After a long sun-filled day at the beach, or if you’re stuck inside on a rainy day, you may be ready to do some light reading. Why not boost your jewelry IQ by reading some books on your favorite subject? There are myriad jewelry books to choose from, but we’ve chosen a couple of new releases that cover one classic designer with timeless appeal, another who stretches the envelope of design creating fantastical pieces and finally a book about the history of some of the world’s most coveted diamonds.
The World of David Morris: The London Jeweler
Extraordinary gemstones, impeccable crafting and creative design, are all hallmarks of David Morris jewelry. David Morris started his eponymous jewelry design house in 1962, during a time of great social and fashion upheaval. However, his use of rare gems and opulent designs captured the imagination of clients from Elizabeth Taylor to the Sultan of Brunei. A new 256-page slip cased tome, “The World of David Morris: the London Jeweler”, published by Rizzoli, chronicles the company history. The book is written by Annabel Davidson, editor of Vanity Fair on Jewellery, who has also written for British Vogue, Telegraph, New York Times and others.
The foreword is written by Cecily Morris and Phoebe Morris, granddaughters of David Morris. The sisters preview the book by giving us a glimpse into their thoughts on the family jewels and by promising to lift the curtain to show what is happening behind the scenes when creating a spectacular piece of high jewelry. To that end, the book is filled with personal anecdotes that bring us closer to the family. Jeremy Morris (David’s son) also offers his unique business perspective to the narrative.
Solange: Jewelry for Chromantics
Every so often a jewelry designer comes along who perfectly captures the zeitgeist of our times and who is destined to become a future collectible. That’s the case for London-based jeweler Solange Azagury-Partridge. Her first book, “Solange: Jewelry for Chromantics”, chronicles her creative process and her innovative, avant-garde designs. The 272-page coffee-table tome published by Rizzoli, is packed with images of Solange’s jewelry, her studio, her home and even some images from the most personal moments of her life.
The book starts out with a foreword by Clare Phillips, curator in the Department of Decorative Art and Sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where pieces of jewelry by Solange are exhibited. In the book foreword, Phillips notes that Solange designed for Boucheron, from 2001 to 2004 and later created a collection for H&M, explaining that for Solange craftsmanship, not materials, is the most important aspect of creating a piece of jewelry, while joy is a guiding principle of her work.
Jewelry historian, author and editor, Ruth Peltason, wrote an essay for the book entitled “Visual Chaos”. The essay is an overview of Solange’s career and accomplishments including how she started designing jewelry when she created her own engagement ring. The essay goes on to describe Solange and her work through various words and how her designs are influenced by certain words such as elemental, viridian and kinetic, which are also headings for chapters in the book.
Diamonds of Golconda
Through the centuries some of the world’s most famous diamonds have been traced back to the Golconda Mines of India. In her book “Diamonds of Golconda”, published by SKIRA, author Capucine Juncker explores the history and lore around the mine and the gems that came from the legendary mines. A former public relations specialist in “art de vivre” and luxury, Juncker a gemologist and historian, created the website “Property of a Lady” where she dives into jewelry history, creators and the overall market. Juncker studied history and earned a Master’s Degree in philosophy from the Sorbonne University and she also holds a diploma in gemology from the Institut National de Gemmologie and a “Diamond Essential” certificate from the De Beers Diamond Institute. After completing those studies, she then made the decision to focus on historic jewelry, writing for magazines and auction catalogs as well as authoring numerous books on the topic. Juncker has lived in Rome, London and Dubai and currently resides in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Living in different cities inspired Juncker to focus on the international aspect of jewelry history and cultural exchanges. After years of research, “Diamonds of Golconda” was born. If you love history, this is the book for you.
These are three books about jewelry, brimming with stunning photography, each with very different viewpoints, that will be welcome additions to your personal library.
Top of Page: Sule Makaroglu, courtesy Unsplash.
Cover The World of David Morris: The London Jeweler, published by Rizzoli, ©2024; Cover of ©Solange: Jewelry for Chromantics, published by Rizzoli, 2024; Cover, Diamonds of Golconda, authored by Capucine Juncker, published by SKIRA.
Authored by Amber Michelle