A World of Necklaces-the fourth book in a series that also features rings, bracelets and earrings-demonstrates the importance and variety of the remarkable Ghysels collection of ethnic jewelry.
The forms, colors and materials of these necklaces are astonishing, while the modernity of some pieces in the collection has not escaped the notice of contemporary jewelry designers.
It is rare for jewelry to have a solely aesthetic purpose, for above all it is anchored in the social, religious and political contexts that lend it meaning. Throughout this book, the author sets out to untangle the intricacies of the way necklaces are used and what they signify. She describes the materials and draws attention to the originality of the craftsmen, who have contributed to the enrichment of a cultural heritage that has long been under threat and which this collection is helping to preserve. The book includes over 300 superb photographs, a glossary, an index, maps and a general bibliography.
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 pavé, channel, invisible, gypsy, wire, and tension.
Jewellery has been a prominent means of artistic and cultural expression in every civilisation, and like all contemporary art, it has undergone a significant evolution in recent decades. Noovo 3: Unexpected Thoughts | Contemporary Jewellery contains a wonderful collection of pieces of jewellery as communicative and meditative objects. They are works of art that reveal the miracle of the unusual, providing a completely fresh artistic perspective.
They’re the very best in contemporary glass beadmaking, 1000 dazzling and unique examples by an international array of artists. This color survey has it all: the beads come single or in multiples, in jewelry or sculptural pieces, flameworked and kilnformed; and their diversity and beauty are amazing. Julia Skop’s intriguing Secret Surprise showcases clear glass beads with millefiori slices at the ends.
Cartier’s peerless designers have continued to amaze decade after decade—from the 1930s into the twenty-first century—with their fanciful and trendsetting creations. Figurative pieces comprise a significant portion of the house’s collection—a veritable menagerie that includes bejeweled roosters and cobras cohabitating with tigers and angelfish. In addition to whimsical fauna and resplendent flora, Cartier crafted items of precisely mastered abstraction, from virtuoso work in gold to chromatic harmonies ranging from subtle to bold.
All great jewellery-designers were strongly committed to the Art Déco style, which featured astringent sophistication in design and choice of materials: jewellers such as Cartier, Boucheron, René Lalique, Georges Fouquet and designers such as Jean Desprès and René Boivin. From about 1928, this canon of forms occurs both in the work of Naum Slutzky at the Bauhaus and the German jewellery industry as represented by Theodor Fahrner Nachf. Gustav Brändle in Pforzheim and Jakob Bengel in Idar-Oberstein.
Here’s a fresh take on embroidery and jewelry making! Using some 30 hand and machine embroidery techniques, textile artist Shirley Anne Sherris guides readers through ten jewelry projects, including a floral necklace created from layers of sheer fabrics and a bracelet made from metal rings and covered with colorful embroidered patches. There’s rich technical information, from how to calculate sizes to innovative uses for beads and sequins. Fabric choices range from sheers and cut lace to felt and leather, and the unexpected creative touches include incorporating such found objects as metal bits and garden mesh.
The Van der Star collection of ethnic jewellery is unique, both in size and quality, bringing together masterpieces from Africa, the Arab World, India, Central and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Each of these areas has their own specific designs, and their own specific uses and symbolism attached to jewellery. Materials used include gold, silver and many types of gemstones, but also archaic materials such as leather, coral, beads, bone, teeth, and shells.
Arranged by designer, this is the first book to showcase contemporary catwalk and couture jewellery, profiling 33 international fashion jewelers who combine traditional techniques and ultra-modern methods to create this new style of jewelry. Among the stunning images of work shown are collaborations with leading fashion designers and brands such as Lanvin, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and Comme des Gar ons, as well as collections for directional fashion stores such as Colette and 10 Corso Como.