As much as I love the thought of getting lots (and lots) of jewelry during the holiday season, the reality is that a good book is more likely to land under my Christmas tree. These books have all been released this year and are high on my wish list (along with a certain 10-carat solitaire) and I think you might want to add them to your reading list, too.
Tanya Dukes
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Senior editor, INSTORE and INDESIGN.
A
s much as I love the thought of getting lots (and lots) of jewelry during the holiday season, the reality is that a good book is more likely to land under my Christmas tree. These books have all been released this year and are high on my wish list (along with a certain 10-carat solitaire) and I think you might want to add them to your reading list, too.
Stephen Webster’s list of talents is legion. He’s developed a signature style that’s glamorous and cool, mentored a rising generation of young designers and can convince just about anyone to down a vodka shot in his BaselWorld booth. Now, add author to the list. “Gold Struck: A Life Shaped By Jewellery” is the 350-page chronicle of his design career, starting with his first jewelry class at 16. Along the way there are appearances by famous fans like Madonna and Kate Moss. Photos of his work, a handful of his poems and a short story are part of the bargain, too.
Heni Publishing,
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the personal sentiment behind a piece of jewelry. “Stoned” by Aja Raden takes a much broader view of the subject. Written by a scientist and jeweler, the book gets at the jewelry’s relationship to power, economics and desire and connects the dots between seemingly unrelated themes, like a diamond ring and the GI Bill. The engrossing story is told through eight jewels that changed the course of the world, starting with the beads that bought Manhattan.
Harper Collins, $14.99
JEWELS OF THE RENAISSANCE
Jewels of the Renaissance is an abridged version of Yvonne Hackenbroch’s exhaustive 1979 book Renaissance Jewelry. In this edited edition you’ll still get a healthy overview of the stories, materials and techniques behind the jewelry that coincided the birth of the New World. This is a big time coffee table book with sumptuous, oversized pages. It’s perfect for diving in anywhere, whether for a few minutes or for a full hour.
Assouline, $195
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Italian jewelry brands don’t get more iconic and respected than the Milanese house of Buccellati. This book unites more than 100 of the most important creations designed by founder Mario Buccellati and his son and successor Gianmaria. It’s an essential reference for anyone who’s enamored with Italian goldsmithing of the highest order.
Skira, $55
One of the perks (and hazards) of being a jeweler is coming across colorful characters along with amazing treasures. Anne Schofield, Australia’s most famous antique jewelry expert, recalls some of the favorite pieces that have passed through her hands in a 50-year career — from Georgian intaglios to paste parures — in the book Jewels on Queen, plus tales of a few offbeat aristos and collectors.
University of New South Wales Press, $39.99
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