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It’s tempting to simply leaf through the book, marvel at the artistry therein, and call it a day (and assume that you will indeed lose most of a day; there’s so much to look at). However, if you wish to learn more about the jewelry, its history and its makers, that, too, is within. The first half of the book covers the establishment and development of Pforzheim as the center of the German jewelry industry. The information is meticulously footnoted and quite detailed; it’s basically a master class for any student of this art form. The text is provided in German and in English, in alternating paragraphs. I found it easy to negotiate, but some of the translation is mediocre. It certainly doesn’t interfere with understanding the information being provided. The second half is devoted to individual makers and samples of their work. As I looked through the pictures, I was struck by how many of the pieces were “attributed” to various artists, and was reminded of a striking piece of information from the opening chapter: Many of the manufacturers in Pforzheim simply didn’t bother to put their maker’s marks on much of the jewelry they sold. Collectors are doubtless all too aware of this, but it’s an important point for any novice. There is a single page of makers’ marks in the back; it’s a surprise to see so few, as there were literally hundreds of makers in Pforzheim at its height. There is also a brief selection of literature at the end, virtually all of which is in German. This is one of those rare books that should satisfy both the casual reader and the serious student. Enjoy!
Available at
http://www.arnoldsche.com/ |
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From what I hear, this book has already sold
out its first printing, so you may wish to get in line to not miss
out on the second printing. Available at http://www.hallmarkresearch.com/html/Books.htm 371 pages$228.00 |
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art déco |
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Text is in
both English and German. Available at http://www.arnoldsche.com/ 160 pages, 11-1/2" x 9-1/4", about 200 color illustrations. Hardcover. USD $60.00 | Euro $39.80 |
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| This
extensive collection has been now been exhibited in Idar-Oberstein,
Hanau, Solingen, Munich, Vienna, and Turnov, allowing Jakob Bengel a
place in the annals of art history and adding to the popularity and
collectability of the jewelry itself. This lovely book, published by Arnoldshe, tells the story of the Händel's quest and is full of large, exceptional color photographs of Jakob Bengel jewelry from the 1930s. Along with the photographs there is fascinating text about the history of the Jakob Bengel factory in Idar-Oberstein with vintage photographs from Bengel catalogs. The book is an interesting read and has both German and English texts. I highly recommend this beautiful book for both jewelry collectors and historians. Available at
http://www.arnoldsche.com/ |
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FORM & FUNCTION
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It is impossible to simply pick up Marbeth Schon’s Form & Function: American Modernist Jewelry, 1940-1970, leaf through it, and put it down. If that were doable, I’d have finished this review hours ago. Once you start turning the pages, you may as well give up gracefully, find a comfortable chair, and settle down. The writing is marvelous, the depth of knowledge and expertise extraordinary, and the bountiful selection of photographs is captivating. What holds it all together, though, is Schon’s obvious passion for her subject, her appreciation of the artists and their work. The book is actually an extended catalogue for two major exhibits of modernist jewelry, which both took place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2007. Schon divides the contents into five parts: American Crafts Revival in Metalwork; What Is Jewelry?; Artists’ Biographies; Macchiarini; and Makers’ Marks. There are also Notes and Sources Cited sections in the back, for the convenience of readers who wish to do further research. This format makes the book very user-friendly – if you want to read about a particular topic or artist, you can go there directly, rather than playing hide-and-seek with a lengthy essay or flipping back and forth from Index to sundry pages. I do, however, strongly recommend finding the time to read the entire book; there are so many fascinating stories about the artists, behind-the-scenes tales that bring them to life for the reader while shedding light on the development of modernism. Schon’s background in art serves her well as she puts the modern jewelry movement in its historical and artistic context, but she never falls into the dreaded academic jargon – the arcane language that functions best as a non-habit-forming sedative. It’s really like taking a master class with a knowledgeable professor who clearly loves her subject; can’t beat that. Last but not least – I admit I found the cover design to be off-putting; it’s a random group of photographs slapped over a very busy background, itself a composite of more pictures, and the copy is set in a handful of fonts. Given the outstanding quality of many of the pieces shown in the book, the cover could – and should – have been nothing short of riveting. Those who judge a book by its cover will be inclined to pass this one by as an amateur effort, and that would be a shame. It will be a valuable addition to the archives of anyone with an interest in modernist jewelry. Schiffer
Publishing, Ltd., 2008, $69.99
Backmatter: Bibliographical notes for further research; Index.
Click here to
order this book |
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Author Leslie Piña chose an unusual approach in Mexican Silver Jewelry Details. Rather than go over territory that has been thoroughly covered in several other volumes – that of the work of Mexico’s finest artisans – she decided to feature what she terms “popular” Mexican jewelry. These are the pieces made by good, and sometimes excellent, artisans whose names are not well known, jewelry often made for the tourist trade, and in considerable quantity. The book opens with a brief essay regarding the history of Mexican design and the influence of ancient artwork on contemporary silversmiths. Piña does not go into much detail regarding the renaissance of the silver trade in Taxco and I found it surprising. Spratling is absent, as are Davis, Piñeda, and many others. Her focus is really on presenting the many, many pieces she assembled for the book, rather than on educating the reader. Fair enough – again, there are plenty of other sources for people who wish to know the full story. Five chapters of photographs follow the essay. The jewelry has been broken up by category (brooches and pendants, earrings and cufflinks, et cetera) rather than by materials, makers, or style. Each picture is accompanied by a brief description, including size, marks, and estimated value – we’ll get back to that. The pictures are excellent, as clear and close as you could wish, hence the inclusion of “details” in the title. There is an illustrated glossary of terms in the back, which would come in handy for a beginner. A brief Marks section is included, as is a Selected Bibliography. Again, the emphasis in this volume is on the 240+ pages of pictures, but even so, I wish more attention and space had been given to the makers’ marks; that part looks tacked on and suffers from sins of omission. It was fun to leaf through the book – I’ve become a fan of Mexican silver over the past few years and was delighted to recognize quite a few of the items shown. I do take issue with the estimated values, though. These days, price guides are almost out-of-date before they go to press – the market simply changes so quickly, in great part due to the Internet. There are folks who take the printed word as gospel, and I could see them being surprised, to say the least, by the discrepancy between the suggested prices in this volume and what they would find on a site such as eBay. The question is, who will benefit the most from this book? It isn’t aimed at advanced collectors, nor does it do much to educate beginners who want to really learn this field. It’s a great coffee-table book for the casual collector, who will doubtless enjoy many “Aha!” moments as they look through it. Subject: Mexican silver jewelry, with an emphasis on commonly found pieces Content: Brief essay regarding development of Mexican silver jewelry, five chapters of photographs of jewelry separated into categories and assigned estimated values; 1154 color photographs
Backmatter: Glossary; Marks; Selected Bibliography; Index. |
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This well-researched book is an
excellent resource for anyone who wishes to learn everything and
anything about jewelry from its beginnings through the present time.
It is well organized, easy to use and interesting reading if you
wish to sit down and read it through, but it is also a handy
reference tool for times when you need to know that one special
thing. I know that I will use it over and over again for just that.
220 pages, limited photographs |
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Click on the link below this review to order the best little book to date on Mexican hallmarks because you should not be without it! This edition is absolutely invaluable to the Mexican silver collector. It is chocked full of photographs of hallmarks, many that you won't find anywhere else. When I received my copy, I was astounded by the amount of research that Bille has done to come up with this new edition of his already successful and popular book. Thank you Bille!
287 Pages |
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This little book would be a great
addition to anyone's archives who collects or deals in silver
jewelry and objects. The first five chapters talk about
the different methods of examining silver, various types of
silver and silver plating, ways silver items are made, and
how to identify and date pieces by style and period. The rest of
the book is dedicated to international silver hallmarks and
though not as extensive in this area as "Tardy" it is definitely
a good companion to that book and has fresh information and up
to date hallmarks. I am very pleased to own a copy of "All About
Antique Silver!"
270 pages Available at http://www.aaa-publishing.com |
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Bejewelled by TIFFANY
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Click here to read the entire review
ISBN: 0-300-11651-9
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CONTEMPORARY ENAMELING
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Lilyan is a veteran enamelist of over fifty years who has studied with the "greats" such as Kenneth Bates and Doris Hall. The book discusses the techniques and materials for using vitreous enamels and has "how I work" chapters by over 30 enamel artists who share their secrets of working with the techniques of cloisonné, plique--a- jour, champlevé, etc. There are photographs of the work of over 55 individual contemporary enamelists. I highly recommend this book for jewelers,
artists, and collectors. Hardcover with dust jacket; 9" x 11"; 192 pages including index and charts. $39.95 item #M003
click here to order this book |
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Collector's Timeline
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For jewelry collectors who want to put things in perspective historically, this is a wonderful ,concise, easy to take along, little book. Have you ever wondered if a particular finding was the right period for a piece of jewelry, or whether or not the materials in the piece you just found can help to date it? This "tough" little book has answers for those types of questions and it fits easily into your purse or bag so you can have it along when you are making buying decisions. Thank you Christie! $13.95
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| The provocative and
masterful work of the "titans" of this period, Sam Kramer,
Margaret de Patta, Art Smith and Peter Macchiarinni is explored in depth,
along with that of lesser-known jewelry designers who deserve recognition.
I highly recommend this wonderful book to anyone who appreciates
jewelry as an artistic form.
Biographies of 175 jewelers are included together with 540 color and 35 black and white photographs, value references, images of 74 makers' marks, index, and table of contents. Hardcover with dust jacket; 9" x 11-1/4"; 272 pages. $69.95 #M002
Click here to
order this book |
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| 292 pages, hard cover, $79.95 Available at http://www.secretsofthegemtrade.com/ See MODERN SILVER magazine article:
Secrets of the Gem Trade: |
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"Spratling Silver: A Field Guide," is the succinct answer to queries about William Spratling hallmarks and when and how they were used. Soft cover, 152 pages, over 500 photographs. Available for $39.95 at www.spratlingsilver.com |
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| This is
the book we've all been waiting for--The 3rd Edition of Warman's
Jewelry by Christie Romero with colored photos on every page!
Warman's is an indispensable field guide; a book that can and should go with you whenever you plan to shop for jewelry. This essential book for jewelry collectors and dealers covers every period and type of jewelry from Late Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century to Twentieth Century and Special Collectible Jewelry--from fine to costume to designer. You will find historical information, current market trends, marks information, references, as well as a very helpful glossary of jewelry terms. Warman's Jewelry by Christie Romero is the "Webster's Dictionary" of the jewelry world. Don't be caught without this important resource.
A signed copy is now available at a 15%
discount at www.center4jewelrystudies.org |
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| The World of
Bertoia is stunning pictorially and freshly revealing in
it's intense new look at the "design innovations, original
and beautiful forms, and tonal experiences" of 20th Century
designer, Harry Bertoia. This is an incredibly comprehensive monograph about one man whose contributions to 20th Century art and design were innovative, seminal, and are now, indelibly part of American culture. The book walks you through Bertoia's life with a timeline from his birth in 1915 to his death in 1978. Every aspect of his career including jewelry making, sculpture, furniture, sound sculpture, screens, prints and drawings is explored. Hardcover, 270 pages, 500 color and 200 black and white photographs The price from Schiffer Books is
$89.95
click here to order this book |
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This is a valuable resource for collectors, jewelers, and sellers of contemporary jewelry. Hardcover, 550 color photos, 256 pages The price from
Schiffer Books is $50.00
click
here to order this book |
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| William Spratling and the Mexican
Silver Rennaissance, Maestros de Plata is the catalog
for the traveling exhibit of modern Mexican silver which opened
at the San Antonio Museum of Art last October (see our preview
of the exhibit
Maestros de Plata).
It is the most beautiful, historically interesting, and
comprehensive book about William Spratling, his life, and
his jewelry published to date. There are magnificent photos of
the work of Spratling and other Mexican silversmiths along with
information on Mexican metalsmithing techniques and materials,
and hallmarks.
If you are a collector of Mexican silver, this book is will be an outstanding addition to your archives. Hardcover, 279 pages, 470 illustrations, 340 color plates Available at www.spratlingsilver.com
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256 pages with at least 500 photographs. available at www.naipublishers.nl email: info@naipublishers.nl |
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Twentieth Century Costume Jewelry
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The book lists all of the major 20th Century Costume jewelry manufactures with pictures of marks and historical information. 100s of color photographs, over 250
pages, hardback.
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The price in hardcover from
Schiffer Books is $59.95
click
here to order this book |
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GEORG
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Georg Jensen, 20th Century
Designs, a beautiful new book on Jensen silver by Janet
Drucker,
author of Georg Jensen: A Tradition of Splendid Silver, and
her son William Drucker, takes the reader on a nostalgic and fascinating
journey through Georg Jensen jewelry and hollowware catalogs from
the 1940s-1960s. The jewelry section includes
gold and silver designs for men and woman from the 1940s and the
huge section on hollowware covers designs from the 1950s-60s. There
are hundreds of black and white photographs as well as indexes
with product numbers, original retail prices, measurements, and
designers. This compilation of Jensen catalogs, which were previously very difficult to obtain, will become a standard reference tool for collectors, dealers, and individuals who appreciate and treasure Georg Jensen designs. The price in hardback from Schiffer Books is $69.95 |
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Aluminum by design: Jewelry to Jets
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Navajo Spoons
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Navajo Spoons, Indian Artistry and the
Souvenir Trade 1880s-1940s is a well-researched, unique
chronology of the Navajo silver spoon trade.
Navajo spoons have been continually sought after by collectors since the Victorians began railroad travel to the Southwestern U.S. and discovered the beautifully designed hand-wrought spoons which the Navajo silversmiths formed from silver dollars and silver quarters and decorated with impressed Thunderbirds, arrows, whirling logs, headdresses, eagles, stars, feathers, and hundreds of motifs, each individual and one-of-a-kind. If you've never thought about collecting Navajo spoons, this book with it's numerous color photographs of these charming mementos will certainly whet your appetite for the hunt. Good luck!
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Copyright © 2003 Modern Silver Magazine
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