Customer Reviews

New Directions In Jewellery

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Over 80 jewelry makers who are creating radical new designs, blending textiles with sculpture, are changing the way jewelry is made and presented, and NEW DIRECTIONS IN JEWELLERY discusses these changes in essays which profile artists and their approaches. Distinguishing design paths, examples of various designs which defy the usual geometric and material choices, and commentary on artist and fashion statements make NEW DIRECTIONS IN JEWELLERY an excellent survey of the latest trends in style and jewelry creation. Informed and informative, NEW DIRECTIONS IN JEWELLERY is a 'must' for any college-level or professional reference collection strong in modern art and jewelry.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is not jewellery for the masses. It's art jewellery, featuring alternative materials, strange forms, and with no guarantee of wearability. Think: 'contemporary body adornment' rather than anything you could buy in a store. Sure, a lot of it is highly impractical - it's art, it's not supposed to be practical. If you're interested in seeing where jewellery's been headed for the past decade, this will get you up to speed, and the small essays about each artist give valuable background information, as well as starting points for future research. A definite yes for jewellery students, or anyone interested in contemporary art.

As the title says, this book is about "New Directions", which loosely translates to High End, Over the top designs. If you are into contemporary designs, a student of Jewellery design (high end not a bead stringer!), then you will love this book, it is inspirational with at least 80% of the book. The other 20% is just plain silly. It is not jewellery, it is more a garment or sculpture. Probably only 50% of the pieces shown could be worn in every day use, the rest is destined for a catwalk exhibition or gallery. If you are not in the above category you will hate this book, plain and simple and probably wish you had purchased something else.

I am a jewelry designer myself and it often inspires me when I see interesting jewelry by other artists. My work is sometimes considered to be a bit out there, but definitely wearable. So photos are important to me, not prose. The first part of this book is essays which may please others but not me. The rest of the book is indeed photos, but most of the work isn't wearable and much of it isn't interesting to me. Much of it is more art, less jewelry. Lots of it was tacky-looking, in my opinion. I often get inspiration from all kinds of non-jewelry things; nature, fabrics, clothing, shapes, materials. These pieces didn't do anything for me. I was really disappointed.