This book is not humongous or very long, but it does contain some gorgeous color shots of jewels I'd never seen before, and brings out some details of jewelry that aren't well-known. The cover shot itself really brings home just how "random" gemstones were at the time--nowadays we wouldn't even tolerate such misshapen stones, but this was a jewel fit for a noble back then! Sections on rings (lots and lots, including a Jewish wedding ring), clasps, belt-buckles, and more abound, with plenty to look at for the general reader. Since most jewels that survive are religious-based, there is a lot of that, too, as well as looks at famous jewels like the Three Brothers brooch. People into historical re-creation will especially value these photos--they are amazing.
It really is a pity that the author doesn't make something more extensive with the gorgeous collection at her disposal. To be really must-have, this book needs to be several times longer, with even more photos. This is almost a gift book, with little text and only a hundred pages long. It seems like it'd fit well with a beginning library, especially for a younger person, but a serious history wonk might feel somewhat disappointed with it. I give it 4 stars for the quality of the jewelry photos and the quality of what text there is.
For the really definitive work, I defer to this source:
Renaissance Jewellery
.
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