Do you know the history of jewelry? Do you know that some jewels have played an important role in the past? A book tells the story of jewelry.
Kings and socialities, emperors and film actors: they all had a common object, the jewels. The book Diamond Jewelry: 700 Years of Glory and Glamor (256 pages, publisher Thames & Hudson, $ 49.49 on Amazon) tells, with 311 illustrations, the role that jewelry has played in history and culture.
The author is Diana Scarisbrick, an art historian specializing in the history of gems and jewels. The book tells the stories of those who commissioned and wore extraordinarily precious ornaments from the mid-fourteenth century to the present day.
On the other hand, it is no coincidence that the jewels are present in portraits and photographs of figures such as Charles V of France, Queen Elizabeth I of Great Britain, Louis XIV of France and Catherine II of Russia, who used diamond jewelry to strengthen their power and authority, but also of cinema icons such as Elizabeth Taylor. Everyone used diamond jewelry to testify to their power. The jewels have been and still are a status symbol, just like the clothes of the stylists, and are worn to amaze and impress. In particular, they are used on special occasions, such as weddings, coronations, baptisms and state visits. They are also gifts, which often prove extraordinarily effective as diplomatic tools.
The book, through the illustrations, shows the evolution of jewelry styles, especially those with diamonds. It is a journey through time with late Gothic naturalism, Renaissance classicism, the contortions of Baroque, Rococo and the pompous style of the first and second Napoleonic empires.
