5 comments about Calder Jewelry.

1. This book is a beautiful celebration of Calder's gorgeous and playful jewelry. The pictures are lovely and the jewelry itself is simply amazing. It's hard not to feel joyful flipping through these pages. Buy it and enjoy!



2. This book is an inspiration to anyone who makes jewelry. The use of cold connections is terrific and can show you what can be done without the use of solder.



3. Merely walking by this book makes my artisan heart tingle. The genius, the simplicity and golden aura of beauty makes this book a "must own." The photographs are gorgeous and the descriptions beautifully written. Get inspired.



4. Anyone who appreciates well-made, original design in jewelry needs to have and read this book. What an inspiration! Although I was familiar with Calder's mobiles, for which he is most renowned, I was even more impressed with his jewelry designs. All one-of-a-kind. A definite must for the coffee table or even to read and enjoy. As a jewelry designer influenced by other cultures, this has been most helpful in inspiring me to follow my instincts and to design the items I've seen in my dreams. What a book!



5. Expertly photographed, beautifully styled catalog of A. Calder's jewelry. A great purchase, no regrets.

3 comments about 500 Pendants & Lockets: Contemporary Interpretations of Classic Adornments (500 Series).

1. This is a wonderfully varied and representational compendium of jewelry pieces from a wide variety of artists. I was inspired, impressed, amused and amazed by various pendant/lockets. The editors do a marvelous job of gathering work from the traditional to the far-out without going round the bend or boring this reader.



2. What a pleasure to open a book and be awed by its quality and content, delighted



3. With few exceptions, I enjoy the Lark "500" series of books, Pendants and Lockets is no different. Sticking to the photos only with minimal wording publication concept, this is not a "how to" book it simply showcases a veritable smorgasboard of amazing contemporary designs. The enormous range of materials used to create these pieces is appreciated, nothing seems to have been left out. Of course all the to be expected precious and non precious metals and stones are there, now add plastics, textiles, papers, glass, all the clays, resins and found objects.
   
   Continue with every possible technique you can think of, and then some, with design concepts that for the most part are also extremely wearable ( and yes there are some that leave you with a what the?? feeling )and you have a great book. Make no mistake here, this is contemporary jewellery, don't look here for the traditional or you will be disappointed.
   
   Everypage is a highlight, with Jacqueline Ryans Untitled ( pg 14) gold and enamel pod looking so real it was stunning, Jin a Jung's - A dot of Illusion was incredible, visual illusion of geometric patterns done so well and Karen McCreary's Geode Pendant in Acrylic, gold leaf and silver were both elegant and fluid with stunning colours. These may have stood out for me personally, and I am sure everyone who views this will have favourites too.
   
   Whilst there were some well known artists showcased it was great to see so many new names and better still I had not seen over 95% of the photos before.
   
   I have been left in awe of the designers who have created pieces that challenge your thinking, delight with their interpretations, playful and serious and leave you knowing you have just witnessed Pure Magic. Well done to both Lark and the exceptional job the jurors Mike Holmes and Elizabeth Shypertt have done. This is a book that will be my night time reading for many days ahead.

5 comments about The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones: A Complete Guide to Appraising and Using Precious Stones From Cut and Color to Shape and Settings.

1. I've been a hobbyist jewelry studeng for some little while now, and what sets this book apart is the section on using each gemstone... this is the part that tells you how to approach setting the stone into jewelry, how hard or brittle the stone is and what features of the stone might make setting it easier or harder. Other books may give you more scientific/ gemological detail, a greater range of stones, and a better idea of price ranges. If you want to know what your stone is, whether it's a good specimen of its kind and if you paid a good price for it, this book may or may not tell you that. BUT... if you know what stone you have, this book will tell you how to care for it, and, if you're crazy enough to want to set it yourself, this book might just tell you how best to do that, and give you some idea whether, just this once, you should hire it done by someone who's already gone around that learning curve...



2. This is a great book. Well written and great pictures to go with the breakdowns of each gem. Recommended.



3. As a gemologist, I have an extensive library of gem books. This book is one of the best guides written that is germain to professionals and novices alike. Easy to follow and very well edited. High marks!!



4. "The Jeweller's Directory of Gemstones" provides a good introduction to the world of gemstones for both jewellers and those interested in purchasing gemstone jewellery. This full color book complements the existing gemstone directories. I also own copies of Gemstones (Smithsonian Handbooks) and Gemstones of the World: Newly Revised & Expanded Third Edition and I consider all three of these books to be of equal value (I recommend that you purchase all three of them, if you can afford it). However, unlike the other two books I mentioned, this book discusses gemstone jewellery, as well as providing geological information about the gems (most gemstone guides simply focus on the geological detail). This book also has a good glossary and index.
   
   This book is a valuable addition to any gemstone library and it is well worth the price of purchase.



5. Good for what it is, this book offers an ABC look at some gemstones. There is no depth to the material, but it makes a nice starting point and gives a position to make further research decisions on. The section on setting options for different kinds of stones is valuable & interesting, but could have been a lot larger/in-depth, as from a 'Jeweler's' perspective (as the title implies)this is critical info.
   All in all I am happy I bought this book & look forward to finding some serious/heavy duty books that delve right into this important subject.

5 comments about Complete Price Guide to Watches 2008 (Complete Price Guide to Watches).

1. Complete Price Guide to Watches 2008.
   This said guide is quite inacurate, the authors just copied the same old stuff of previous books and tried to imitate the real stuff that their competitors do, I am referring to the rel thing, that is titled and has been "number one" for many years: WRIST WATCH PRICE GUIDE, by Sherry & Roy Ehrhardt and Joe DeMesy.
   
   Some of the prices of wrist watches are just plain lies, plaese take a look at page 1086 and you can see the STOWA 20-221 Military watch. Ca. 1942 at the incredible price from $400 to $800 dollars. This is just a plain lie, this watch, if you ever find one, costs aroun 5 to 10,000 dollars.
   
   What do this people think, that is the publishers of this so called price guide,about the people that buy this worthless, that we are morons?. I am so sorry to have waisted my time and money on a piece of printed junk...
   
   A very disatisfied reader...
   Jose Casas



2. I got this for my husband to use in our business. He says it's been very helpful. I got it to update his old one.



3. A good source for information but to refer to the guide as "complete" would be streching it a bit.



4. Use the book often in my work. A great addition. Thanks for the fast shipping.



5. One of the best watch books around, it basically plods along, virtually unchanged, year, after year. Except for price updates, and a new cover every year, this book is getting long in the tooth. My main problem is realistic pricing, which would not serve the authors, primarily Tom Engle, who is a high-end watch dealer. Many items are underpriced, in my opinion, and do not reflect real world pricing.

5 comments about 500 Wedding Rings: Celebrating a Classic Symbol of Commitment (500 Series).

1. Wonderful photographs and descriptions. An excellent addition to my resource library. This book is well worth the money.



2. I love ALL of the 500 books from Lark. They are great for inspiration and for learning new artists. I have almost the whole series!



3. As usual with Lark books, gorgeous photos of incredible jewelry. My one complaint, and it is the same as all the other Lark jewelry books, is the inclusion of "non-wearable" and "exhibition" type pieces. Wedding rings made out of plastic or felt with weird tangly things off them is not worthy of inclusion in such a collection. I feel as if the pages taken up by the craft hour projects is such a waste. For the people out there who think completely unwearable and some, downright painful, jewelry is worthy of admiration, please Lark, save those pieces for their own volume. Other than that, the Lark books, particularly the Rings books, are my fav source of design inspiration.



4. This is an amazing collection of work. I own all the lark 500 books - apart from 500 bracelets, which dissapointed me and 500 brooches, which I haven't seen yet. One of my fave's was 1000 rings because of its combination of outlandish and imaginative ideas, I found it very inspiring even though at that point I wasn't really constructing rings myself. However, this one is better, in my humble opinion. The wearability is much higher and more realistic and you can take this book to be 500 "wedding" rings or 500 just plain awesome rings - it doesn't matter, they are still stunning. Quite a lot more precious too.
   This is, like the others, not an instruction book, there are no projects. Its a collection of inspiring works to inspire and appreciate for both jewellers and collectors. If you liked any of the 500 books, I'd be quite confident that you would really like this one - the standard seems to have leapt up a few notches.
   Another lark series to look out for is the new "Masters" series. So far I have only got one, masters in gemstones. Because of the quality of this I am eagerly awaiting any others! Its amazing and goes a step further than the 500 series. Instead of just submission after submission a group of master jewellers has been selected and each chapter showcases thier work and writes a little bit about them and thier process, so in some instances this can be quite insightful into the process and methods used. Really really stunning.
   (Two reviews in one here!!)



5. This book gives you a fascinating tour throughout a huge variety of amazing and creative rings. Either if you are a jewelry afficionado or are going to get married, this compilation is a must-have.

5 comments about Secrets of the Gem Trade: The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones.

1. If his book Secrets of the Gem Trade has made Richard a rock star, it is because he has accomplished the notable feat of making the nuances of fine gems accessible, not only in his rich text but also with extraordinary images of extraordinary gemstones; many as seen through the lens of famed gem and mineral photographer Jeffrey Scovil. Richard has literally defined "connoisseurship," guiding the reader into the world of colored stone appreciation, enriching the journey with his passion for history and travel.
   
   This book has earned its place in classic gemological literature and no library collection is complete without it. Secrets of the Gem Trade serves not only as an invaluable reference, but also as inspiration to many wishing to enter the world of colored stones.
   
   E. Skalwold, F.G.A, G.G.



2. I highly recommend this book. Although it doesn't cover a wide specter of colored gemstones, it does focus on the ones worth investing in and it goes into detail about what to specifically look for when investing in these particular gems. The fact that it is peppered with stories of the author's adventures is a plus. A very satisfying read!



3. This made for a fascinating read and the pictures are fantastic. Is it worth the sticker price? Yes.



4. This book is packed with useful information. Anyone interested in gemstones will learn a lot of things you don't typically find in other books on this topic. I'm glad I got it.



5. With wonderfully good information and great images, the writer introduces a wide reaching and vast amount of valuable information through a fascinating, personalized journey. However this otherwise excellent treatise could be made infinitely better by a more professional publishing house. The typography, layout, and copy editing are awful, albeit I absolutely love the riveting cover.

1 comments about 7000 Years of Jewelry: An International History and Illustrated Survey from the Collections of the British Museum.

1. This book presents a well-organized and well-illustrated history of thousands of years of jewelry. The textual information is packed full of interesting information and the photos have detailed captions that further enhances the amount of information presented here. As a jewelry designer, I find this to be a valuable addition to my library.

5 comments about Masters: Gemstones: Major Works by Leading Jewelers (Masters).

1. Looking for beautifully made, artfully designed jewelry made with high quality materials? Historically, a few big name retailers have provided leadership, but over the past couple of decades, the 5th Avenue jewelers that used to be the go-to stores have grown tired and complacent, their goods have evolved from innovative and exciting to safe and boring and the low and mid-range jewelers have followed their lead. The giants who built those legendary retail establishments are long gone and most of the famous names have been sold off to conglomerates who grow fat off their fading reputations. In short, they are no longer a solution, they have have become part of the problem.
   
   The good news is that there are a small number of American designer-goldsmiths and jewelers working today that are producing tomorrow's heirlooms. They are the Rene Laliques, the Pierre Cartiers of the late 20th, early 21st Century. Unfortunately few are well enough capitalized to stand against the hot wind of hyper-babble that hammers the consumer with the dubious virtues of such artistic nonentities as Paloma Picasso, JAR and David Yurman.
   
   A new book, published by Lark Books and entitled: Masters-Gemstones, Major Works by leading jewelers curated by Alan Revere will provide you with an acetylene torch to to cut your way through the junkyard.
   
   Unfortunately, the book presents its own design problems. The title is unfortunate and the cover is a mess.--so poorly designed that it becomes impossible to tell what the title is, what the book is about and who wrote it. Well Alan Revere is listed as "curator" which means he wrote it, I guess, Lark prefers publishing books without authors, that way they retain the copyright and most of the profits.
   
   Revere has made an excellent selection. He picked 39 contemporary jewelers and each one is a master. The common denominator, they all work with gemstones---a practice considered very un-chic in university jewelry arts programs where most of our creative artists are trained (another component of the problem, but I digress). What I found most exciting was that after thirty years of looking around there were a good number of artist-jewelers that I had never heard of.
   
   I know and carry the work of several; Bernd and Tom Munsteiner, Michael Zobel, Michael Sugarman, Zoltan David and Stephen Webster but artists like Klaus Spies, Gregore Morin and Bayot Heer were completely new to me. What is really surprising, with perhaps two exceptions I like them all.
   
   Revere's commentary is adequate but oh the pictures! Really its all about the pictures. Masters: Gemstones is a breath of fresh air blowing through the mundane world of American retail jewelry. The book provides a visual stroll through some of the best of the best jewelry being made today. Revere has performed his curator role to perfection. Some of the artists use traditional materials, some add the non-traditional, but all put their pieces together with sensitivity and panache. Secrets of the Gem Trade: The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones



2. If you LOVE looking at jewelry, the editors of this book have done a fine job of curating a remarkable collection of work. The pictures are clear and close enough to see the smallest granule, some of the work featured in this book is truly jaw dropping. I love this book.



3. as a jewelry designer and craftsperson I was very impressed by the variety and quality work of my peers in this publication. Great book to have



4. Good representational body of work for 20 contemporary jewelers. Excellent photography. Decent commentary. Multiple mis-identification of gems. Many excellent ground-breaking jewelers omitted.



5. This book is incredible! It follows the same format as the lark 500 series - but with more! There are profiles of the masters showcased in this book with info about them, thier work, sometimes how they got started etc. Then this is followed by a selection of pages of thier work. Its beautifully done and its inspiring to the very last detail. This is not a project book. Its a gallery of masters, as its title implies, and its inspiring for jewellers, collectors and anyone interested in jewellery. It focuses, obviously, on gemstone use - but this doesn't restrict it to one type of jewellery - there are incredible examples of metalwork, mixed media, gem carving, setting etc. Its just beautiful. I'm blown away by it. It arrived a few days ago and I still can't put it down. Been carrying it around with me! If you like the 500 series, any of them, one of them or all of them, I feel sure that you will love this book. Its very well done and a lot more effort has gone into this new "masters" series that lark are planning to do more of (yey) than with the general 500 series - which is just a call for submissions. This book has collected masters together and written about them and thier work some - so its insightful, especially to other jewellers/metalsmiths. I highly recommend it.

1 comments about Royal Jewels: From Charlemagne to the Romanovs.

1. Compiled and co-edited by the team of art historian and fine jewelry historian Diana Scarisbrick, curator and specialist in royal European jewel collections Christophe Vachaudez and jewelry curator Jan Walgrave (who is also Honorary Director of the Diamond Museum in Antwer), "Royal Jewels: From Charlemagne To The Romanovs" surveys and showcases more than 800 years of jewelry associated with European monarchs. The informed and informative text is superbly enhanced with the inclusion of 290 full color and 25 black-and-white illustrations that include period paintings and photographs of bedecked royalty ranging from Louis XV, Napoleon, Empress Eugenie, Mary Queen of Scots, an Infanta of Spain, and members of the Medici family. Symbols of wealth, cultural status, and political power, jewels hung from necks and fingers, decorated clothing, enhanced the crowns of kings and the tiaras of queens. A beautiful book for browsing by the non-specialist general reader, "Royal Jewels" is a model of painstaking scholarship that makes it an impressive addition to academic and community library collections.

5 comments about Origami Jewelry: More Than 40Exquisite Designs to Fold and Wear.

1. What a creative and practical book! I love origami and have incorporated it into my card making, gift wrapping, decorating, and table setting for years. However, I had never made jewelry with it. The techniques in the book have opened a whole new area of possiblilites for me.



2. I ordered this book without high hopes and was pleasantly surprised. Finally, an origami jewelry book that goes through the process step by step with clear photos as a guide. All the questions I had regarding origami jewelry making were answered. In the past, much of my paper jewelry making was based on guesswork.



3. As someone who is a novice I found this book relatively easy to follow. I have been doing origami for a long time, but I am not consistent with it. It is something I love and I know basics, but not something I am constantly working to excel at, even though I wish I had the time to. With a stressful job I needed an outlet and so have taken origami up again to relax and have a creative outlet. I saw this book and thought, wow how cool. I really want to try this. I am more than happy with my impulse purchase. The pictures are clear and concise. She gives you all the basic folds in the front so you don't have to go looking in other materials for them. The author also allows your creative juices to flow. She shows many different project pictures with the same origami shape. This allowed me to take her projects one step further and really make them my own. I have never made jewelry before (other than macaroni necklaces in kindergarten) and she details all the tools and materials you need. Really, if this peeks your interest, the take the plunge and buy it. You won't be disappointed.



4. I am relatively new to Origami so I found this book a welcome addition to the library, it covers the obligatory choosing of papers, tools to use and importantly for newbies a good solid instructional section on the "basic folds". The jewellery created was quiet nice, a little kitsch for my personal taste, but easily accomplished with a bit of practice.
   
   The big thing for me though came with Metal Clay "paper", I am primarily a jewellery artist and use Metal clay a lot, I love the product of silver sheet clay or paper clay as some people call it as I can fold this like paper in origami styles and then fire it to produce minature fine silver jewellery. Good ideas in the book for me to transfer to silver replicas.
   
   The diagrams were clear, easy to understand and photographed well. Thank you Ayako for a good book.



5. Origami Jewelry: More Than 40 Exquisite Designs to Fold and Wear Very nice presentation. Instructions and diagrams are fairly easy to understand. The pictures of the finished fold are nicely shown. I've been doing origami for 30 yrs and never thought of making jewelry. You always learn new things.