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Diamonds: A Century of Spectacular Jewels
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You Are Here: Books About Antiques > Antique Diamonds > Item 34 of 121
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$11.89
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Available from Amazon
Price Last Updated : 6-25-2008
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Features
Hardcover: 191 pages
Publisher: Harry N Abrams September 1996
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0810932296
ISBN-13: 978-0810932296
Product Dimensions:
12 x 9.2 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
From Library Journal
Through most of their long and sparkling history, diamonds have been reserved for royalty; that is, until 1887, when the leaders of the Third Republic of France decided to sell the French crown jewels. Following that event, anyone could own them. This work successfully blends a highly informative and authoritative text with magnificently photographed splendors that exhibit the opulence associated with the jewels. Each chapter focuses on some aspect of the historical importance of the diamond over the past century and its relationship to and impact on fashion. Career information on an array of notable jewelers?from Boucheron, Bulgari, and Cartier to Schlumberger and Winston?is featured. Also highlighted are the styles of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Machine Age, Modern, and Pop, along with the evolution of settings from traditional silver to platinum and gold. This cavalcade of jewelry history is punctuated with references to fashion, glamor, socialites, entertainers, and royalty. This volume could serve as a companion to The Master Jewelers (LJ 10/15/90) and would be a welcome addition to any collection.?Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Reader Reviews
Penny Proddow and Marion Fasel have done it again! "Diamonds" is a spectacular overview of some of the most famous, infamous, and downright jaw-dropping diamond jewelry ever made. Those who are interested in a gemological history may be disappointed, as Proddow and Fasel concentrate solely on mostly modern diamonds set into jewelry--but those who salivate over the treasures of luminaries from Queen Elizabeth to Elizabeth Taylor will be delighted with this book. Proddow and Fasel have done their homework and provide the reader with a lengthy history of the diamond and its stature in the jewelry world. From the beginning, it was considered rare, unusual and much to be treasured--and its status as such ensured that it would be used in only the most elegant, important, and imaginative jewelry. We learn of the origins of the famed Tiffany setting for diamonds. This was a prong structure which supplanted the formerly popular bezel setting by exposing the pavilion (bottom) of the stone itself, thereby allowing more interplay of light and sparkle. This seemingly simple approach ended up establishing Tiffany as one of the world's premier jewelers. We learn about the freedom jewelers felt during the Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods--the freedom to approach jewelry as art and not just dull commissioned pieces from nobility. We learn about the way Jackie Kennedy wore several diamond pins in her hair during a 1960s trip to Paris to SUGGEST the appearance of a tiara--without the royal associations of an actual tiara. Proddow and Fasel have done their homework in providing splendid photographs of both well-known and rarely-seen diamond pieces. The book is particularly strong in showcasing nature-oriented jeweled pieces. Particular stand-outs include: - An astonishingly beautiful butterfly brooch from the 1890s, in which the butterfly's body is made of a diamond and a ruby and the winds are enormous carved and etched diamonds (p. 20), not to mention a diamond and platinum butterfly brooch in which actual butterfly wings are encased in rock crystal (p. 32); - An actual lion's paw seashell in which diamond tentacles climb the shell's grooves and set off the gleaming coral color (p. 87); - An enormous Cartier snake necklace commissioned by Mexican actress Maria Felix in 1968 and featuring over 2,400 diamonds on one side. The other side was done completely in colored enamels, making the necklace reversible (p. 112); - A tortoise compact made from a real tortoise shell and pavé diamond head, feet, and tail (p. 130). This book is an invaluable and instructive guide for anyone who loves diamond jewelry and appreciates the imaginative flights of fancy it inspires in its creators. Highly recommended!
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Diamonds: A Century of Spectacular Jewels
by Penny Proddow, Marion Fasel, and David Behl
Available from Amazon
Price: $11.89
on 6-25-2008
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