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“Jewels That Made History: 100 Stones, Myths & Legends,” written by Stellene Volandes, is a … [+]
Rizzoli New York
In her latest book “Jewels that made history: 100 stones, myths and legends (Rizzoli New York) Stellene Volandes spins shimmering yarns and grandiose stories about how magnificent gemstones, pearls, precious metals and incomparable jewels tell humanity of 1292 BC historical references, how precious stones and jewels have been known to people since earliest times as protective amulets and talismans, social status symbols , valuable currency, prizes and rewards have served.
Measurement 7.3 x 1 x 8.76 inches and weighing 2.1 pounds, the images in the tome range from Neolithic necklaces to ancient and early engagement rings to royal tiara and treasures owned by super-glamor jewelry collectors like screen star Elizabeth Taylor. As Volandes noted in one of her popular jewelry talks in 2018 on Y 92nd Street in New York: “Jewelry holds crowds. It can teach us so much about the people who wore it and the people who designed it and the era it was made in. And it is time that jewelry was considered a cultural artifact and decorative art. ” [Author’s note: the first book by Volandes, “Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks and Visionaries of Modern Design”, was published by Rizzoli in 2016, and contained a foreword by the CFDA award-winning U.S. fashion designer Carolina Herrera.]
Eternally relevant U.S. jewelry influencers like heiress Millicent Rogers, who commissioned jewelry masterpieces and set trends by combining 18-carat gold jewels with antique diamond medals and southwestern native silver jewels. So did the former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who in her often-photographed life inspired millions of women around the world to wear pearls and various other luxurious embellishments.
Stellene Volandes is an internationally renowned jewelry expert and editor-in-chief of city Country Magazine since 2016 and is also the Editorial Director of Elle Décor. In this emerald green book, Volandes lives up to the demands of jewelry history by telling how gems and jewels changed the course of empires, sealed marriage contracts, sparked horrific crimes, improved reputations, and generated massive media excitement. In other words, Jewels That Made History, with 100 color and black and white photos, is great read and a richly illustrated reference that any jewelry enthusiast will enjoy. The reasons are many, but it must be noted that the selection of stories here highlights the cultural power, emotional fame, and human history of gems and jewels. This volume by Volandes is also a great Valentine’s Day gift for jewelry lovers and lovers of the history of style, because the archive images and their captions also tell vivid stories.
This book bubbles with sparkling titles for each of the 100 stories of stones, myths and legends. Take, for example, Why They Call It The Golden Age, which describes how conqueror Alexander the Great obtained gold trunks for his efforts, which in turn created demand for the precious metal throughout his empire. ‘It’s Electric’ examines the technical and artistic advances made in stone processing after the life-changing invention of artificial light. The extremely entertaining “Diamonds And Dinner” tells how, on a fateful evening in 1962, the US First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, carefully selected antique and contemporary diamond jewelry to tastefully triumph over the bombastic jewelry that came from her state dinner, Farah Pahlavi, the Empress of Iran, was worn.
‘Robbery!’ describes one of the boldest and most brilliant jewel heists in history, in which intrepid jewel thieves kidnapped the 563-carat Star of India from the New York Museum of Natural History. (Although the Star of India was later recovered, Volandes notes that other jewels looted the same night have never surfaced again.) Bringing contemporary jewelry statements from international celebrities and style stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Meghan Markle the book to a dazzling end.
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