Jewelry by Joan Rivers (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Gordon Munro (Photographer), Elizabeth Watt (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

All of Joan Rivers' love and knowledge of jewelry is reflected in the pieces she designs for her own collection, hundreds of which are reproduced here in specially commissioned full-color photos. She also takes readers behind the scenes to show how fine costume jewelry is crafted, from initial sketches to finished product. Full-color illustrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 156 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Press; 1st edition (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558598081
• ISBN-13: 978-1558598089
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #149,339 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #55 in

  Books > Home & Garden > Antiques & Collectibles > Jewelry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative text, dazzling photographs, June 16, 2004

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"Jewelry by Joan Rivers" features photography by Gordon Munro and Elizabeth Watt. The book is a celebration of jewelry from the perspective of comedian and television personality Joan Rivers. The main sections of the book are as follows: a lengthy introduction; a series of entries on great jewelry designers (Tiffany and Co., Faberge, Cartier, etc.); a chapter with advice on integrating jewelry into one's overall fashion sense; a large section on Joan Rivers' own costume jewelry line, the Classics Collection; and a chapter describing how jewelry is made. Also included are shopping tips, a bibliography and index.

The book combines an interesting text with a wealth of clear, full-color photos that are sparkling with detail. Rivers enlivens the text with enjoyable personal anecdotes. The section on jewelry and fashion includes shots of Joan modeling different clothes-and-jewelry combos, and has an empowering message that encourages readers to create their own style without being stifled by someone else's rules.

There are some wonderful photos of and stories about some of the fine jewelry pieces in Joan's own collection; one of the most dazzling pieces is a necklace, once owned by Queen Marie of Romania, that contains many colorful eggs and charms. The section about how jewelry is made shows, in text and photos, the process from rough design sketch all the way to finished product. It's absolutely fascinating.

The book's largest section is devoted to photos and descriptive text about Joan's own costume jewelry line. The Classics Collection pieces profiled include necklaces, earrings, bracelets, brooches, etc. It's a rich and colorful variety of pieces. Many motifs and elements appear, and there are synthetic/faux gems of many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some pieces are whimsical, some bold and dramatic. If you love photos of jewelry, you'll be in heaven.

I've read many different photo books on both fine and costume jewelry, and this book really stands out in terms of beauty and educational value. And Joan River' passion for jewelry really animates the book overall.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joan Rivers Jewelry fans will love this book! :), October 14, 2001

By	creativedawn (Bullhead City, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

Joan's book has lots of beautiful photos of her classics collection jewelry from the first 5 years. Her book explains how she got started with QVC & why she decided to create the jewelry, how the jewelry is made, where she got her inspiration for her classics collection jewelry, personal stories & information about her favorite jewelry designers & stores. It's a fun book that is a very easy read with lots of beautiful photos. If you collect Joan's jewelry like I do you'll love seeing all the different pieces of jewelry she did in the early years. It's great to see jewelry pieces I have & other items from that year's collection. This book was well worth the price!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A passion for jewelry design, April 8, 2003

By	Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Joan Rivers is one of America's most successful comedians (a tough field for a woman, as being funny and being ladylike would seem to be mutually exclusive.) Ms. Rivers has always been a fan of high fashion. Her late husband Edgar indulged her love of designer jewelry such as Faberge's, but not content to merely own such works of art, Rivers started her own costume jewelry line inspired by Russian pieces, Edwardian, Victorian and modern classics.

The book contains a section on the major designers like Faberge and Cartier, a section on the reproductions in the Rivers line compared to their original versions, and one about the process by which costume jewelry is made, from artist's model to casting pot metal, electroplating and setting rhinestones. The book is well-photographed and should be of interest to anyone who collects costume jewelry, whether from Rivers' own line or vintage pieces of other makes.