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In her latest book, “Jewels That Made History: 100 Stones, Myths and Legends (Rizzoli New York) Stellene Volandes spins shimmering yarns and terrific tales of how magnificent gemstones, pearls, precious metals and incomparable jewels have captivated humanity, for better and for worse, from from 1292 B.C. right up to 2019. Glittering with 224 pages of engaging stories that are studded with historic references, Volandes chronicles how since earliest history, gems and jewels have served people as protective amulets and talismans, social status symbols, valuable currency, prizes and payoffs.
Measuring 7.3 x 1 x 8.76 inches and weighing in at 2.1 pounds, the tome’s images range from Neolithic necklaces to ancient and early engagement rings to royal tiaras to treasures owned by super-glam jewelry collectors like screen star Elizabeth Taylor. As Volandes noted in one of her popular 2018 jewelry talks presented at New York’s 92nd Street Y, “Jewelry holds multitudes. It can teach us so much about the people who wore it and the people who designed it and the era in which it was made. And it is time for jewelry to be seen as a cultural artifact and decorative art.” [Author’s note: the first book by Volandes, “Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks and Visionaries of Modern Design”, was published by Rizzoli in 2016, and contained a foreword by the CFDA award-winning U.S. fashion designer Carolina Herrera.]
Eternally relevant U.S. jewelry influencers such as heiress Millicent Rogers, who commissioned jewelry masterpieces and set trends by combining 18-karat gold jewels with antique diamond orders and Southwestern indigenous silver jewels is covered here. So is the former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who inspired millions of women around the world to wear pearls and various other luxurious adornments during her frequently photographed life.
An internationally renowned expert in jewelry, Stellene Volandes has been editor in chief of Town & Country magazine since 2016 and is also Editorial Director Of Elle Décor. In this emerald green-covered book, Volandes more than satisfies the demands of jewelry history by telling how gems and jewels have altered the course of empires, sealed marriage deals, triggered terrific crimes, enhanced reputations and generated massive media buzz. In other words, “Jewels That Made History”, replete with 100 color and black and white photographs, is a great read and a lavishly illustrated reference that every jewelry lover will relish. The reasons are many, but it must be noted that the choice of stories here illuminates the cultural power, emotional glory and human story of gems and jewels. This volume by Volandes also makes a superb Valentine’s Day gift for jewelry lovers and those who like reading about the history of style, as the archival images and their captions also tell graphic stories.
This book bubbles with sparkling titles for each of of the 100 stories of stones, myths and legends. Take for example, ‘Why They Call It The Golden Age’, which chronicles how the conqueror Alexander The Great received trunks of gold for his efforts, which in turn created demand for the precious metal throughout his empire. ‘It’s Electric’ surveys the technical and artistic advances that were made in stone-cutting after the life-changing invention of artificial light. The hugely entertaining ‘Diamonds And Dinner’ recounts how on one fateful evening in 1962 U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy chose carefully chosen antique and contemporary diamond jewelry to tastefully triumph over the bombastic bling worn by her state dinner guest, Farah Pahlavi, the Empress of Iran.
‘Heist!’ describes one of history’s most brazen and brilliant jewel robberies, during which intrepid jewel thieves snatched the 563-carat Star Of India from New York City’s Museum Of Natural History. (Although the Star of India was later recovered, Volandes notes, other gems taken that same night never resurfaced.) Contemporary jewelry statements by international celebrities and style stars like Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, and Meghan Markle bring the book to a bedazzling end.
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