Pearls: A Natural History
by Neil H. Landman (Author), Paula Mikkelsen (Author)
A book with the luster and allure of its subject, Pearls is the most spectacular volume ever produced on this prized gem. Blending history, science, and the jeweler’s art to celebrate these natural treasures, this lavishly illustrated volume, shimmering with new color photography and archival images, traces the natural and cultural history of pearls around the world.
Published to accompany an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the Field Museum in Chicago, Pearls begins with the earliest pearl artifacts found in Mesopotamia and discusses how pearls are formed, in nature and by humans, the ways different cultures have used pearls in literature, paintings, religious objects, and sculptures, and, of course, pearls as personal adornment.
Pearl Buying Guide
by Renee Newman
A practical guide for the consumer and those new to pearl retail, with an abundance of excellent photographs showing what (precisely) to look for when shopping for pearls.
Learn about the more exotic pearls types, such as Rainbow Pearls, Cortez pearls, Pipi pearls, and various pearls produced by snails and clams. “Pearl Buying Guide, Updated 5th Edition” opens with 4 pages of photographs depicting the business of cultured pearls, and includes chapters on South Sea Pearls, Black Pearls, Freshwater Pearls and even Pearl Treatments commonly implemented. Further chapters include advice on Judging Luster & Nacre Thickness, Judging Color, Judging Surface Quality, and Judging Make.
The Pearl
by Silvia Malaguzzi (Author)
Pearl tells the story of the arrival of the pearl in the West, its enchanting mythology, man’s fascination with its origins, and the role it has played in jewelry and art throughout the ages. It also explores the significance and impact the pearl has had on different cultures: how it was believed to possess medicinal and talismanic powers, and mystical symbolism. With gorgeous color illustrations of brooches, pendants, and hundreds of other collectibles gathered from cathedrals, museums and private collections, this new book takes the reader on a visual tour of lavish design through the ages.
Pearls
by
For millennia pearls have been associated with royalty, glamour and status, treasured for their exquisite beauty. “Pearls” traces the history of these coveted gems over the centuries and across cultures from East to West, from the Roman Empire right up to the present day.
Historical portraits explain the social and cultural significance of pearls, exploring the changing fashions in how pearls were worn, whether as signs of luxury and status or as attributes of the Virgin Mary. “Pearls” brings together an impressive range of jewellery, from the pearl drop worn by Charles I when he went to the scaffold to a brooch given by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria on their third wedding anniversary. From the late nineteenth century, luxury brands such as Chaumet, Garrard, Cartier, Tiffany and Bulgari came to the fore, and with the introduction of cultured pearls in the early twentieth century, pearls, formerly a symbol of privilege, became a more popular and affordable adornment.
The Book of the Pearl: Its History, Art, Science and Industry (Dover Jewelry and Metalwork)
This monumental, profusely illustrated volume by two noted authorities is probably the largest single collection of data on the subject of pearls. Its enormous amount of detailed information covers their origin and history, structure, and form; the pearl fisheries of Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas; fascinating facts and lore; and much more. Over 180 illustrations.
