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The Great Book of Jewels
Through all of recorded history, jewels have exerted a powerful influence on the affairs of men. The Great Book of Jewels is the first book to capture all the history, romance, intrigue, and enduring beauty of precious stones. from their earliest history to the present. The editors, aided by a team of nine distinguished gemmologists from the world's foremost museums, have amassed a wealth of jewelry lore and scientific fact which they illustrate with man's most dazzling gems, all newly photographed especially for this book.
Obtaining permission to take these photographs and plotting the historical provenance of the gems required a double genius for diplomacy and persistence. It was also the source of a rich yield of anecdotes, retold in the Introduction. Almost five years in preparation, this work is the result of painstaking research, infinite patience (it took three years just to track down and photograph the Wittlesbach Diamond), and thousands of miles of air and automobile travel to three continents. The gemstones you see in the book lie closely guarded in museums, private collections, and darkened bank vaults all over the world. Many have never been available for public inspection.
Lavishly illustrated chapters explore such subjects as The Origin of Gemstones, Why Does Man Adorn Himself? Precious Ornaments in Ancient Civilizations, Sacred Jewels, and Modern Jewelry. Fascinating tales of precious jewels include the story of the Tiffany Diamond, the largest canary diamond in the world; Empress Farah's crown, the priceless national asset which backs the currency of Iran; the notorious Hope Diamond, whose curse has brought ill luck to its owners since it was plucked from the statue of a Hindu goddess three centuries ago; and the Spoonmaker Diamond, so called because it was once traded for three spoons by a Turkish fisherman.
This dazzling treasury is the most comprehensive record yet published of the world's most priceless jewels. 206 color plates and 94 B&W photographs make this the most beautiful book on jewels ever published. Richly bound, The Great Book of Jewels is itself an object for the collector.
Obtaining permission to take these photographs and plotting the historical provenance of the gems required a double genius for diplomacy and persistence. It was also the source of a rich yield of anecdotes, retold in the Introduction. Almost five years in preparation, this work is the result of painstaking research, infinite patience (it took three years just to track down and photograph the Wittlesbach Diamond), and thousands of miles of air and automobile travel to three continents. The gemstones you see in the book lie closely guarded in museums, private collections, and darkened bank vaults all over the world. Many have never been available for public inspection.
Lavishly illustrated chapters explore such subjects as The Origin of Gemstones, Why Does Man Adorn Himself? Precious Ornaments in Ancient Civilizations, Sacred Jewels, and Modern Jewelry. Fascinating tales of precious jewels include the story of the Tiffany Diamond, the largest canary diamond in the world; Empress Farah's crown, the priceless national asset which backs the currency of Iran; the notorious Hope Diamond, whose curse has brought ill luck to its owners since it was plucked from the statue of a Hindu goddess three centuries ago; and the Spoonmaker Diamond, so called because it was once traded for three spoons by a Turkish fisherman.
This dazzling treasury is the most comprehensive record yet published of the world's most priceless jewels. 206 color plates and 94 B&W photographs make this the most beautiful book on jewels ever published. Richly bound, The Great Book of Jewels is itself an object for the collector.
316 pages, Hardcover
Published December 12, 1988
About the author
Ernst A. Heiniger
3 booksErnst Albrecht Heiniger was an Oscar-winning filmmaker and photographer
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