20th Century Jewelry: The Complete Sourcebook

Rating:
Summary: A colorful survey
Review: "20th Century Jewelry: The Complete Sourcebook," by John Peacock, covers many different types of jewelry: brooches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, finger rings, buckles, men's cufflinks, etc. The cover boasts that the book contains over 1,500 color illustrations. These illustrations are drawings (not photographs, as is the case in many other books on jewelry). These drawings are very well done; they are lively with color and intricate detail.

The illustrated pieces reflect a rich variety of motifs and stylistic approaches: bold geometric forms, floral designs, whimsical characters, religious iconography, etc. The book also includes a section with short biographies of designers and companies; among those profiled are Boucher & Cie, Hattie Carnegie, Faberge, Rene Lalique, Paloma Picasso, Swarovski, and more.

Yes, the contents of this book are truly beautiful to look at. But I found the book's arrangement to be somewhat cumbersome. The captions to the pictures are on separate pages, often several pages away, so I found myself constantly flipping back and forth in the book just to identify the pieces. To identify a piece, you have to go to the separate page which contains small black-and-white numbered outlines of the pieces on the page you were initially looking at. These numbers are tied to a set of captions next to the key diagram. It struck me as an excessively complicated system; I have seen other jewelry overview books which keep the captions and illustrations on the same page in a more user-friendly system. Still, the beauty and variety within this book make it worthwhile.

Rating:
Summary: A colorful survey
Review: "20th Century Jewelry: The Complete Sourcebook," by John Peacock, covers many different types of jewelry: brooches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, finger rings, buckles, men's cufflinks, etc. The cover boasts that the book contains over 1,500 color illustrations. These illustrations are drawings (not photographs, as is the case in many other books on jewelry). These drawings are very well done; they are lively with color and intricate detail.

The illustrated pieces reflect a rich variety of motifs and stylistic approaches: bold geometric forms, floral designs, whimsical characters, religious iconography, etc. The book also includes a section with short biographies of designers and companies; among those profiled are Boucher & Cie, Hattie Carnegie, Faberge, Rene Lalique, Paloma Picasso, Swarovski, and more.

Yes, the contents of this book are truly beautiful to look at. But I found the book's arrangement to be somewhat cumbersome. The captions to the pictures are on separate pages, often several pages away, so I found myself constantly flipping back and forth in the book just to identify the pieces. To identify a piece, you have to go to the separate page which contains small black-and-white numbered outlines of the pieces on the page you were initially looking at. These numbers are tied to a set of captions next to the key diagram. It struck me as an excessively complicated system; I have seen other jewelry overview books which keep the captions and illustrations on the same page in a more user-friendly system. Still, the beauty and variety within this book make it worthwhile.