Living Jewels: Masterpieces from Nature: Coral, Pearls, Horn, Shell, Wood & Other Exotica

A beautiful book full of well photographed and gorgeous pieces. It has just the right amount of text: entertaining and informative commentary by someone who clearly loves the art and workmanship of fine jewelry. Overall this book is a joyous experience to peruse. A word to those wishing for something more scholarly: this isn't that book. For the rest of us, it's is good, intelligent fun.While truly a pleasure in many respects, Living Jewels is frustrating in two ways. One, no dimensions are given. With necklaces and rings it's not so hard to infer their approximate size. With brooches, like the one on the cover, the reader is clueless: it is about an inch across? Three inches? Five?Also, photo credits are listed in tiny print at the back in alphabetical order by who provided permission. While many pieces are no doubt in private collections, it would be nice to know which are in museums where the public is able to see them. Surely there was a way this information could have been included on the page without disrupting the overall design. Some of us want to get a closer look if our travels happen to take us where some of these pieces "live"!

I've been collecting Art Nouveau and Native American coral jewelry for a decade. I haven't been able to find a book focusing on precious coral jewelry - until this book was released. It's WELL worth the money - fantastic photographs and lots of vintage coral jewelry. I primarily collect peach, orange and pink gem coral jewelry and there are many examples in this gorgeously designed book. It's a steal at $30, so buy a copy before it sells out. There are many other types of jewelry in this book besides coral - so there's something for everyone ..........

If you are into pearl studs, charm bracelets and signet rings, this book is not for you. Avant garde, fashion forward, innovative are some of the words that came to my mind reading and reviewing the images of this facinating book (even when some of the jewels were antiques!). Some of the most elusive designers and rarest materials combine to paraphrase what Verdura (one of the designers showcased) once said when a lady asked his opinion about a large diamond ring she owned: "I'm in jewelry design, not minerology".