Fabulous Fakes: A Passion for Vintage (Hardcover)
by Carole Tanenbaum (Author)

You may have seen them in some wonderful old movie, sparkling on Audrey Hepburn or Claudette Colbert, looking as if they cost millions of dollars. They didn’t; they are not the real thing. But even though they are faux, they’re made with the same care and attention as the real things: strands of artificial pearls individually knotted, “gems” hand set and pronged, plastic bangles more stunning than ivory. Fabulous Fakes gives you one hundred years of the most amazing pieces of costume jewelry ever produced, in brilliant and beautiful color.

It tells their story, starting with mass-produced Victorian jewelry, moving through the wonderfully sophisticated lines of art deco geometrics, and parking at the doorstep of 1990s designer and artisanal jewelry.

Whether you love the boldness of Czech crystal or the delicate handiwork of Miriam Haskell, whether your jewels are part of your everyday fashion or a breathtaking collection of objets, the thrill of finding them is the same. Fabulous Fakes is your treasure map to discovering the craftsmanship and tradition that have made these pieces part of our collective memory.

Collecting Costume Jewelry 101: The Basics of Starting, Building & Upgrading (Collecting Costume Jewelry 101) (Paperback)
by Julia C. Carroll (Author)

"Collecting Costume Jewellery 101" is essentially a beginners' guide to the main makers of (American) designer costume jewellery. Other information is also given, such as how to repair and clean costume jewellery and what to do with unwanted jewellery, all of which would be useful to a person starting a costume jewellery collection. However, the vast majority of this book are devoted to summaries of the main jewellery making companies.

Miriam Haskell Jewelry (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)
by Cathy Gordon (Author), Sheila Pamfiloff (Author)

Miriam Haskell began selling especially beautiful costume jewelry in 1926, and her company continues to the present. Today, the jewelry that bears her name is highly sought after and the prices keep spiraling up. Claims abound that this is a Miriam Haskell, but is it a Miriam Haskell? This important new book gives collectors the key information to make intelligent buying decisions. It provides specific details on the art, design, style, materials, construction, and signatures, all vital to the identification and dating of Haskell jewelry. It also dispels many of the myths that allow wanna-bes and fakes to flourish. Over 600 beautiful color photographs display the most extensive collection of Haskell jewelry ever brought together. The jewelry is categorized by designer, specifying notable eras. The text provides notations on innovations, style preferences, and in-depth descriptions pointing to key Haskell identifiers. Readers, from casual admirers to serious collectors and dealers, will find in this comprehensive book the essential information and breathtaking pictures they seek.

Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love, and Loyalty (Hardcover)
by Diana Scarisbrick (Author)

For anyone interested in jewelry: a magnificently illustrated, international survey of rings through history.

With ravishing reproductions of rings from many countries, this book presents rings through major themes: signets; rings associated with love, marriage, and friendship; devotional, protective, and ecclesiastical rings; memento mori and memorial rings; rings associated with famous people and great events; decorative rings; diamond rings; and rings as accessories.

Rings of all periods are covered—from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome through the Middle Ages and Renaissance to the twentieth century. The examples come from great museums and from private collections, chiefly that of the noted gem dealer Benjamin Zucker.

The author, one of the world's leading jewelry historians, draws on artistic and literary sources to make the rings' contexts come alive with paintings, drawings, and vivid quotations. 479 color photographs and illustrations.

Signed Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Indentification & Values (Signed Beauties of Costume Jewelry) (Hardcover)

Over 800 color photos with thousands of pieces of jewelry. Companies and designers featured include Eisenberg, McClelland Barclay, Hattie Carneige, Adele Simpson, Miriam Haskell, Kenneth Jay Lane, Joseff, Marcel Boucher, and more. 2004 values. AUTHORBIO: Marcia Brown published her first book, Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry, in 2000. She is the host and co-writer of the award-winning Venture Entertainment books-on-tape series Hidden Treasures: A Collector's Guide to Antique & Vintage Jewelry. She is a frequent contributor to the Vintage Fashion & Costume Jewelry newsletter. An antique and vintage jewelry historian, lecturer, and collector, Brown also provides private consultations for many dealers, mall owners, and collectors. REVIEW: This book truly "sparkles" (like the author's name) and would make an ideal gift for costume jewelry fans. Author Marcia "Sparkles" Brown has created the perfect sequel to her previously published Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry with this handsomely produced volume. Thousands of jewelry items are illustrated in over 800 color photographs and are complemented by captions that include descriptions and values.

Royal Jewels: From Charlemagne to the Romanovs (Hardcover)
by Diana Scarisbrick (Editor), Christophe Vachaudez (Editor), Jan Walgrave (Editor)

A spectacular celebration of European jewels, from Charlemagne to Louis XIV to Catherine the Great.

For centuries, the wealth, power, and prestige of European monarchies was concentrated in the jewels that hung from their necks, decorated their clothing, and dripped from their fingers—often into the waiting hands of favorite courtiers. From the weighty, gem-encrusted gold crowns of medieval kings to glittering diamond tiaras of Belle Epoque princesses, Royal Jewels shows the exquisite range of gems worn by Europe’s fabled monarchs.

These are the dazzling remains of a lost era—when gems were powerful tools in the game of royal politics, and when the gift of jewelry bestowed far more than wealth on the recipient. Gems expressed court favor, strengthened international ties, and embodied the power of kings long dead and conquerors in the making. With over 300 exquisite photographs and edited by a distinguished group of experts, Royal Jewels is an incomparable examination of an incredible

Jewels of the Tsars: The Romanovs and Imperial Russia (Hardcover)
by Prince Michael of Greece (Author)

The world’s fascination with the Russian imperial family endures, and with this stunning book a new spotlight is added. Jewels of the Tsars, the first book to examine the family’s unparalleled collection, is illustrated with extraordinary photographs taken under special conditions at the Kremlin’s Diamond Fund, and accompanied by 18th- and 19th-century portraits and photographs of the Tsars, their families, and their court. Prince Michael of Greece, a Romanoff descendant, writes with an insider’s knowledge of his family’s passion for rare and beautiful jewels, and their place in the troubled history of Imperial Russia.

Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values (Hardcover)
by Marcia Sparkles Brown

This book is the first book of its kind, concentrating not only on costume jewelry, but also on those pieces that are unmarked or unsigned by the manufacturer. Over 1,000 photographs featuring 3,500 pieces of antique and collectible costume jewelry highlight this beautiful book. Brown carefully illustrates and discusses such details as the types of metal finishes used, the different cuts of stones, and stone setting techniques. Easy to read charts covering time lines, fashion dates, and jewelry introductions are provided for ease in identification of pieces. All photographs are indexed for easier research, and a helpful glossary has been included. 2000 values. AUTHORBIO: Marcia Brown published her first book, Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry, in 2000. She is the host and co-writer of the award-winning Venture Entertainment books-on-tape series Hidden Treasures: A Collector's Guide to Antique & Vintage Jewelry. She is a frequent contributor to the Vintage Fashion & Costume Jewelry newsletter. An antique and vintage jewelry historian, lecturer, and collector, Brown also provides private consultations for many dealers, mall owners, and collectors. REVIEW: This book truly "sparkles" (like the author's name) and would make an ideal gift for costume jewelry fans. Thousands of jewelry items are illustrated in over 1,000 color photographs and are complemented by captions that include descriptions and values.

Inside the Jewelry Box: A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values (Inside the Jewelry Box) (Paperback)
by Ann Mitchell Pitman (Author)

Gemstones: Understanding, Identifying, Buying (Hardcover)
by Keith Wallis (Author)

Whether buying gem-set jewellery or loose stones, you will be faced with a colourful array of beauty and value. With such a wide choice - from amethyst to zircon which should you choose? What is it worth, and how do you even know it is real? All that glitters is not gold, as they say, and all that sparkles is not diamond. Gemstones helps to answer these questions in simple and easy to understand terms. As well as diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, over 100 gems are featured, with full descriptions, technical details, and tips on how to check for fakes; illustrated throughout with fabulous colour photographs to make identification easier. Technical terms such as refraction and fluorescence are explained and some basic identification tests are introduced. A helpful tour around the world details where gems are best available. Informative appendices include a glossary of terms, tables of specific gravity and refractive index, and the comparative value of different stones.

Antique Trader Jewelry Price Guide (Paperback)
by Kyle Husfloen (Author)

Easy to use, this price guide couples comprehensive with compact; and presents information in an authoritative manner you can trust and turn to with confidence. With millions of pieces to select from, jewelry is an attractive collecting opportunity for everyone, regardless of income. This extensive and beautifully illustrated guide contains 1,000 color photos and detailed listings to help you easily identify and price antique, modern and costume jewelry.

Form & Function: American Modernist Jewelry, 1940-1970 (Hardcover) by Marbeth Schon (Author)

This book is the catalog for two of the first major exhibits to show only modernist jewelry from such a broad group of artists. Both take place in 2008 in Fort Wayne, Indiana: one at The Fort Wayne Museum of Art (May 2 to August 24) and the other at The University of St. Francis School of Creative Arts (May 2 to May 30). Over fifty collectors and living art jewelers have lent some of the best examples of this innovative style. Sculptors Alexander Calder, Harry Bertoia, Jose de Rivera, Peter and Daniel Macchiarini, Earl and Tod Pardon, and merry rank are among the 96 artists featured, along with their extensive jewelry creations. Their work was experimental and stimulated originality in successive generations. Plastics, pearls, brass, copper, silver, gold, and enamels are among the materials found here in mini-sculptures and jewelry ornaments for men and women alike. The author's extensive research uncovers connections among the artists and documents this important art period and medium. Artists, collectors, cultural historians, and students all will want to see the exhibits and own the catalog.

Tiffany Pearls (Hardcover)
by John Loring (Author)

Symbols of perfection, pearls are the most classic of gems, bringing an air of elegance and sophistication to the women who wear them. No name in fine jewelry says “classic” more than Tiffany & Co., and in Tiffany Pearls, the venerable institution’s longtime design director traces the dazzling history of pearl jewelry at Tiffany, from the mid-19th century to the present, including fascinating accounts of many of the world’s most famous pearls since the Renaissance.

Collector's Encyclopedia of Compacts Carry Alls & Face Powder Boxes
by Laura M. Mueller

This volume, along with volume 2, is the best place to learn about compacts and how to collect them. Gorgeous photos, all in color, covering every possible category of compact imaginable. Mueller covers compact and makeup history, from Egyptian times to the turn of the 20th century to the demise of artistically designed compacts in the 1960s. Any reader will be educated in the world of compacts after going through these two volumes. A quality guide/encyclopedia.

The Big Book of Vaseline Glass (Schiffer Book for Collectors.)
by Barrie W. Skelcher

 

Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles Price List, 37th Edition (Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles Price List)

America's most popular price guide for collectors, dealers and appraisers. As America's passion for antiques and collectibles continues to grow, this new edition is indispensable.
Over 500 categories - Everything from ABC plates to Zane pottery is easily accessible in the 37th edition of this annual bestseller. This new edition features:

• An exclusive market report on record-setting prices of the past year.
•A new 16-page full-color insert
• More than 50,000 new items and prices—what collectors really paid at shows, sales, nationwide auctions, and on the Internet.
• More than 400 black-and-white photographs, plus hundreds of factory marks and identifying logos.

Kovels' New Dictionary of Marks : Pottery and Porcelain 1850 to Present (Kovel's Dictionary of Marks)

Kovels' New Dictionary of Marks provides the quickest and easiest way for professional and amateur collectors to identify more than 3,500 American, European, and Oriental marks. The perfect companion to the Kovels' original best-seller, Kovels' Dictionary of Marks--Pottery and Porcelain: 1650 to 1850 (still in print after more than 42 years and 41 printings), Kovels' New Dictionary of Marks is the most comprehensive reference for nineteenth- and twentieth-century marks. Together, the two volumes are an indispensable guide to porcelain and pottery marks of the last four centuries.

Kovels' Know Your Antiques, Revised and Updated (Kovel's Know Your Antiques)

For every collector who wants to know how to evaluate, purchase, and care for antiques and collectibles, this revised and updated edition of Kovels' Know Your Antiques will be a valuable companion.
With more than 300 photographs and line drawings, a clear, concise text, and extensive up-to-date bibliographies, this book will help you determine if there is anything of value in the inherited belongings of Aunt May, or whether that zealously guarded Stradivarius violin is genuine or fake.

Kovels' Know Your Antiques covers everything from pottery, silver, and glass to furniture, prints, and rugs. The Kovels show how a tape measure and magnet can help prove the age of antique furniture, how to test for old silver with a fingernail, how to date cut glass and porcelain by their marks, and much more.

This book also contains a list of current price guides, publications, and collector clubs that provide additional help and information. With Kovels' Know Your Antiques, you will learn how to buy almost any antique with a shrewd eye toward present and future value.

Ralph and Terry Kovel have been described as "the unquestioned authorities in the antiques and collectibles field." They have authored more than 60 books, including the best-selling Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price List. They write a nationally syndicated column for hundreds of newspapers, a monthly column for House Beautiful, and a subscription-only national newsletter, Kovels on Antiques & Collectibles. Their shows air regularly on public and cable television.

Schroeders Antiques Price Guide (Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide)

Vintage Purses: At Their Best (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
by Lynell K. Schwartz

The beautiful diversity of high-quality vintage purses is presented through a friendly and informative text and 522 beautiful color photographs. Chosen from among the leading private dealer and museum collections, these primarily nineteenth and twentieth century purses are among the finest glass-beaded metal, tapestry, embroidered, plastic, and home-crafted examples known. The book includes histories of the leading manufacturers such as Bliss, Napier, Whiting & Davis and Mandalian along with catalogs, advertising, trade, cards, and original drawings which anchor the purses in their respective periods. This book will delight all fashion enthusiasts. The price guide reflects the collectors' market today.

Vintage & Contemporary Purse Accessories: Identification & Value Guide
Author: Roselyn Gerson

 

Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances
by Michael Edwards

This extraordinary book covers the most impacting fragrances on both the public and the industry. From conception to development to launches, it gives a thorough history of these wonderscents.Each chapter is a specific scent, covering the designer, the fragrance creators, the bottle development and all the dirty little secrets of how they got to the top. The book thoroughly covers 45 perfumes (I think he missed a few) including greats like Chanel #5, Shalimar,Anais Anais and Angel. Mr. Edwards also gives a composition rundown, But this is a little confusing if you are not familiar with his Fragrance Manual. Required reading for any fragrance nut.

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