Publish Year: 2015 Title: Exhibition Review: Glitterati: Portraits and Jewelry from Colonial Latin America Abstract: Figure 1. Tiara, Colombia or Ecuador, circa 1690. Silver gilt, emeralds, and pearls. Denver Art Museum, Gift of Robert J. Stroessner; 1992.74

In Glitterati: Portraits and Jewelry from Colonial Latin America, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) displays jewelry and portraiture, as well as furniture and other personal objects (figure 1), that reflect personal adornment traditions in all classes and walks of life during the Spanish colonization period in Mexico and South America (1521–1800). Various indigenous tribes have a long tradition of metalworking, and the land is abundant in natural resources. Gold and silver, along with emeralds and diamonds and organic materials such as pearls and coral, are plentiful in the regions covered by the exhibition. The fusion of old and new is a major theme of the exhibition and is expressed through materials, techniques, and design. The talents of the native people and the European jewelers meshed, resulting in glorious creations such as the ones on display.

The exhibit, from the DAM’s Spanish Colonial collection, features a wall of 19th century portraits of Incan rulers from Peru. The rulers use lovely stamped stickpins, called tupu, with flat, round heads to fasten their cloaks; two of these pins are on display nearby. The hammered gold of the pins uses a stamped and chased design to draw out themes of the sun and heavens on these lovely ornaments. A beautiful gold filigree crucifix filial, dating from the 17th century (figure 2), features cabochon emeralds. Close examination reveals tool marks indicating that these gems were recycled from other, older jewelry, perhaps from the pre-Columbian era. The stone’s rough cabochon shaping contrasts with the delicate metalwork. Filigree has roots in both the Spanish and regional cultures, and is used to great effect in this piece.

Figure 2. Cross finial, Colombia or Ecuador, circa 1600. Gold, emeralds, pearls. Denver
Art Museum, Gift of the Stapleton Foundation of Latin American Colonial Art made possible
by the Renchard family; 1990.526.
Pearls and coral are present in almost every piece shown. Records from Columbus’ landing in present-day Venezuela in 1498 indicate that the native women were adorned in pearl and coral beads. Nueva Cadiz was settled in part because of the rich pearl beds nearby. Pearls and coral were available to all members of this society. This is demonstrated in Manuel de Arrellano’s portrait “Rendering of a Mulatto,” which depicts a woman of African and Spanish descent draped in pearls (including a six-strand necklace), earrings and coral rings. These materials were still sought by the upper class, and the intricate tiara in figure 1, with its lustrous white pearls and large, angular emeralds in an intricate gilt setting, is testimony to this.  Even the clergy wore status symbols; priests wore rosaries, badges and rings, not to mention the richly chased silver and silver plate used to glorify God during mass. A collection of handpainted nuns’ badges, worn as brooches by women who devoted themselves to Christ, feature saints and the Virgin Mary. Not all pieces were so opulent, and you can also see examples of the blue glass beads that were brought to South America by the Spanish. In fact, the Philippine trade ships that brought new exotic gemstones and ivory also carried paste stones and other materials for the equivalent of modern-day costume jewelry.

Figure 3. Diego de Borgraf, Portrait of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (detail), Mexico, 1656.
Oil on canvas. Denver Art Museum, Gift of Frederick and Jan Mayer; 2011.426.
Portraiture featuring members of the upper class makes up a large portion of the exhibit. Intended to display the sitter at the height of their finery, military medals and heraldic symbols decorate the men while the woman drip with diamonds, pearls, and other precious gems set in tiaras, brooches, bracelets, rings, and necklaces.  Even religious figures were not exempt; St. Catherine of Alexandria, seen in figure 3, is shown with a gold and pearl diadem, drop earrings, ruby shoulder clips and a large ruby brooch, as well as the pearls sewn to her neckline. Much of the jewelry follows the European fashions of the time, including trends of the courts. Aside from these surface implications, it is fascinating to see how many of the artists used primary colors and simple dabs of gold, silver, and white highlights capture the sparkle and richness of the stones. While the exhibit could draw more parallels between the art of the native people and the society that developed after colonization, on the whole it is a glimpse into the opulent costuming traditions of the time.

Glitteratti: Portraits and Jewelry from Colonial Latin America will be on display through November 22nd, 2016, on the fifth floor of the Denver Art Museum, in the Spanish Colonial collection. Admission is included in the $10 fee for nonmember Colorado residents ($8 for seniors and college students). The museum is open 10 to 5 Saturday through Thursday, and 10 to 8 on Fridays. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Metalwork Takes a Bow: Techniques that Enhance Gemstone Jewelry Abstract: Modern designer Andrea Cagnetti, known as Akelo, employs Etruscan-inspired designs using both filigree and granulation in this “Addebaran” box, 1999. Working in gold, he draws from his ancient ancestors for inspiration. Courtesy of Akelo, Andrea Cagnetti. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

Like a supporting actor stealing the spotlight from the star, fine metalwork can outshine the gems it displays. This collection of jewelry images, with items dating from pre-Columbian times forward, illustrates filigree and granulation, openwork, hammering techniques, engraving, Florentine finish, and mokume gane – all used to create the detail worthy of an award-winning performance.

Carolyn Tyler uses granulation, filigree and repoussé in this tourmaline and moonstone ring and earrings. She creates pieces inspired by artifacts from ancient civilizations with themes in nature, mythology and tribal art. Her jewelry is fashioned in 22K gold by Balinese crafters. Courtesy of Elise Misiorowski. Photo by Tino Hammid/GIA and Tino Hammid
Filigree and Granulation
Filigree and granulation have been used since ancient times. Filigree is created by soldering fine metal wires into intricate patterns. The wires may be plain or decoratively twisted. Historically, filigree was created by applying wires to an underlying base. As the craft evolved, the base was abandoned in favor of a lighter, openwork jewelry item with a lacy appearance. The openwork style was especially popular during the 19th century.

Granulation is an ancient jewelry art in which small gold particles adhere to the surface in bead-like fashion without apparent evidence of solder. It can be applied to create textures or designs. The Sumerians first used granulation, followed by the Etruscans in Western Europe.

The eye is immediately drawn to the delicate saw-piercing openwork platinum in this diamond brooch/pendant in trefoil motif with laurel wreaths in each lobe, surrounded by honeycomb and a lace border. All edges are milligrained. Courtesy of Neil Lane, Inc., Beverly Hills. Photo by Tino Hammid/GIA and Tino Hammid
Openwork
Openwork is a piercing technique that creates a pattern in the metal that lets light come through it. Saw-piercing is an openwork technique using a drill and jeweler’s saw to create a decorative motif. Upon close examination, you can see that the edges may be pressed with a milligraining tool – imagine a wood-handled pizza cutter-like tool that rolls out a small, beadlike pattern – that leaves the desired relief on the openwork metal and allows it to sparkle.

À jour, French for “to the day,” is another form of openwork created by sawing or piercing that makes it possible for light to enter from the back. The additional light enhances the gem’s scintillation and color, which improves its liveliness.

This moon and stars South Sea pearl pin in 18K gold features a hammered finish. Notice how the pattern of divots creates a warm glow. Although this is a modern pin, hammered finishes were particularly popular during the Arts and Crafts period. Courtesy of Leslie Weinberg Designs. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.
Hammered
A hammered finish is a decorative treatment created by the repeated blows of a small hammer with a specialized head to create an all-over pattern of divots. Although hammering dates back thousands of years, hammered finishes were particularly popular during the Arts and Crafts period (1860s to 1920s). Repoussé or repoussage uses a hammer and punch tool to raise the reverse side and chasing is when the artisan indents the metal surface by striking the tool with a hammer.

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Hand Engraving
Hand engraving is achieved by using gravers, chisels made of hardened steel in various shapes and sizes, to create different effects. A finish graver with delicate parallel lines is used to create a textured pattern of intersecting sets of lines known as a Florentine finish.

The Buccellati design house is known for its Florentine finish, which is recognized by its rich textural quality reminiscent of fine linen or lace. Their artisans also employ piercing techniques, which are used to create the look of honeycomb, lace or webbing. Atelier Buccellati dates to 1750 when goldsmith Contardo Buccellati made jewelry. The business rose to international fame when Mario Buccellatti took the lead from the1920s–1960s. Bucellati’s techniques and tools haven’t changed since the Renaissance.

George Sawyer is one of the few masters of mokume gane and has been perfecting his art since the 1970s. Gift of George Sawyer. Photo by Orasa Weldon/GIA
Mokume gane
Mokume gane was first made in 17th century Japan by master metalworker Denbei Shoami. The scarcity of precious metals in Japan led to the invention of new alloys and chemical treatments for coloring the alloys. Mokume gane uses layers of sheet metal of various alloys fused together to create a block. Mokume gane translates closely to “wood grain metal” or “wood eye metal,” describing the way the metal takes on the appearance of natural wood grain. The process was first used to make samurai swords.

The next time you admire a piece of beautiful jewelry, inspect the detail and craftsmanship of the metalwork to appreciate how a good supporting actor will make the star – the gem – shine. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2013 Title: Dictionary of Gemstones & Jewelry Abstract: The late Akira Chikayama was a noted gemologist who considered the Dictionary of Gemstones & Jewelry his personal “world heritage.” Indeed, the very scope of this dictionary is impressive. Entries include gems, minerals, sources, synthetics, treatments, jewelry findings, tools used in gem cutting and jewelry making, famous gemologists, scientists, mineralogists, and artists—the list goes on.
A massive undertaking to begin with, the book was translated from Japanese to English. But it did contain some minor errors. In the listing for the Searcy diamond, for example, there appears a photo of the Sancy. In the entry for “abraded culet,” the author likened it to an open culet, which I do not agree with. And seeing entries on Gübelin, Kunz, and Shipley made me wonder why Dana, Liddicoat, and Sinkankas were not included.
But as a general reference, the book serves its purpose well. The appendices alone are useful, covering a wide range of subjects and providing charts on birthstones, ring sizes, hallmarks, and more. Overall, this volume would make a nice addition to any gemological library if cost is not an issue.
Reviewed by Jana Miyahira-Smith
GIA, Carlsbad @topic:8


Publish Year: - Title: Exhibition Review: Maker & Muse, Women of the 20th Century Art Jewelry Abstract: Figure 1. This aquamarine necklace (c. 1890) by Mrs. Philip (Charlotte) Newman, is seen here in its original box. Newman's work inspired artists and designers of the Arts and Crafts Movement. From the collection of Tereza M. M. Driehaus. Photograph by John A. Faier, 2014, © The Richard H. Driehaus Museum.

Maker & Muse, Women of the 20th Century Art Jewelry, which opened at Chicago’s Driehaus Museum on February 14, 2015, features over 250 pieces of jewelry made during the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements from British, French, German, Austrian, and American artisans.

The exhibit, which runs through January 3, 2016, is housed in the opulent Driehaus Museum, a fairly new space housed in Gilded Age mansion, located in the heart of McCormickville and a block away from Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Built in 1879, the Driehaus Museum was originally the home of the Nickerson family, whose patriarch, Samuel, was a distiller for the Union Army and at one-time president of The First National Bank of Chicago. Richard H. Driehaus, who founded the museum in 2003, spent five years restoring it, opening it to the public in 2011. These ever-changing galleries are filled with furnishings, chandeliers, and decorative art from the 19th century to early 20th century Driehaus Collection.

The exhibit is housed on the second floor hallway and in bedrooms that were once inhabited by the Nickersons. At the top of the landing is a case of four pieces of distinctive jewelry, including an aquamarine necklace (figure 1), by Charlotte Newman (1840–1927), who broke through the glass ceiling of women jewelers. After the death of her mentor, John Brogden, Newman continued producing pieces in her own workshop. At the 1889 Paris Exposition, just as the Arts and Crafts movement was beginning she was the only woman listed as a collaborator on the jewelry exhibited.

The first room of the exhibit is titled “With A Hammer in Her Hand: British Arts and Crafts Jewelry.” As the Arts and Crafts Movement (1890–1910) took hold, simpler designs became the fashion for clothing, and the jewelry was made to compliment this change. Brooches, necklaces, clasps, and buttons were became common accoutrements, while earrings and bracelets fell out of favor. The movement away from industrialization allowed time for handmade items with natural materials, colored gems, and enamel which was affordable for many economic classes. Famous British jewelry designers included in this room are Charles Ashbee, Liberty & Company and its designers, Archibald Knox and the Guild of Handicraft, Child & Child, Sybil Dunlop, and Dorrie Nossiter. Husband and wife teams such as the Gaskins and Dawsons also gained acclaim. Notable pieces in this room include the silver blue enameled winged tiara set with a central citrine made in 1990 by Child and Child and a pair of life-like horn lily pad hair combs with moonstone drew drops made in 1906 by Ella Naper (figure 2).

Figure 2. English designer Ella Naper completed these lily-pad hair combs circa 1906. From the collection of Richard H. Driehaus. Photograph by John A. Faier, 2014, © The Richard H. Driehaus Museum.
Tiffany & Company and Marcus & Company, who were in fierce competition, are shown in the next room, themed “American Art Jewelry.” After his father’s death in 1902, Louis Comfort Tiffany became Tiffany & Co.’s first official design director. He established Tiffany Studios on the sixth floor of the 5th Avenue building at Madison and 45th Streets in New York, which was supervised by artists Julia Munson from 1902 until 1914 and Meta K. Overbeck from 1914 until 1934. Louis Tiffany himself left the studio in 1918.

As a leader of the Art Nouveau movement, Louis Comfort Tiffany is best known for his stained glass windows and lamps, several of which are exhibited here. Since he was inspired by nature, color, and design, his move into jewelry, particularly his smaller enameled works, was a natural progression, resulting in beautiful pieces encrusted with opals, garnets, moonstones, and jade. The most notable piece by Louis Comfort Tiffany is in the central case, the 1918 platinum, blue zircon, diamond, chrysoberyl, amethyst, and demantoid garnet necklace. Marcus and Company rivaled this piece with it 1900 gold, natural pearl, demantoid garnet and enameled necklace. In Germany, the Arts and Crafts movement was known as Jugendstil. In Vienna it was founded by Josef Hoffman of the Wiener Werkstätte as a cooperation of designers, artists and architects best known for their work on the Fledermaus Caberet (1907-1913). This movement is encompassed in “Jewelry as Art, Germany and Austria in the Early 20th Century.” Jewelry and objects in this gallery include boxes, dishes, and vases mostly made by Josef Hoffman and Karl Rothmuller. One striking piece on display is a silver, opal, and mirrored glass pendant created by Josef Hoffman in 1904 (figure 3).

Figure 3. Austrian artisan Josef Hoffmann, of the Wiener Werkstätte, completed this silver, opal, and mirrored glass pendant in 1904. From a private collection. Courtesy of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum.
The awe-inspiring pieces in “Metamorphosis, The Female Figure in Art Nouveau” are all about the muse: curves, folds, winged sylphs, femme fatale, Medusa. This room is filled with nature-inspired objects. Beautifully crafted art pieces were made for wealthy clients by men such as Rene Lalique, Alphonse Mucha, Louis Aucoc Fils, Georges Fouquet, and Maison Vever. Rene Lalique’s stunning gold, enamel, glass, diamond and baroque pearl chrysanthemum pendant/brooch is found in this room (figure 4).

Figure 4. Rene Lalique’s chrysanthemum pendant/brooch, completed c. 1900. From the collection of Richard H. Driehaus. © 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris. Photograph by John A. Faier, 2014, © The Richard H. Driehaus Museum.
The final room, “Beautiful, Useful, and Enduring, Chicago Arts and Crafts Jewelry”, is filled with Chicago-based jewelers such as LeBolt & Company, Elinor Klapp, Madeline Wynn, Florence Koehler, Frances Glessner, and the now-defunct Kalo Shop. The Christia Reade crown for the Queen of the Lombard (Illinois) Lilac Festival, still used every year, and made from donated silver spoons, is also on display.

This exhibit is a must see for anyone interested in the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau periods. It is a rarity that all of these exquisite pieces are open to public viewing in the same place and time.

The admission fee to the museum is $20.00 which includes the special exhibit. Audio and guided tours are also available for an additional $5.00 each. The museum, located at 40 East Erie, is open every day, except Monday, from 10am to 5pm. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Enduring Splendor: Jewelry of India’s Thar Desert Abstract: By Thomas K. Seligman and Usha R. Balakrishnan, softcover, 135 pp., illus., publ. by Fowler Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles, US$25.00.

In 2009, Thomas K. Seligman, director emeritus of the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, began research on the Thar of India with a focus on the soni caste of artisan jewelers. As Mr. Seligman’s research progressed, he proposed an exhibition featuring the work and stories of several individual sonis from Jaisalmer, in Rajasthan. Though many of the jewelers are highly skilled craftsmen, traditionally they do not sign their work; The study and exhibition, which would be co-curated by Mumbai-based jewelry scholar Usha Balakrishnan, would prove to be a unique opportunity to highlight these artists. This volume accompanied the exhibition.

In the book’s first chapter, “From Metal to Ornament: The Language of Jewelry,” Ms. Balakrishnan outlines a fascinating history of the region while explaining that the very nature of what jewelry represents in Indian culture has resulted in gaps in its history. For example, Hindus are traditionally cremated and their jewelry recycled within the family rather than being buried with the original owner. Also, constant migration of communities resulted in similar jewelry designs appearing in vast geographical regions. These complexities make a linear study extremely difficult. Indeed, Mr. Seligman’s study eventually became, according to folklorist Pravian Shukla, “the methodical documentation of the present in order to capture complete one moment in time.” Ms. Balakrishnan explains that there are three distinct categories of Indian jewelry: gold set with precious gems made for royalty and the very affluent, jewelry crafted primarily from silver, and finally tribal adornments made from base metals and materials such as shell and feathers. All are made by the soni, or jeweler. (The the surname Soni is common in Rajasthan to those in the jewelry-making trade.) She also discusses the deep significance of various forms of jewelry such as the hasli, a torque-type necklace that signifies a woman’s betrothal, charms that attract good luck, and pieces that fend off the “evil eye.”

The second chapter, “Four Sonis from Jaisalmer,” is a detailed examination of four of the many jewelry making families of the region. The family of Govindlal Soni, interviewed by Mr. Seligman, carries on traditional techniques and styles passed down from father to son through many generations (typically the only aspect of traditional jewelry-making undertaken by women is stringing). The family of Govindlal Soni has developed keen business acumen that has helped them to grow. Dharmendra and Om Soni are brothers who also carry on a family business established generations ago. This family specializes in making gold jewelry, with some silver jewelry made for the tourist trade. Hanuman Soni and sons specialize in traditional-style jewelry made for local people. All the jewelers in this family have trained in gold work but prefer to concentrate their efforts on fulfilling the needs of locals for traditional, heavy silver pieces. They also make pieces that are ordered and stocked by other shopkeepers. Hari Om Jewellers, established by Hari Ram Soni, and now run by his sons, developed a distinct jewelry style known for relief engraving and cut outs. This family specializes in making commissions for tourists. Several nice examples of each family’s work are depicted, showing how each has developed a distinctive style of their own.

Chapter three, “Pure Serendipity: An Odyssey into the World of Indian Jewelry” details the chance occurrence that led Ronald and Maxine Linde to collect Indian jewelry. Their first acquisition, shown in a full-page photograph on the first page of the chapter, was a spectacular necklace of gold, rubies, pearls, and diamonds. The Linde collection represents a great depth and diversity of ornaments and numerous pieces from their collection, promised gifts to UCLA, comprised most of the exhibition. The Linde’s collection is unique and special, as many collectors of Indian jewelry tend to gravitate to the Mughalera, with its grand pieces set with gold and precious gems. The Lindes have collected such items, as well as the silver jewelry of the lower castes and miniature items made for the statues of gods and goddesses. Pieces shown that the reviewer found particularly charming were a simple, silver hansadi neckpiece and a lovely gold, jade, ruby, and diamond armband dating from the late 17th to early 18th centuries.

Finally, “Selections from the Ronald and Maxine Linde Collection of Jewelry and Ritual Arts of India,” is devoted entirely to showcasing items from the collection from lavish, large, gold necklaces and earrings set with diamonds, rubies, pearls, and emeralds to humble, but still lovely, everyday silver earrings and everything in between. Photographed in high-resolution detail and shown against white backgrounds, the jewelry pops from every page and is a treat for the eye.

This reviewer found the book fascinating and very informative, as it concentrated on areas not usually visited with regards to Indian jewelry: the creation of everyday jewelry for the local communities as well as the background, histories, and motivations of the jewelers that so often remain anonymous. This is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in Indian jewelry as well as anyone interested in traditional, indigenous jewelry forms. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Italian Jewelry in the 20th Century Abstract: By Melissa Gabardi, hardcover, 335 pp., illus., publ. by Silvana Editoriale S.p.A., Cinisello Balsamo, Milan, 2016, US$75.00.

This richly illustrated book offers a chronological history of jewelry produced in Italy from 1900 to 1990. Author Melissa Gabardi, a decorative arts historian and curator, presents these jeweled treasures in layers of context. Throughout the book, she provides readers with historical perspectives on the political, social, and economic events that shaped Italian society, and the world, during the different eras. Among the gripping illustrations is one from the Sunday weekly La Domenica del Corriere from December 1935, during Italy’s Fascist period, depicting Mussolini’s invented “Wedding Ring Day.” It shows a woman’s hand as she drops her gold wedding ring into an upturned soldier’s helmet, filled with others’ wedding rings and festooned in the colors of the Italian flag. Below, the caption reads, “L’offerta d’amore e di fede delle donne d’Italia” (“The offer of love and faith by the women of Italy,” using fede, a word for “faith” that also means “wedding ring”).

Gabardi provides additional context with a 26-page section containing the biographies of the more than 70 Italian jewelry artists, families, and houses presented or referenced in this book. She includes the long-established Torrini family, whose Florence goldsmith workshop opened in 1369, and the line of Musys, jewelers to generations of royalty, who began in Turin in 1707. The biographical sketches help readers less familiar with Italian jewelry history navigate the sometimes tortuous text as Gabardi describes the influences of other jewelers or methods and motifs that emerged across the eras.

Finally, the more than 300 images are bookended by four chapters written by three contributors who provide additional insights into the master goldsmith nucleus of the innovative Padua School, the transformation of Arezzo from a town known for industrial workshops to “Made in Italy” cache, the handcrafting and goldsmithing rise of Valenza, and the expansion of the gold industry in Vicenza.

The mostly full-color images are drawn from a wide range of sources and help frame the actual photographs of these captivating pieces, 150 of which were part of a four-month exhibit at Milan’s Poldi Pezzoli Museum until March 2017. The book features archival images from magazines, posters, and sales catalogues, as well as lithoprints and sketches. The jewelry includes museum pieces and dozens of rarely seen pieces from private collections and the archives of the individual jewelry houses, such as the Fasano and Floriana Cusi Archives. Among the many standout pieces are the rings and brooches of Enrico Serafini (1913–1968) of Florence. Gabardi does not neglect the killer B’s of Buccellatti and Bulgari or later-century jewelers known for luxury fashion and celebrity clientele, such as Pomellato and Damiani.

The author’s diligent research also preserves the legacy of lesser-known Italian jewelers, including those who broke with earlier French influences. Gabardi provides a comprehensive, sensitive, and scholarly appreciation for many Italian jewelers who might otherwise be lost to the ages, whether through lack of successors, failed partnerships, tragedy, or engulfment by global tastemakers. These pioneers ushered in waves of jewelry artistry rooted in an Italian spirit that survived the setbacks of war and hardship to emerge as an international paragon of craftsmanship and style.

Although the writing style sometimes takes readers on a bumpy ride, the book offers those who hold on a panoramic journey that captures the origins of modern Italian design. Jewelry designers, historians, and lovers of all things Italian will appreciate this uniquely curated effort. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Fine Jewelry Couture: Contemporary Heirlooms Abstract: By Olivier Dupon, hardcover, 256 pp., illus., publ. by Thames & Hudson, New York, 2016, US$60.00.

Fine Jewelry Couture: Contemporary Heirlooms showcases the work of 37 jewelry designers from around the world. Author Olivier Dupon has pulled together a wide assortment of design styles, including the simple, almost calligraphic work of Cristina Ortiz; the historically inspired pieces of Silvia Furmanovich; the opulent baroque jewels designed by Opposite Jewels, Wendy Yue and Mauro Felter; the perfectly framed pearls of Autore; the mechanical precision of Elie Top; the gem-encrusted confections of Nam Cho and Morphée Joaillerie; the Art Deco-like and futuristic designs of Nikos Koulis; the delicate, exquisite enamels of Ilgiz Fazulzyanov; the playful, “insectiferous” pieces of Daniela Villegas; and the elegant, timeless work of Mana Matsuzaki. In short: There’s something here for all tastes.

Each designer’s work is accompanied by a single page of biography outlining some of their personal history, inspirations, and working philosophy, along with Dupon’s comments on the work. The text is separated into two columns by a thin, elegant line tipped with the initials of the designer’s name.

Almost all sections open with an example of the designer’s sketches, or occasionally, as in the case of Jasmine Alexander, a CAD rendering. It is always a pleasure to see the notes and thought processes of designers that are only visible in their sketch work; it’s an aspect of design that is too often overlooked. It is a shame that Villegas’ drawings, which were done on black paper and would have been striking in the original, did not reproduce well in the book.

As in any book about jewelry design, photos are paramount. Most of the photos in Fine Jewelry Couture, which appear to be largely supplied by the design houses, are excellent, showing well on mostly borderless white pages. However, there are some irregularities that, once noticed, sometimes overshadow the designs themselves and mar the overall presentation.

In some photos, reflections of varying strength or drop shadows have been added. While most images float on a white background, some remain framed as photos. Although the photos are still high quality, they are noticeably different from the others in the book. Occasional advertising-like model shots—such as the one with the cockatoo on the cover—are jarring elements in a book on design.

Sometimes the jewelry is used as a design element, with the image repeated in a radial pattern; or oriented upside down and joined, by a reflection, to a right-side-up version. Rather than enhancing the power of the jewelry, the technique minimizes the impact of the designs.

In some places, there could have been a much better use of enlargements and close-ups. Top’s work, which involves mechanisms that move and rotate, would have especially been served better by showing one series of good close-ups demonstrating how the mechanisms work, rather than distant shots described as being “open” or  “closed.”

While the irregularities in the style and use of the images do not take away from the high quality of the work illustrated, they do detract from what is otherwise a delightful source book on the work of a wide range of designers. They’re unfortunate in a book on design. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Cartier Magician: High Jewelry and Precious Objects Abstract: By François Chaille, hardcover, 264 pp., illus., publ. by Flammarion, Paris, 2016, US$125.00.

Art historian François Chaille’s beautifully illustrated book focuses on the Magician Collection of high jewelry and precious objects by the House of Cartier. The book is divided into chapters such as “The Magical Art,” “The Magic of Light,” “The Magic of Design,” and “The Magic of Reality.” Each one is illustrated with pieces from the collection, as well as colorful artwork. The author takes the reader to a magical past when diamonds were illuminated by candlelight, then later thrown into a modern world of electric light, and explains how that changed jewelry setting. He explores the innovative designs of Cartier through the last century, and how this new collection is a continuation of the brand’s mystique.

The book begins with the historical belief that some stones hold supernatural properties, that nature is full of miracles and magical virtues. Chaille quotes French writer and diplomat Paul Claudel, a friend of the Cartier family. In 1937, inspired by a visit to the Cartier shop on Rue de la Paix, Claudel wrote of a child who dreamed of taking in his hand a “drop of dew that sparkles in the May dawn like a star.” He continues: “The child knows that this wonder, once on his index finger… would give magical powers.” Then he closed by saying, “But all this is no dream, it is real.”

The concept of Cartier as magician came from the poet Jean Cocteau, a loyal client. In his 1910 poem “The Frivolous Prince,” he called Cartier “that subtle magician who captures fragments of the moon on a thread of sun.” Chaille refers to the company’s workshops as a place where “Merlin the Magician and other conjurers are in attendance,” imparting life to gems. A Mystery clock from 2015 is shown as an example of the magical designs conjured by the House of Cartier. Its hands are suspended in crystal with no apparent connection to a mechanism, yet they still move.

The reader then walks through the history of light and its use in art, from the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and paintings by Caravaggio to works by Van Gogh, Rothko, and Picasso and light sculptures by James Turrell and Robert Irwin. The author discusses the magic of light in art, and how we react to it as viewers. The importance of light and how it plays on gemstones cannot be emphasized enough; it is vital to the life of the stone and to jewelry. Louis Cartier started to use platinum in the late 19th century to show diamonds at their best, especially in the newly discovered electric light. The age of platinum jewelry had come into its own, and Cartier was at the forefront of this evolution. Platinum and diamond bracelets, tiaras, necklaces, and rings with names such as Clairvoyant, Luminance, Psyché, Oracle, and Incarnation fill these pages, adding to the mysticism of the Magician Collection.

The Illumination bracelet is made to create light through a combination of colorless diamonds and rock crystal. At the center of the bracelet is an impressive 31.16 ct D-IF emerald-cut diamond flanked by rectangular diamond-set platinum frames containing etched rock crystal panels. These panels lie on top of one another. Light reflects off the diamond through the crystal panels, which act like mirrors to reflect the light back. It is a wondrously imaginative design. Cartier creations use each of the major diamond cuts to enhance the shine, sparkle, and luster of their high jewelry. Since the 1920s they have used them in various combinations to bring a kaleidoscope of light effects to their jewelry. This is illustrated in a 1929 platinum and diamond bracelet that contains brilliant-cut, baguette-cut, single-cut, and bullet-shaped cut diamonds. Also illustrated is the Luminance necklace, which continues this tradition today by combining 11 modified triangular-shaped rose-cut diamonds totaling 19.15 carats with round brilliant-cuts to create scintillation and luster.

The chapter titled “The Magic of Design” gives a background on 1950s and ’60s kinetic art, which focuses on motion, and Op Art, a style that uses optical illusions. Alexander Calder, Victor Vasarely, and Yaacov Agam are a few of the artists whose work illustrates these styles. The chapter features Cartier pieces that transform from one thing to another or have a magical sense of movement. One page has six vintage cigarette cases from 1912 through the ’20s and ’30s. These cases have elaborate Art Deco designs that pre-date the Op Art movement by decades, yet look very contemporary with their kinetic optical illusions and use of positive and negative space.

The sense of movement and transformation is echoed in pieces from the Magician Collection. The Incantation necklace is made of platinum set with round and baguette-cut diamonds on a petal-like fringe. Hanging from this fringe is a 22.84 ct cushion-shaped Ceylon sapphire. The sapphire can be removed and worn as a ring, and the curve of the necklace can be inverted to make a completely different design. The Ubiquité set is a pair of platinum and diamond-set rings that can be worn as one ring or easily converted into two: one set with a 15.06 ct cushion-cut Kashmir sapphire, the other a 10 ct D-IF cushion-cut diamond. When locked together they create the Cartier Toi et Moi (You and Me) or Crossover ring. A piece that captures the sense of movement is a black jade bypass bracelet in the Apparition suite. The terminals of each bypass have a platinum, diamond, and onyx cap set with a cushion-cut Colombian emerald. These “caps” can be removed and transformed into earrings with a total emerald weight of 15.1 carats.

This final chapter, “The Magic of Reality,” focuses on the pieces inspired by nature and the world around us. Under the direction of head designer Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier began to create naturalistic depictions of flowers and three-dimensional animals. The iconic Cartier panther collection became very popular in the early 1920s. Designer Peter Lemarchand, like Toussaint, loved animals and birds, and together they designed some of the most iconic Cartier creations. In this final chapter, the focus on three-dimensional animals and flowers continues throughout the century and into the Magician collection. Elephants with raised trunks made of platinum and diamonds support an 85.25 ct oval emerald in a design for the Ganesh bracelet. On the opposite page is a design for Ganesh earrings that have pear-shaped sapphires, totaling 14.65 carats, suspended from pavé platinum elephant heads. The Jouesue ring has the famous Cartier platinum panther, paved in diamonds with black onyx spots, wrestling with a python coiled around a cabochon-cut 30.64 ct East African ruby. Another stunning piece is the Panthère Hypnotique necklace, where the panther stands upon a 52.53 ct black opal. The Crocodiles necklace, from 1975, is a bold pair of three-dimensional yellow gold crocodiles, one pavé set with yellow diamonds and the other with emeralds. One of the most whimsical pieces is the Adwaita ring, in which a turtle crawls over the top of the white gold mounting of pavé diamonds and cuddles up to a heart-shaped 29.37 ct spinel. Its shell is made of a cabochon gray-blue star sapphire.

Flowers are another inspiration in the Cartier workshops. Photos of a wide variety of floral pieces are included in this last chapter. A brooch from 2013 captures the virtuosity of the master jewelers. It is a flower set with a 46.12 ct cushion-cut pink tourmaline surrounded by pavé diamonds, and plique-à-jour enamel creating delicate petals. The Illyrie necklace combines carved morganite flowers with briolette-cut morganite drops and pear-shaped spinels to create a cascade of pastel flowers from a pink gold color of pavé diamonds. Carving of stones into three-dimensional flowers is an art form. Cartier has created many of these in brooches such as the Iridacée brooch, a purple iris carved from a piece of amethyst and set with a pear-shape yellow diamond along with accents of pavé white diamonds. The Gardenia brooches are carved in pink or blue chalcedony set in pink or white gold.

In the 1920s Cartier, influenced by the maharajahs, created what has come to be known as their Tutti-Frutti jewelry. It combines carved rubies, sapphires, and emeralds with diamonds to create an Indian look. The carved colored stones are combinations of pumpkin-cut and leaf-shape stone, some engraved with floral designs. It was quite popular in the ’20s and ’30s, and Indian motifs were revived in the 1960s. Recently this Indian-style jewelry has been brought back by Cartier. One of the most impressive pieces in this book is the Rajasthan set of necklaces that can be worn together or separately. The first necklace is a row of graduated pumpkin-cut emeralds with a pendant that contains a 136.99 ct carved emerald suspended from a pear-shaped carved ruby. This can be worn with another necklace—a bib of carved emeralds, sapphires, and rubies suspended from pavé diamond branches—to make a major statement piece. The large emerald can be transformed into a brooch, and the suite comes with earrings, ring, and bracelet to complete the set.

François Chaille’s knowledge of art, combined with his love of fine jewelry, creates a fascinating read for those who have a passion for both. He uses archival and modern jewels to weave history and art history to tell the story of the Cartier Magician Collection.

This book is sumptuously illustrated with high-resolution photos and archival preliminary sketches, as well as important art works. It is a scholarly work but easy to read, as informative as it is enjoyable. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Taffin: The Jewelry of James de Givenchy Abstract: By James Taffin de Givenchy, Tobias Meyere, and Hamilton South, hardcover, 400 pp. illus., publ. by Rizzoli, New York, 2016, $150.00.

Every time I gently eased the large volume about jewelry artisan James de Givenchy’s work with Taffin from the protective sleeve case and turned the pages, I acted as though I was removing a treasured object from a safe deposit box. I read, I stopped. I read, I stopped again. I forced myself to look a bit at a time so as not to gorge on the art represented, the craftsmanship on display for fear of spoiling myself for the next time.

As the pages turn, one can appreciate de Givenchy’s love of scale, the imaginative use of metals and their finishes, the exotic woods, and the leather used to create beautiful, singular pieces. The subtle homages to Duke Fulco di Verdura, Suzanne Belperron, and Jean Schlumberger are apparent to those familiar with their artisanship.

De Givenchy the artist comes to life through the thoughts of his friends, as written in their forewords to various sections of the book. In conjunction with the beautifully detailed photographs, one can understand why de Givenchy chose certain materials for specific pieces, and the reader takes joy in looking at the gems and the craftsmanship. A heart-shaped carved Colombian emerald, flush-mounted in a chartreuse green square ceramic base and adorned with pearls, pays homage to spring with the differing tones of green and the juxtaposition of organic elements. The inclusion of de Givenchy’s sketches of proposed pieces, along with the photo of his New York salon, elegantly bookend the jewelry depicted.

James de Givenchy delights in upending our conventional expectations. He uses unique woods and relatively common materials such as agate and leather through uncommon shapes and purpose. A broad violet wood bracelet, with its powerfully ridged grain juxtaposed with polished white chalcedony domed button shapes, makes the viewer pause in order to interact with the piece. Two pins executed in cloud-shaped faience and decorated with sweeps of diamonds results in a charming, light appearance. Some of the most intriguing works shown are those that have the gems set culet up. This causes the eye to stop and it disrupts the brain, leading to a greater appreciation of the cleverness of the method. Gemstones set in this manner cause us to approach a red spinel and ruby domed ring with a modicum of caution due to perceived prickliness. Such pieces create a visual and textural treat.

Taffin is a treasure, pure and simple. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: A ‘Game-Changing’ Quality Assurance System for Jewelry Workmanship Abstract: JMA Instructor Michael Turinetti inspects the roundness and size of a student-made ring as part of his Quality Assurance Benchmarks (QAB) evaluation for finished and semi-finished jewelry. The system, which aims to improve workmanship and minimize jewelry failure, debuted in GIA classrooms before the Institute began publishing the QABs for platinum jewelry online in 2016. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA

A woman walks out of a big-city, high-end jewelry store. She and her husband have just made a remarkable purchase: a platinum ring featuring a 22-carat (ct), GIA-graded diamond center stone.
She proceeds across town, often admiring the sparkle on her finger, as she continues with her day.
A few hours later, she claps along with fellow patrons at a charity auction and her gaze falls again to the ring. She is shocked to see that the beautiful diamond is gone.
“One minor blow pushed that huge diamond out,” says Mark Mann, GIA’s senior director of global Jewelry Manufacturing Arts (JMA).
Mann served as an expert witness when this scenario – unfortunately, a real case – unfolded and went to court more than three decades ago. He says the ring made it to the sales floor despite “serious errors in design, engineering and workmanship” that left it primed for failure.
Cases of jewelry failure – lost stones, broken prongs, inconsistent sizing and distorted shapes – have been “an ongoing issue for the trade,” Mann says. The cringe-inducing “real-life consequences” include inconsistent quality, lost sales and damaged reputations, and can affect everyone from the largest jewelry manufacturers to the smallest brick-and-mortar retail shop.
Mann stresses that, for consumers, it doesn’t matter whether the missing stone is 22 carats or .02 carat – the emotional and mental effects are devastating.
“It’s disappointing at any price point,” he says. “And though jewelry failure is sometimes out of our hands, it’s often preventable.”

The Quality Assurance Benchmarks used in our JMA programs have proven to be powerful electronic, written and visual criterion that our QA team uses to provide students with real-time, appropriate industry feedback. It helps hone their knowledge on how to design, engineer and make quality jewelry.
Elizabeth Brehmer, GIA director of operations for Jewelry Manufacturing Arts

Mann points to a couple of overriding factors that perpetuate the problem of jewelry failure.
“Consumers are trusting and have some preconceived notions about quality assurance,” he says. “When we go out and buy an automobile, the industry is so highly regulated that things are assumed. But even within a highly regulated industry, where quality absolutely has to be ensured, there are problems. There is no overarching, governing body that guides our industry as there is with other trades like automobile or equipment manufacturing, so of course issues come up.”
In addition to the lack of regulation, jewelers, manufacturers and retailers are rarely able to communicate clearly and consistently about workmanship.
“Quality assurance is not a new concept, but it’s carried out in a variety of company-specific methods, and terminology is different with every organization,” he says. “There is no common ‘language’ that ensures we can talk to each other and figure out how to rectify these problems or prevent them from happening in the first place.”
Identifying a Need
In the early 1950s, industry demand for more thorough diamond evaluation and education brought attention to the lack of a common “diamond language,” as GIA biographer William George Shuster describes in his 2003 book, “Legacy of Leadership: A History of the Gemological Institute of America.”
“At that time … diamond grading was chaotic and inconsistent because there were so many systems in use – and misuse,” Shuster says. “This left industry dialogue about a diamond’s features, and therefore its relative value, open to interpretation.”
The need for “terms and concepts acceptable and understandable to all” led GIA to develop the 4Cs of diamond quality and, eventually, the International Diamond Grading System™.
Today’s need for objective, consistent evaluation of jewelry workmanship and for a clear system of communication likewise catalyzed a GIA team, led by Mann and members of the JMA team, to create one.
Their systemized method of quality assurance for jewelry workmanship is called GIA Quality Assurance Benchmarks™, or GIA QABs™. In short, QABs are independently stated points of quality that Mann says are taken together to “provide an objective method for evaluating the quality of semi- or fully finished jewelry by comparing it against acknowledged criteria.”
While there are inherent differences in the way one grades a gemstone created by nature and the way one analyzes the “manmade” workmanship in a finished article of jewelry, Mann says, the concept of holding an item against objective criteria is the same.
And, just as GIA’s diamond grading system was “intended as a teaching mechanism, not a commercial system,” according to Shuster, GIA QAB concepts were taught in GIA classrooms well before their public release.

Elizabeth Brehmer, GIA’s director of operations for Jewelry Manufacturing Arts, has called the QAB evaluation system a “powerful” and “game-changing” system that makes it possible for her team to provide “consistent, objective feedback” to students and instructors. Brehmer, standing, is pictured with Quality Assurance team members Brendan Donovan and Joanna Joy Seetoo as they review Jewelry Design & Technology student submissions. “The key is valuing, and knowing, how to make quality jewelry that will last,” she says. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA
Developed for the Classroom, Refined at the Bench
Mann, whose 45 year career includes working within jewelry manufacturing, design and engineering in addition to GIA, knew when he was appointed to his current position that he and his team would want to rethink and improve the analysis of student workmanship.
“There was little or no information, visual or written, about defects in workmanship,” he says. “Instructors were doing their best to communicate certain details verbally, but they had no visual aids to support what they were trying to communicate.”
The JMA instructional and research and development teams, considering feedback from industry members, set about revising the review system for the daily work and bench tests of Graduate Jeweler (GJ) and Jewelry Design & Technology (JDT) students. They developed the QAB evaluation process and instituted it in 2013 for GJ students and in 2014 for JDT students.
“The Quality Assurance Benchmarks used in our JMA programs have proven to be powerful electronic, written and visual criterion that our QA team uses to provide students with real-time, appropriate industry feedback,” says Elizabeth Brehmer, GIA’s director of operations for Jewelry Manufacturing Arts. “It helps hone their knowledge on how to design, engineer and make quality jewelry.”
Students follow along with illustrated QAB analysis forms, which are broken into tasks and subtasks in each category, as they create and review their own jewelry pieces. Their work then moves on to the QA team, which reviews the piece of jewelry and checks a simple “Achieved” or “Not Achieved” box for each point of quality.
“It has been game-changing,” Brehmer says. “The methodology has made it possible for us to provide consistent, objective feedback to our students in an organized and structured manner. Our team can efficiently apply the criteria to multiple projects, in both the Jewelry Design & Technology and Graduate Jeweler programs, and instructors can coach students using these criteria to continually improve their understanding and application. Both students and instructors can immediately see areas that need improvement – and act on it.”
Mann agrees that instituting the QABs has worked “extremely well,” and alumni say it improved their classroom work.
“As a student, it was a way of keeping a focus on quality,” says Kenny Ray, director of gemstones for Fairfield, Ohio’s Quality Gold, Inc. and a graduate of GIA’s GJ and Graduate Gemologist programs. “It’s basically a checklist – follow it step by step, and when you’re finished with your project you can be pretty confident that your finished piece is complete.”
For Niki Grandics, an award-winning designer and bench jeweler from Southern California, utilizing GIA’s QAB system helped her plan her work.
“It encouraged me to be more proactive in problem-solving, because I already had those key criteria for that piece in mind as I was working on it,” she says.
And Amanda Chodosh, a GJ and JDT graduate who works as an apprentice jeweler for Shane Company in Colorado, felt relief – QABs meant there was no room for interpretation.
“After being an art major in my undergrad program, where everything was subjective and hyper-criticized, GIA’s QAB system was nice to adapt to because there was no guessing involved and everyone was assessed by the same standards,” she says. “I knew exactly what was expected of me. There were no hidden secrets or reading between the lines – it was very cut and dry, and you couldn’t cut corners. It’s either, ‘it achieved this,’ or ‘it did not achieve this.’”
In addition to improved efficiency, objectivity and thoroughness for students, classroom administrators found the QAB analysis sheets – permanent records of student work – to be helpful tools for data collection and tracking.
“I can look at forms and bring up student histories and formulate an opinion based on that data,” says Mann. “We can also use it on a bench test. If I look at data from the student sheets and discover that everyone is making the same mistakes or there are tool marks left all over the pieces, I can say, ‘It’s too late in the program for this stuff, what’s the discrepancy?’”
That makes it possible for administrators and instructors to see where improvements can be made – whether instruction should be adjusted, or whether there are areas of curriculum or hands-on training that need more work.

GIA alumni have found that the QAB system used to analyze their student work by Quality Assurance team members like Kevin Diep (pictured) is more relevant than ever in their professional lives. “I think it’s a healthy way to eliminate subjective opinions and creates structure and consistency throughout a company, brand or product,” says Amanda Chodosh, a GIA GJ and JDT grad who works as an apprentice jeweler for Shane Company in Colorado. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA
Real-Life Quality Analysis That’s Thorough, Efficient, Repeatable
Graduates have found GIA QABs indispensable for professional work.
Grandics, who is the owner, designer and bench jeweler of ENJI Studio Jewelry, is building an ethically focused brand using the QAB system she learned as a GJ student.
“For me, it means fewer surprises and fewer instances of taking things back for reworking or cleaning before a piece of jewelry goes out the door,” she says. “The working mindset that comes with these objective criteria helps me work more efficiently, but I see even more use for this as my business grows. When we expand our manufacturing in the future and hire more jewelers, using this system can help ensure a consistent quality standard, and that everyone is on the same page.”
“It can also help track performance and training. If some things are consistently an issue,” she adds, “you can respond to it much faster if you know about it before pieces go to the customer – rather than when they’re getting returned. It even makes training new hires easier when they know ahead of time what your standards are.”
Chodosh finds that the bench work she performs – stone setting and polishing, resizing rings, making repairs – on behalf of a national retailer is enhanced by her experience with systemized quality analysis.
“My position is not about my personal opinion; my job is to critically analyze a piece of jewelry for the company’s expectations and standards,” she says. “GIA’s QAB system is a practical, technical way to review a piece of jewelry so that it meets company requirements. I think it’s a healthy way to eliminate subjective opinions and creates structure and consistency throughout a company, brand or product.”
Ray says that employing the QABs helps him stay focused when the technicalities of quality assurance run up against the realities of busy, fragmented days.
“I’m able to follow the same routine any time I’m performing quality assurance, or training someone in it,” he says. “Days can become hectic, and the QABs can get me back on track after I’ve been sidetracked. I can pick up where I left off and be confident that nothing was left undone.”

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Going ‘Beyond the Classroom’
Mann says that as the QABs were developed, the GIA team quickly recognized the ways the system could “go beyond the classroom” and benefit the industry.
“The same thing that the QABs bring to a classroom would help with quality assurance in a factory,” he explains. “Take the largest factory in Hong Kong, for example – the QAB data would allow you to track an individual’s workmanship. If you’re seeing the same department making the same error, you have it there in black and white. You can take preemptive measures to improve the supervisory situation, or hire someone to come in and train the skill where the problem lies.”
As the team began to understand the potential industry-wide benefits of the QABs, they decided to create a home for them on GIA’s website, where they would be accessible to the public. They began publishing the QABs periodically in 2016, and while they are currently available exclusively for platinum jewelry, QABs for other metals are planned for the future.
The QABs are presented online as interactive learning modules organized into one of four categories: Ring Sizing; Finishing and Polishing; Assembling and Setting; and Tools and Metal Identification. Each category features details on several topics, such as setting a princess-cut center stone in a platinum mounting, refinishing techniques for worn platinum jewelry and identifying/characterizing platinum alloys.
Each module includes benchmarks for specific situations, descriptions of possible problem areas or engineering features, and detailed artist renderings and photos of real jewelry. Many feature brief videos with demonstrations of manufacturing techniques, and red and blue beacons enable users to move through each module and track their progress.
In the year since GIA began publishing the QAB modules online, the pages have drawn nearly 30,000 views. For Bev Hori, GIA’s senior vice president of education and chief learning officer, those numbers signal high interest among trade members to embrace methods that can improve jewelry manufacturing and workmanship, and the industry as a whole.
“We felt that it was important to share what was working so well in GIA classrooms,” Hori says. “GIA’s Quality Assurance Benchmarks have been an effective tool for our students and instructors, and providing them as a resource is a way to share that knowledge and experience with the trade. It is also a meaningful way we can help fulfill the Institute’s mission of ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry.”
Brehmer believes that the impact of systemizing quality assurance will be far-reaching.
“Everyone benefits from a well-made piece of jewelry: the manufacturer, the retailer, the jeweler and the consumer,” she says. “It takes no more time to make a well-engineered jewelry item than it does a poorly engineered one. The key is valuing – and knowing – how to make quality jewelry that will last.” @topic:6


Publish Year: 2014 Title: Books: Untamed Encounters:  Contemporary Jewelry from Extraordinary Gemstones Abstract: By Mimi Lipton, 245 pp., hardcover, illus., publ. by Thames & Hudson, New York, 2014. US$95.00.

Untamed Encounters: Contemporary Jewelry from Extraordinary Gemstones is a print gallery of 80 jewels commissioned by collector and author Mimi Lipton, whose interests run not to faceted and finished stones but to unfinished raw materials: mineral crystals, fragments of opal broken from the vein, gems inextricably bound to the matrix in which they have formed, coral worn by the ocean, unusual Baltic amber, and strangely shaped freshwater pearls. In her world travels, Lipton has also discovered carved pieces of amber, bone, ivory, and jade, as well as coral nuggets from old jewelry.

Crystals take millennia to form and rise to the earth’s surface, the accident of their survival a small miracle; corals are burnished by sea and sand into stark, skeletal shapes. Each unique “untamed” piece shows us the beauty and power often inherent in the unfinished and the worn. They are reminiscent of ancient talismanic jewelry in which raw materials of surpassing beauty or strange shape were thought to hold magical powers. Or perhaps they were simply beautiful to look at and to hold.

Suiting the international provenance of these raw materials, Lipton has gathered an international group of seven jewelry artists to create large, bold, unusual works that emphasize the uniqueness of each material. The pieces are often inspired by ethnic jewelry Lipton has encountered in her travels. While most are in 22K gold, some include iron, silver, driftwood, and silk cord. Many of the rough-hewn pieces echo the unfinished quality of the materials set into them. Others contrast the rugged quality of the materials with smoothly finished metal.

Illustrated with 260 large-format color photographs, many of them extreme close-ups, the book allows readers to visually examine these works in detail, from mineral and stone shapes and surfaces to material textures, craftsmanship, and connections. So that nothing interrupts the visual feast, a section at the end provides material and artist information next to thumbnails of each piece. Another section provides biographies of the artists, the photographer, and other contributors.

If anything is missing, it is the stories behind the pieces: where and how Lipton discovered each one, what they mean to her, the story behind each creation—her vision and the artists’ visions and how those met and evolved into finished jewelry. Collaboration is an art in itself, and it would have been enlightening to see how the artists and the collector communicated to create these unique pieces.

Regardless, Untamed Encounters  is certain to be a treat for anyone who appreciates or collects jewelry. It inspires us to take a second look at the world and to question our definitions of beauty and preciousness. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Book Review: Cartier Dazzling: High Jewelry and Precious Objects Abstract: By François Chaille, hardcover, 272 pp., publ. by Flammarion, Paris, 2016, $125.00.

	Another in a near-annual series of beautiful hardbound volumes featuring new collections in the Cartier oeuvre, Cartier Dazzling: High Jewelry and Precious Objects highlights the famed jewelry atelier and its glamorous clients. Cartier has been the architect of renowned jewelry, many incorporating world-famous gemstones. The blue Hope, the Star of South Africa, the Pasha, the Star of the East, and various De Beers diamonds have all been featured in pieces by Cartier’s master jewelers, and figure into the jewelry house’s rich history.

	Cartier’s relocation from the Boulevard des Italiens to the Rue de la Paix in Paris in 1899 proved a strategic move for the young jewelry store. This luxury shopping area was home to established jewelry houses such as Mellerio and Aucoc, as well as nearby sales opportunities with Worth and Paquin couturiers, Guerlain perfumes, Viault-Este shoes, and Charvet shirts at the Place Vendôme. These shops were conveniently near many of Paris’s great hotels catering to wealthy travelers: the Hotel Bristol (dubbed the “Hotel of Kings”), the Ritz, the Hotel des Iles Britanniques, and the Westminster. Sharing important clients due to the close proximity of their stores, Louis Cartier and Jean-Philippe Worth, who were acquainted before the former’s move to Rue de la Paix, eventually became the best of friends.  This link further strengthened by Louis’s marriage to Jean-Philippe’s daughter, Andrée-Caroline at the turn of the century. In 1910, Louis’s younger sister, Suzanne, married Jacques Worth, another member of the powerful family.

	Cartier began to fashion jewelry employing platinum, a metal rarely used, at the end of the 19th century. Platinum helped to create light and airy pieces that would enhance the dresses designed by Worth. This new style of jewelry, known as the “garland” style, epitomized the Belle Époque era of jewelry design.

	An introduction to the maharajah of Kapurthala in 1911 provided Louis Cartier’s brother Jacques access to the high society of the Indian subcontinent. Indian princes brought personal gems to Cartier to be reworked into modern designs using platinum. As a result the renowned Indian penchant for opulence was reflected in the form of carved rubies, sapphires, and emeralds set into Cartier’s signature “Tutti Frutti” (or “fruit salad”) jewelry during the first third of the 20th century.

	Cartier jewelry featured heavily at the “Ball of the Century,” held on September 3, 1951 in Venice. Many of the 1,500 attendees and preeminent members of café society were devoted Cartier followers, such as Singer sewing machine heiress and socialite Daisy Fellowes. She attended wearing her famous 1936 “Hindu” necklace by Cartier, an intricate creation of faceted and carved sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. This iconic necklace eventually found its way into the Cartier Collection, a group of 1,500 exceptional pieces of jewelry from 1860 to the present, including a necklace once owned by Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton: a strand of 27 jadeite beads of exceptional quality and size, with a clasp of baguette diamonds and calibrated rubies.

	The Étourdissant collection, introduced at the end of 2015, makes use of carved morganite, chalcedony, and jasper to define and accentuate form and color in the guise of flowers and panthers. A discussion of chasing and repoussé highlights the amount of workmanship and masterful technical skill involved in creating a swallow-themed diamond pendant necklace. The collection also features the “threading” of diamonds—the stringing of drilled diamond briolettes on a strong wire, presumably platinum—for use in various designs. A number of exceptional gems grace this collection, including the Bleu Azur diamond, the pink Aube diamond, the Burmese Andaman sapphire, and the Colombian Amazonie emerald. But the apex of this year’s collection is the Romanov sapphire, of Sri Lankan origin and weighing a whopping 197.80 ct.

	Cartier first purchased the Romanov sapphire between 1925 and 1928, during the sale of the Russian imperial jewels by Russia’s newly formed Communist government. The imperial jewels had been seized from the Russian royal family when they were dethroned. The sapphire’s Imperial provenance was confirmed by an illustration plate and description of the stone in the French version of the extremely rare inventory catalog, Les Joyaux du Tresor de Russie (Russia’s Treasure of Diamonds and Precious Stones). The stone was pictured in the French version but omitted from the English version that accompanied the jewels at their original sale. When the catalog, consulted again during the 2014 sale of the sapphire back to Cartier, suggested the gem had belonged to Maria Feodorovna (mother of Nicholas II, the last Romanov emperor of Russia). A brief but thorough description of her life follows to enlighten the audience about the stone’s background. After the stone was acquired by Cartier in the 1920s, it was purchased by Polish opera singer Ganna Walska, who had the sapphire mounted in a necklace several different ways during her ownership. It was eventually auctioned off with most of her vast jewel collection in 1970 to help improve the gardens at her Montecito, California estate. Upon reacquiring the Romanov sapphire in 2014, Cartier set it into a bracelet enhanced with diamonds.

	Readers who are under the impression that Cartier made Mystery clocks only in the 1920s, will be pleased to know that the Étourdissant collection features two: the Pharos Mystery clock and the Target Mystery clock, as well a “Celian” magnetic clock driven by an ingenious arrangement of magnets. A very fine hinged bangle watch bracelet of pink tourmaline, diamonds, and pink gold is also depicted.

	True to form, color is employed masterfully in Cartier’s Étourdissant jewels, the intense red fire of ruby or the green vortex of an emerald playing off the neutrality of white diamonds or black onyx. The current collection features newly interpreted designs of Cartier’s ever popular and appealing “Tutti Frutti” jewels, first created in the 1920s and now updated for a modern take. Perhaps the most stunning jewels from the collection are those depicting wild animals, especially the Cartier panther. Symbolic of Cartier as early as 1914, the panther is today incorporated as an animal of intrigue.

Cartier Dazzling will be useful for jewelry historians, designers, and those with a love of iconic brands and superb workmanship of great ingenuity. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Exhibition Review: Vanishing Beauty: Asian Jewelry and Ritual Objects from the Barbara and David Kipper Collection Abstract: Figure 1. Amulet case (gau) with Face of Glory (Kīrtimukha), mid-20th century. Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Promised gift of Barbara and David Kipper.

	Sweepingly Pan-Asian, Vanishing Beauty: Asian Jewelry and Ritual Objects from the Barbara and David Kipper Collection is currently on exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute. Consisting of more than three hundred objects, the exhibition is part of a promised gift to the museum and focuses largely on marginalized outlying Asian cultures. Encompassing many religions and cultures, artifacts ranging from textiles to elaborate jewels that belonged to monks, officials, and laypeople of all social statuses, it is a dazzling collection of gem-set items.

	The entire Kippers collection is comprised of more than 1300 items, most of it displayed in their Chicago home. “I turned down double the number of items I collected over the years,” said Mrs. Kipper, who is a professional photographer. From the start, her collection was based “on whether something spoke to me in a visceral and visual way, as opposed to any intellectual approach.” As she and her husband David traveled the world, they saw the cultures she had experienced on her first Asian trip in the 1960s giving way to modernity and geopolitical changes. At that point she took on a greater mission: to preserve the artifacts for posterity.

	The Silk Road, the ancient trade route leading from the Mediterranean Sea to China and India, brought gems, pearls, and glass to Asia, where these prized foreign commodities were combined with local material in spiritual and personal objects (figure 1).

	Throughout Asia, turquoise is commonly used in jewelry and ritual objects. About 70% of the gems used in Tibetan jewelry are turquoise, as the material has great spiritual meaning. Tibetan medicine ascribed a range of healing properties to turquoise as well, ranging from an antidote for poisoning to curing liver ailments. In Central Asia, turquoise was a symbol of chastity and purity, and was associated with prosperity, piety, and courage. The turquoise mined in Tibet and China was mostly in shades of green, and was used in jewelry and ritual objects for average folk. The vivid blue variety from Iran was more desirable, and the Persian material takes center stage in many of the more elaborate items for the highborn and powerful. The jantar in figure 2 is one example.

	While most of the items on display combine turquoise with emeralds, sapphires, rubies, amber, coral, carnelian, and pearls, colored glass and plastic beads are featured as well. As rare commodities from the west, their vibrancy and reflective qualities were important to these pieces both for their value and their spiritual potency. Healing, luck, and other protective qualities were ascribed to the various stones. To the Tajik and Uzbek people, coral was was believed to strengthen the eyes and heart and protect against forgetfulness and stomach ailments. And the Prophet Mohammad mentioned that carnelian (also called sard) protects against poverty and insures happiness.

	The metals in which the gems were set were as wide ranging as the cultures; in fact, certain metals were specified in religious texts and traditions. Depending on the use, and the status of the person using it, the metal could be silver, gilt copper, gilt iron, or gold. Whether the metal was cast or chased, granulated or worked in repousse, the craftsmen who created the items were engaged in a holy endeavor, and the most talented gold and silversmiths were highly revered and sought-after.

	A particularly strong assemblage within the collection are the amulet boxes, or gaus, which range from small, simple designs to large and opulent pieces; an example is seen in figure 1. These amulet boxes are common to many, if not most, Asian cultures. The gau is worn around the neck, or sewn or attached to clothing or headwear as a portable shrine, to ward off evil spirits. They may also be used to invoke auspicious spirits, to honor teachers or deities, or to carry religious relics. The Kipper collection is particularly rich in Himalayan gaus, created in gold, silver, iron, and copper, and frequently set with gems.  One gau (again, see figure 1), crafted from filigreed gilt silver, is set with pearls, coral, lapis lazuli, and rubies, and features the auspicious guardian monster Kīrtimukha  (also known as Face of Glory), whose claws delicately hold the natural pearls.

	Another sort of amulet case is the jantar, which is similar to a gau, but without a hollow place for an amulet. The jantar in figure 2, showing a Buddhist goddess, is designed as a necklace for a Nepalese woman who revered this goddess. Carved turquoise is inlaid, alongside bezel-set rubies, corals, pearls, emeralds, and sapphires, with granulation and rope edge details.

Figure 2. Woman's amulet case (jantar) depicting a Buddhist deity, early 19th century. Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Promised gift of Barbara and David Kipper.

	The Kippers were avid collectors of headdresses from all over Asia; these pieces were executed in a wide variety of materials and diverse imagery. A particularly interesting comparison is made between a grouping of refined Chinese Imperial headwear fashioned in kingfisher feathers, the vibrantly turquoise and indigo creations, and the wildly gaudy silver headdresses of the southwestern Chinese minorities. Both share imagery of flora and fauna, but the rarity of materials used and ultimate expression, as well as their stations in life are quite different.

	There are crowns for Tibetan oracles and priests, as well as ornate crowns for statues, all crafted in gilt copper with elaborate chasing and engraving. A Tantric priest’s crown has pigmented decoration above the abstracted riot of skulls (figure 3). The crown also features skulls, more fearsome with large red glass set into their eyes, offset by decorative placement of flat turquoise ovals. The Repousse gilt copper diadem incorporates floral elements of cabochon ruby centers surrounded by turquoise petals.

Figure 3. Oracle diadem, 19th century, Tibet. Promised gift of Barbara and David Kipper.

	A wide variety of earrings are in the collection, including a pair of Indonesian togé (figure 4). These earrings are made from finely granulated gold to simulate the snakeskin texture of a Naga, the mythological snake deity of rain and fertility. Earrings such as these would be worn by young women of marriageable age

Figure 4. Pair of women's ear studs (togé), early 20th century. Southern Sulawesi or Coastal Borneo, Bugis, Indonesia. Promised gift of Barbara and David Kipper.

	The show is dazzling and informative. The museum’s effort to mount this exhibit took more than a year, involving the services of a gemologist to confirm gem identities, extensive conservation efforts, and photography. The exhibition creates context with film, soundscapes, and vintage photographs to enhance the visitor’s experience. Mrs. Kipper’s own photographs, which show how the items were worn within each culture, are also provided. The curatorial groupings allow wonderful comparisons for this jeweled ethnographic travelogue. Vanishing Beauty is sure to please any visitor, but is especially wonderful for gem lovers.

	After the exhibition ends in August 2016, fifty to sixty items from the Barbara and David Kipper Collection will be on rotating display for the next ten to fifteen years. The Himalayan material will be the first group to be displayed.

Vanishing Beauty: Asian Jewelry and Ritual Objects from the Barbara and David Kipper Collection is on view through Sunday, August 21, 2016. The Art Institute of Chicago, at 111 Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, is open daily 10:30–5:00, Thursday until 8:00 p.m. General admission is $25 for adults; admission for seniors, students, and teenagers from 14–17 is $19. Children under 14 are free. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Exhibition Review: Bent, Cast & Forged: The Jewelry of Harry Bertoia Abstract: Figure 1. Bertoia created this articulated brass necklace with forged elements and rivets circa 1942-1943. From the collection of Cranbrook Art Museum, gift of Dorothy Dunitz in memory of Saul Dunitz. Photo by R. H. Hensleigh.

	Harry Bertoia (1915–1978) was not like most jewelry designers. He did not find inspiration through cherished memories of a mother’s or grandmother’s jewelry. He credited his passion for metalwork to gypsies who came to his hometown of San Lorenzo, Italy to repair and fabricate kitchen equipment. The shining metal and pounding left a “deep and delightful” impression that influenced his work, some of which is currently on display at New York City’s Museum of Arts and Design in Bent, Cast & Forged: The Jewelry of Harry Bertoia (figure 1).

	Bertoia’s jewelry is only a small representation of his work. He immigrated to Detroit from Italy in 1930 and attended the Cass Technical School, where he studied art and design and learned how to make jewelry. In 1936 he began his studies at the Art School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, entering the Cranbrook Academy of Art the following year on a teaching scholarship to study painting and drawing. At the time, the relatively young academy was a melting pot of creativity, attracting many famous artists, designers, and architects such as Walter Gropius, Ray and Charles Eames, and Florence Knoll. After finishing his program, Bertoia was asked to stay on in 1939 to re-open Cranbrook’s metalworking shop. Beginning in 1941, metals were being funneled into manufacturing for WWII, and Bertoia’s work was confined to small ornaments and jewelry. He scavenged scraps from metal shops and scoured flea markets for tableware to find brass and silver. When even these sources became scarce, he taught graphic design. The exhibition includes jewelry pieces from Cranbrook, from both his student days and from his most prolific period in the 1940s.

	Starting at Cranbrook, Bertoia also created drawings and monotypes as a way to harness his creative visions, allowing him to investigate structure and line with freedom and spontaneity. Bertoia produced more than 4000 monotypes throughout his career. The media served as a launching point for his exploration into the abstract, helping him to develop relationships between shapes and lines with organic volumetric forms that resulted in expressions of kinetics and latent vitality. Most of the monotypes in the exhibit were created in the same time period as the jewelry.

	Bertoia moved to California in 1943 to work for designers (and former classmates) Charles and Ray Eames. Throughout the 1940s, Bertoia continued to make and sell jewelry and monotypes, his style becoming more gestural and biomorphic. His work was in several exhibitions of contemporary jewelry, including one at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in, 1946, and was on the crest of the studio jewelry movement that emphasized design over materials.

	The earliest piece in MAD’s exhibition, a pendant from 1935 made from sterling silver and unidentified gemstones, echoes Art Deco geometry and shows skill for handmaking chain and setting gemstones, but it is evident that it is a student piece as it does not yet show the distinct design voice that Bertoia would soon develop. A spherical hatpin is distinctive for its airiness. It is composed of three textured ceramic beads orbiting on silver wire. It was reportedly made as a response to Cranbrook’s visiting Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius’s challenge to design objects in space. There are several monotypes displayed that are very reminiscent of the piece, exhibiting concentric and overlapping orbits.

	The 1940s-era fish spine brooch (figure 2, left) was made during the metal shortage; it and retains the sterling silver hallmark that belies its source as recycled silverware. This piece has articulations, which would come to be a trademark of Bertoia’s brooches and necklaces. The brooch is accompanied by a monotype that is evocative of its repeated forms (figure 2, right).

Figure 2. Left: “Fishbone” Pendant, circa 1940s, of forged and riveted sterling silver. Photo by Richard Goodbody, courtesy of Leah Gordon Antiques. Right: Untitled Monotype (Non-Objective Polychrome Block Print), c. 1943, ink on Japanese-style paper.  From the collection of Cranbrook Art Museum, gift of Dr. and Mrs. Irving F. Burton. Photo by R. H. Hensleigh.

	One of the few pieces in gold, a necklace for his wife, exemplifies his fascination with biomorphic shapes and movement in the early 1940s (figure 3). It is comprised of hammered and forged leaf-like components; this articulation through riveted and linked construction also appears in a brass leaf necklace and a 19.5” ornamental centipede.

Figure 3. Bertoia made this forged and fabricated gold necklace for his wife, Brigitta Valentiner. From the collection of Kim and Al Eiber. Photo by Tim Thayer and R. H. Hensleigh.

	As the decade progressed, Bertoia’s work became more abstract. It exhibited less literal interpretations of gestural form and movement, typified by a deceptively simple zigzag motif brooch (figure 4). A bracelet from the late 1940s used a more rectilinear design, foreshadowing some of the large-scale brass and copper screens that would grace public and corporate spaces in the future.

Figure 4. This brooch, forged and fabricated in sterling silver (c. 1945), is an example of the abstract jewelry Bertoia produced in the 1940s. From the collection of Kim and Al Eiber, photo courtesy of Wright Auction House.

	Bertoia moved to Pennsylvania in 1950 to work with Hans and Florence Knoll. He designed a five piece furniture collection, including the famous “Diamond” chair that is still in production. The income from the successful furniture collection enabled Bertoia to flourish as an independent sculptor in the next decade, with over 50 commissioned pieces that showed an artistic journey in the variety of method and form.  He did not make any jewelry in that decade.

	In the 1960s, Bertoia experimented with what he called “tonal” sculptures, made with tall vertical rods on flat bases ranging from a few inches to 20 ft, and large gong sculptures. He renovated an old barn and put in about 100 of his favorite "Sonambient" sculptures. Bertoia returned briefly to jewelry, producing a small collection of pendants and brooches based on his large gong sculptures (figure 5). The jewelry pieces are monumental at 4 to 5 inches across.

Figure 5. The forged sterling silver “Gong” pendant is reminiscent of the larger sculptures of Bertoia’s later years. Photo by Richard Goodbody, courtesy of Leah Gordon Antiques.

	While viewing the jewelry exhibit, one can hear the evocative lingering sounds emanating from the co-exhibition Atmosphere for Enjoyment: Harry Bertoia’s Environment for Sound, featuring recordings made in the barn.  Appreciation of Bertoia’s breadth of work and inspiration is completed as the exhibition ends with examples of his furniture designs and a video featuring Bertoia “playing” his Sonambient sculptures while narrating reflections on his design philosophy.

	One cannot walk away from these exhibits without being affected, feeling that one has encountered greatness. Bertoia was an artist who truly experienced and witnessed his surroundings through his senses. He used many mediums to translate life, movement, space, air, and sound, creating atmosphere through objects. The two exhibits will inspire designers, jewelry professionals, art aficionados, and philosophers to find their muses and their voices.

Bent, Cast & Forged: The Jewelry of Harry Bertoia runs until Sunday, September 25, 2016. The recommended admission is $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $12 for students. MAD is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. The museum is closed Mondays and major holidays. Shown in tandem with Atmosphere for Enjoyment: Harry Bertoia’s Environment for Sound. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Book Review: Jewelry by Suzanne Belperron: My Style is My Signature Abstract: By Patricia Corbett, Ward Landrigan, and Nico Landrigan, hardcover, 239 pp., illus., publ. by Thames & Hudson, Ltd., London, UK, 2015, US$85.

	Much like the jeweled creations of the designer herself, Jewelry by Suzanne Belperron invites being treasured on many levels. The book profiles a remarkable woman born in 1900 whose talents were recognized at an early age and who, through her drive, artistic commitment, and singularity, attracted enlightened business and creative partners.

	It is also a tale of female fortitude in a man’s world, where a young woman from a small town in the Jura Mountains learns a broad range of design skills. Shortly after her 1919 arrival in Paris, Belperron (then known as Suzanne Vuillerme) was hired as a designer-draftswoman by Maison Boivin, one of the city’s few premier jewelry houses. At the age of 32, she aligned herself with Bernard Herz, receiving the allegiance of Groëné and Darde, two of the most renowned Parisian jewelers, along with other jewelers, polishers, and stone setters.

	Suzanne Belperron’s saga is also that of a singular individualist, a virtuoso whose style and artistry were so distinctive that she felt no need to sign her work, asserting that her style was her signature. Hardship, an enviable clientele, war, and loss are reflected in Belperron’s jewelry, at once breathtakingly magnificent yet rooted in themes and materials that reveal the soul and sensibility behind her luxurious splendor.

	Above all, the jewels reign supreme. Exquisitely captured by photographer David Behl and others, pieces feature Belperron’s sculptural and fluid designs. Scroll, shell, pyramidal, domed, winged, petal, and other motifs are used to embellish carved hardstones, metals, and gems ranging from diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds to her much-admired chalcedonies and onyx. As one of the innovators of the serti mystérieux, or invisible setting, Belperron used diamonds of varying sizes and relations in her pavé designs. The results are much like the painter’s brushstrokes that evoke movement, depth and highlights. Belperron designs also redefined the parure (matching jewelry sets), providing versatility through diverse elements that could be added or removed to create the desired amount of adornment.

	Besides the superb photography, the book includes many of Madame Belperron’s gouache opaque watercolor renderings from Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue covers and features, including Diana Vreeland’s popular and provocative “Why don’t you…” columns that suggested a look illustrated by the wearing of a Belperron piece. Occasional obverse views of breathtaking pieces, such as the deceptively casual setting of a diamond and ruby bib necklace, reveal the intricate platinum links that invisibly grant the piece the appearance of flowing fabric.

	Although Belperron’s name may be less familiar than those of many other 20th century jewelers, this book establishes her as one of the most significant jewelers, if not the most notable female jewelry artist, of her time. Testifying to her work’s enchantment was a client list that included royalty, artists, and prominent public figures. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Princess Grace of Monaco, Clark Gable, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, and members of the Lanvin, Mellon and Paley families all owned pieces by Belperron.

	Authors Patricia Corbett and Ward and Nico Landrigan bring to life the masterful body of work displayed in these pages. The authors worked with Belperron’s former partners’ descendants, master craftsmen, collectors, and archivists, among others to bring this book to fruition. Without their efforts, the legacy of Suzanne Belperron may have been lost, much like the artist’s many pieces that have been sold at auction unrecognized and perhaps underappreciated.

	The story of Suzanne Belperron is a rich one indeed, worthy of the interest and scholarship of aspiring and established jewelry designers and lapidaries, jewelry historians and all those interested in stories of immeasurable talent, quietly productive introversion, fortitude, and groundbreaking creativity. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2014 Title: Books: In Praise of Hands: The Art of Fine Jewelry at Van Cleef & Arpels Abstract: By Franco Cologni, 199 pp., hardcover, illus., publ. by Marsilio Editori, S.p.a. Venice, 2012, $90.00.

              Van Cleef & Arpels, born from the matrimonial alliance of two prominent Dutch jewelers’ families in 1895, opened their boutique in Paris’s Place Vendôme in 1906 and quickly gained international acclaim. Over the years, the maison created iconic jewelry pieces, such as invisibly set floral brooches, fashionable minaudières and cigarette cases, Ludo Hexagone bracelets, and zipper necklaces. One of the forces behind the firm’s meteoric rise was its excellence in design and craftsmanship. As part of its public relations and branding strategy, Van Cleef & Arpels emphasizes quality craftsmanship and respect for traditional techniques. In Praise of Hands embodies this branding effort. This luxurious book, titled in honor of art historian Henri Focillon’s 1943 philosophical essay on how hands shape art, celebrates Van Cleef & Arpels’s Mains d’Or, or most skilled craftspeople.

The book’s first eleven chapters correspond to various specialized crafts: “The Designer,” “The Mock-Up Maker,” “The Jeweler,” “The Setter,” “Mystery Setting,” “The Stone-Cutter,” “The Diamond-Cutter,” “The Polisher,” “The Smelter,” “The Sculptor-Engraver,” and “The Boîtier.” Each explains, in great detail, a given stage of the design and manufacturing process. Some chapters are of particular interest for jewelers, such as “The Designer,” “The Smelter” and “The Polisher.” These craftsmen are instrumental in creating and giving shape to all jewelry pieces, so it is important to have them featured. For gemologists, “The Stone-Cutter” and “The Sculptor-Engraver” are extremely informative, providing great detail on both processes. The most stimulating and revealing chapters to jewelry enthusiasts are “The Mock-Up Maker,” “Mystery Setting,” and “The Boîtier.” These allow the reader to uncover some of Van Cleef & Arpels’ manufacturing secrets and better fathom its high level of craftsmanship. For instance, the systematic use of mock-ups, made of alloy and rhinestones, demonstrates the utmost attention to detail and practicality. This rendering technique is poles apart from today’s abstract 3D CAD/CAM projections. It allows design and production teams to spot potential technical problems and even provides for price estimates of jewelry pieces at an early stage.

One of the book’s strong points is its display of artful color jewelry renderings. Given the Place Vendôme’s world of secrecy, it is worth noting that some of the sketches feature serial numbers, names of patrons, and details on gemstone costs and corresponding vendors. This type of information is useful to anyone involved in jewelry pricing.

The book is selectively illustrated with three categories of photos. The first type consists of original color sketches with corresponding magnified shots of antique pieces, many of them from the jewelry house’s archival collection. The second type consists of black-and-white photos, using the chiaroscuro technique, of the Mains d’Or craftspeople at work. The third type, appearing at the end of each chapter, features a general shot of a recent piece alongside a detailed photo (showing individual gemstones in some cases). The opening and ending chapter photos are well suited to the chapters’ topics, proving that the craftsmanship inherent in past masterpieces is still alive.

On the down side, there is a relative disconnect between the photos of artisans’ hands and the contemporary jewelry pieces shown at the ends of sections. There would have been greater impact if the book had shown the same piece twice, once between the hands of a jeweler during its making and once completed. The photos of jewelers’ hands, though certainly a strong homage to their skills and dedication, are a superficial representation. At best, these pictures convey the contrast between rugged hands and delicate jewelry components in various stage of completion, as well as the artisans’; strength and dexterity. Yet focusing on their hands is too restrictive, and does not convey the physicality involved in jewelry making. The process is not limited to the hands; rather, it is a constant connection between hands, eyes, and brain, which is difficult to capture in photos. The concluding chapter, “The Crafts,” presents photos of all the craftsmen’s hands. This allows the reader to envision the actual handling of a piece through the different steps.

The text is extremely informative and detailed on all the phases of jewelry manufacturing. It does not shy away from technical descriptions—including an impressive list of tool names—while remaining inviting and accessible. It gives way, however, to the repetition of clichés, such as the poetic vision of the maison’s single-minded pursuit of perfection, beauty, and total control over its whole manufacturing process.

Despite these few shortcomings, the book is a must-have for jewelry students, bench jewelers, and gem experts who wish to become more familiar with this exclusive brand. Cologni describes a level of craftsmanship and organization that is almost extinct in the industry today. Van Cleef & Arpels’s variety of inspirations, design creativity, and manufacturing quality are among the very highest, and this opus is a beautiful tribute. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2013 Title: Book Review: Gold, Platinum, Palladium, Silver & Other Jewelry Metals: How to Test, Select & Care for Them Abstract: By Renee Newman, 144 pp., illus., paperback, publ. by International Jewelry Publications, Los Angeles, 2013. US$19.95.

              “Underpromise, overdeliver…underpromise, overdeliver…” Renee Newman must have been chanting that mantra the entire time she was writing her most recent book, Gold, Platinum, Palladium, Silver & Other Jewelry Metals. It absolutely delivers on the title, but if you were to hide the cover and give the book to someone to read, they would have a hard time guessing its name. They might come up with something like “Contemporary Jewelry and Metals,” but that would miss the mark because of all the historical background. There’s also scientific information about the metals, production technologies from the past as well as today’s cutting-edge processes, and so much more.

Though not characterized this way, there is almost a cradle-to-grave approach at work here. You can learn sources of information about jewelry, old and new, how to verify the nature and quality of the materials, and tips on acquiring jewelry, caring for it, and reselling unwanted pieces. There’s even a bit about do-it-yourself metal testing (you can’t keep a good jewelry appraiser down!) and a simple way to remove tarnish from silver. It’s simply jammed full of a wide range of useful information that’s well illustrated and easily readable. What’s not to love?

Who’s the target reader for this book? That could be just about anyone, from the layperson who wants to know more about jewelry to an industry professional seeking a broader perspective. The book is so wide-ranging that it would be hard to imagine anyone not getting their money’s worth. Broad range can imply a shallow depth, but that is definitely not the case here. One of the first things I do with a book is to peek at its index, bibliography, acknowledgments, and table of contents. This gives me an idea how well researched a book is, and the kind of scope I might expect. Newman’s list of contributors is impressive. The works cited come from a broad range of sources, and the topics span from ancient to cutting-edge.

The book starts with some general background on metals and is arranged in eight chapters that discuss specific metals and families of metals that share common characteristics. The chapters have a nice blending of scientific, historical, practical, and commercial knowledge. In each chapter there are charts to draw distinctions between alloys, clear images of hallmarking stamps one will encounter, and wonderful photographs. The photos offer compelling examples of each metal, showing off its color and beauty and how a variety of makers use it in their designs, along with close-ups that hone in on various details.

Roughly half of the book is devoted to its survey of metals, and the balance is spent covering manufacturing methods, the differences and consequences of real versus fake jewelry (some interesting legal points here), valuation, care, determining fineness or karat value, and plating and coatings. Last but not least, I’m giving the author a Good Citizenship merit badge for including a chapter titled “Responsible Mining and Manufacturing.” Newman rightly points out the more enlightened path that many are taking in this regard. She lists best practices and cites numerous organizations concerned with environmental impact, origin and chain-of-custody issues, health and safety, social responsibility, and ethics. Brava!

You will be enriched by having read this book, and will value and use the information contained within it.

Douglas Hall
Gemological Institute of America
Carlsbad, California @topic:6