Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewels, and Nature [Hardcover]

Suzanne Tennenbaum (Author), Janet Zapata (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Authors Tennenbaum and Zapata (The Jeweled Menagerie) leave no stone unturned in their gorgeous, comprehensive history of botanical motifs in jewelry from the Victorian period to the present. The relatively narrow focus of the book allows the authors room to treat their topic in depth, spotlighting every aspect of the oeuvre in a manner rarely seen in books for laypersons. Chapters cover different time periods and movements (naturalism, exoticism, Art Deco), relying on a conventional structure: a few paragraphs of background information give way to detailed descriptions of the pieces. The text complements the jewelry in precision, if not in whimsy or beauty. Aimed at cognoscenti of the gem and jewelry world, the text slows down only slightly when introducing more rarified vocabulary: "Enameling ... not only added color to a piece of jewelry but, with the further development of plique-à-jour, its see-through appearance replaced large sections of metal, creating a gossamer look." With photographs this captivating, readers will not be disappointed.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Vendome Press; 1ST edition (December 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865651728
• ISBN-13: 978-0865651722
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,157,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Jewelry Books, May 30, 2007

By 

maxi-jewels (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewels, and Nature (Hardcover)

A "Must-have" for jewelry collectors, designers ..... Excellent pictures!!!! Great details!!! With lots of great masterpieces! 100% +++++ satisfaction in owning it!!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A somewhat disappointing "Jeweled Garden", March 10, 2009

By 

P. C. Brock (Flushing, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewels, and Nature (Hardcover)

For me, "Jeweled Garden" was a disappointment. Nature in general and flowers in particular have inspired a myriad of jewelry forms, created by many cultures and throughout much of history. Many materials(beyond common gems) have been used to express motiffs derived from nature. But the pieces illustrated in this book are of limited variety. The book primarily focuses on a narrow range of subjects; faceted gems set into standard floral forms. These are pretty, but repetitive. The book holds little record of the broader range of materials, forms, and imagination that have enriched the nature-inspired jewelry scene.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A visual ravishment!, August 8, 2007

By 

The Squire - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewels, and Nature (Hardcover)

A superb book! A visual ravishment!

The book is well researched and wide ranging in its study of flora based jewellery!

Focusing not only on the great jewellery houses but also on historical pieces, it makes for interesting reading for anyone who appreciate fine workmanship but also the history of jewels!