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Category Archives: Jewelry History
Yurman’s New Book has Real Lesson for Professional Pearl and Bead Stringers
Jewelry designer David Yurman evokes a number of reactions from his peers, including admiration, contempt and jealousy. The last is certainly understandable if not especially admirable. Yurman is one of the very, very few “artist” jewelers who have managed to … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Jewelry Design, Jewelry History, Sales
Tagged David Yurman, jewelry marketing
Gemstones, Style and Reputation
As professional pearl and bead stringers, we’re often asked about issues that might seem a little far from our area of expertise, including questions about gemstones and cultural history. Rightly or wrongly, our ability to answer these questions influences the … Continue reading
Posted in Gemstones, Jewelry Design, Jewelry History
Tagged carved gemstones, tutti fruitti
Natural Pearls & Jewelry Designers
I was reviewing my gmail account today for various notifications and a number of pre-Christmas articles reminded me of one of my pet peeves. Jewelry designers are always hungry for publicity and rightly so. After all, we can’t evaluate, search … Continue reading
Posted in Jewelry Design, Jewelry History, Pearls
Tagged designers, jewelry designers, natural pearls
A Happy Ending
More than once I’ve mentioned that one of the reasons for my continued fascination with jewelry is the history that can be associated with it. Here is a present-day story involving an important antique brooch with a happy ending. It’s … Continue reading
Posted in Gemstones, Jewelry History, Pearls
Tagged mine cut diamonds, natural pearl, Putilov brooch, saltwater natural pearl
Resources for Pearl and Bead Stringers
As the holidays approach, clients may ask you advice about pearls and/or gemstones. And, although professional pearl and bead stringers typically can answer most general questions, occasionally we can be stumped. Here is a list of web resources you might … Continue reading
Posted in Jewelry Design, Jewelry History, Reference
Tagged jewelry design, Jewelry history, jewelry resources
Has Jewelry Become Irrelevant?
As we begin 2014 and confront the myriad problems facing the nation, anxiety over health care, joblessness, the government’s apparent inability to do anything but blunder around in a flaccid economy, and so on and on, it’s hard to escape … Continue reading
Posted in Jewelry Design, Jewelry History
Tagged Alexander Calder, making jewelry, Metropolitan Museum of Art, wearable art, wire, wire brooch, wire jewelry
Nelson Mandela and the Diamond Industry
Most of us tend to think of Nelson Mandela as an iconic figure, a representative of human rights and the ideal of reconciliation. However, he was more (or less) than that. He was also a politician who governed a country … Continue reading
Little Known Gilded Age Jeweler
When we think of the Gilded Age, we think of the excesses of the wealthy a period from about 1870 to the turn of the century. Great wealth accumulated as the Industrial Revolution catalyzed new industries, railroads, steel, mining, … Continue reading
Posted in Jewelry Design, Jewelry History
Tagged Gilded Age, Theodore B. Starr
Male Jewelry “Tomfoolery”
A really marvelous article by Beatrice Behlen recently appeared in London’s The Telegraph newspaper. Its subject: tomfoolery. As it turns out, “tomfoolery” is the name Cockneys give to male jewelry and Beatrice Behlen is the curator of a new … Continue reading
Posted in Fashion, Jewelry History
Tagged etiquette, jewelry etiquette, male earrings, male jewelry, tomfoolery
Pearl Styles: Connecting the Dots
Style magazine recently ran an interesting story on pearls and the style connection between those worn by Carey Mulligan in recent The Great Gatsby movie and the “funky” look associated today’s celebrities and the way they wear pearls. The … Continue reading
Posted in Fashion, Jewelry History, Pearls, Reference
Tagged Cartier, pearl styles, pearls, The Great Gatsby, the roaring 20s, Tiffany