The Master Jewelers

In the mid-nineteenth century, the master jewelers of the Western world began to shed the anonymity under which artist-craftsmen had generally worked. They emerged as individual voices, discarding the bland, predictable standards of the earlier era in jewelry design in favor of evocative new creations. The renowned designers whose work is featured in this book can be instantly identified by their particular interests and discoveries. Faberge emphasized originality of design and the quality of craftsmanship, rather than the intrinsic value of the materials used. Castellani is known for his nostalgic glances back at Etruscan gold work. Lalique was irresistibly fascinated by the strange forms he adapted from nature. The searching, critical eye of a Cartier or a Boucheron lent chic to their beloved abstract patterns. In fifteen chapters written by leading experts in the field, the world of fine jewelry, encompassing its social, aesthetic, and business aspects, springs to life. The magnificent illustrations display extraordinary confections of gold, silver, and platinum, gems cut and polished in every conceivable fashion, and enamels, translucent, opaque, or as clear as stained-glass windowsall designed and executed to enhance the allure of the people fortunate enough to wear them. 377 illustrations, 251 in color. Featuring work by: Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Castellani, Falize, Faberge, Fontenay, Fouquet, Giuliano, Hancock, Lalique, Tiffany, Tillander, Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, Vever