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Reviewed by June Culp Zeitner. This is not just another book about jewelry. It is about celebrities, nobility, high society, opulence, and about biography — who designed this glamorous jewelry, who gave it to whom and why, and, of course, about the jewelry itself. It is full of fascinating little-known or long-forgotten facts and is beautifully illustrated with pictures of glamorous actresses, royalty, and heiresses who cherished and wore the featured jewels. Most of the jewelry discussed in this book was commissioned and one-of-a-kind, and made only of the finest diamonds and precious stones. Many of the traditional designs rely on extravagant use of diamonds or huge Oriental pearls for their appeal. While these pieces are stunning and valuable, they may seem boring to contemporary jewelry designers (with the exception of some of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewelry, which is highly original). However, the authors did include some jewelry with interesting and contrasting designs that made elegant use of colored stones such as jade, coral, amethyst, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and chrysoberyl, as well as flawless turquoise in magnificent settings. Royal families, high society, and celebrities have long been known for their costly jewels designed by such jewelers as Van Cleef and Arpels, Schlumberger, and Cartier, to name a few. The authors have provided wonderful stories about individuals of nobility and wealth that give the reader a background on various jewelry collections. For example, Helena Rubenstein, who founded her own successful business empire, had a more individualistic and diverse taste in jewelry than most women of her time, whose collections were mostly gifts or adornments for traditional formal events. But besides becoming acquainted with the wearers of the jewels, readers can get to know the work of many jewelry designers, too. The authors, Stefano Papi and Alexandra Rhodes, both Sotheby’s directors, have done a tremendous amount of research, resulting in a book that should be read and enjoyed by all who are interested in fabulous jewels or have their own collection of fine jewels. Buy this book from Barnes & Noble.com
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