged from royalty like the Duchess of Windsor to writers like Colette, to famous stars like Frank Sinatra. Her fame spread wide and her pieces were constantly illustrated in magazines like Vogue as well as featured on the big screen in Hollywood movies. A forthcoming sale of a huge amount of her work (Sothebys 2011) has resulted in a great number of exceptional photographs, which illustrate this book. Dedicated to the distinctive and highly imaginative works of Suzanne Belperron, one of the pioneers of modern jewellery ILLUSTRATIONS: 250 colour illustrations




Women Jewellery Designers


Book Description

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




Diving for Starfish


Book Description

In the mid 1930s, in the workroom of Parisian jeweler Boivin, a jewelry designer created one of the most coveted pieces of jewelry in the world: the famous starfish pin. Created out of gold and encrusted with 71 cabochon rubies and 241 small amethysts, the starfish was distinctive because its five rays were articulated, meaning that they could curl and conform to the bustline or shoulder of the women who wore it. The House of Boivin made three of them. After seeing it in the showroom of a Manhattan jewelry merchant, Burns set off on a journey to find out all she could about the elusive pins and the women who owned them.




Celebrating Jewellery


Book Description

Broadly divided into 19th and 20th Centuries and then arranged thematically, this beautifully designed and lavishly produced book celebrates the greatest jewels encountered by the authors.




Art Deco Jewelry


Book Description

ART DECO. An authoritative, comprehensive, and beautifully illustrated selection of jewelry that will appeal to specialists and general readers alike; published with the Musee des Arts Decoratifs.




A Vanity Affair


Book Description

This is the ultimate illustrated guide to the most exquisite vanity cases from the nineteenth century onward; an unmissable opportunity for lovers of jewelry and fashion. This elegant and richly illustrated volume, featuring a slipcase and gilded page edges, showcases a rare private collection of vanity cases and includes an exquisite array of luxury accessories from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century. These vanity cases, carefully designed and mostly handmade, became covetable accessories with the advent of beauty products. The vanity case, the ultimate jeweled fashion accessory, was designed and made mostly in Paris by skilled designers and craftsmen who understood that the fashionable modern woman needed a practical solution for carrying lipstick, powder compact, cigarettes, lighter, theater tickets, keys, and other small paraphernalia. Tiny, made of precious metals, including platinum and gold, with inlays of lacquer, gemstones, mother-of-pearl, jade, or enamel, these reticules took hundreds of hours of patient craftsmanship to complete.




Taffin


Book Description

This luxurious volume showcases more than three hundred pieces designed by the imaginative French jeweler James Taffin de Givenchy, in his first book. "Jewelry is an emotional object that projects who you are. It takes artistry, intellect, and logic to make it," said James Taffin de Givenchy. Since launching his own jewelry business in 1996, Taffin has garnered a glowing reputation as a connoisseur of exotic gems and a designer who fuses Old World European glamour with pared-down modernity. His incredible bijoux are at once eclectic and whimsical, and embrace a symphony of colors, gems, and shapes. This opulent volume grants access to Taffin's world as the designer shares his inspirational references, intimate photographs of his studio, and hundreds of exquisite photographs of his lavish one-of-a-kind pieces that, like him, are, at once, sophisticated but lighthearted, extraordinary yet unpretentious. Taffin is recognized for both sculptural designs that augment the individuality of each gemstone and the unexpected and playful use of materials--from rubber to ceramic to the steel of recycled AK-47s. Capturing the designs of a passionate colorist, Taffin brings to life the inventive and bold combinations of diamonds, peridots, sapphires, mandarin garnets, and coral creations in a volume that is truly a feast for the eyes. Lavishly illustrated, this book gives fashion and design lovers a unique look at Taffin's vivid and creative works.




Gemologue


Book Description

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




Beautiful Creatures


Book Description

Creatures from the animal kingdom represented in exquisite jewelry by renowned masters Cartier, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., JAR, Belperron, David Webb, Schlumberger, Boucheron, and many other brilliant jewelers. Many of the most imaginative designs by the world's great jewelry houses and artisans take inspiration from the animal kingdom. From Cartier's iconic panthers to Bulgari's snakes and JAR's butterflies, these spectacular objects dripping with precious stones are akin to wearable art. Beautiful Creatures depicts some of the most spectacular beasts ever transformed into sparkling treasures and accompanies a forthcoming special exhibition in the American Museum of Natural History's Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. The 120 pieces featured date from the mid-1800s to the present, representing species from the realms of land, air, and water. Gorgeous studio photography of the jewelry is complemented by images of iconic personalities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Twiggy, and the Duchess of Windsor wearing famous animal- inspired jewels. Guest curator Marion Fasel relays the stories behind the individual pieces through entertaining anecdotes and reveals the colorful histories and fascinating symbolism of these remarkable creatures in precious gems and metals that intrigue and delight and that we never tire of wearing.