Helen Molesworth, Precious: The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time. New York: Ballantine Books, 2024. Helen Molesworth’s Precious: The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time isn’t just a book about gemstones. It’s a journey of human desire, power, culture, and history told through 10 gemstones. It shows how our ambitions for power, love, […]
Revaluing the World’s Most Precious Stones Read More »
Jewelry has long been a language, a carrier of hidden meaning, full of symbols. It can be a tool of self-expression, a link to home and culture even from far away, a personal talisman, and a form of resistance. The 20th century, shaped by change and innovation, made space for bold and new ideas—witness the
Wearing Resistance Read More »
The Fascination of Jewellery: 7000 Years of Jewellery Art at the MAKK New permanent exhibition Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Cologne, Germany A man at a display case is laughing out loud. There’s no one else around. I probably look puzzled, so he points at a bangle made of a curtain rail and moonstones. His
A Perfect Lesson in Jewelry History Read More »
On May 19, 2025, Lam de Wolf passed away at the age of 76. As a child she was called Loes, as an artist she used the name Lam (her initials), and in the home where she spent her last years she became Lammy. She was a personality, even when words began to fail her.
Everything Is Already Read More »
Leslie William LePere was a rare golden soul. He was 24 karat. He was grade “A.” He had a solid #2 lead spirit, woven with originality, wit, and pure magic. One of the great creative forces of his time, Les left behind a legacy that runs deep in the soils of eastern Washington and spreads
In a Moment of Seriousity Read More »
Cameos have existed since ancient Egypt and play an essential role in the history of jewelry. In materials such as onyx, agate, or mother-of-pearl, which contrast with the color of the gemstone backing, the cameo acted as a miniature canvas to present carved portraits of kings, emperors, or scenes from mythology. As the world of
Looking at the Cameo
through a Photographer’s Lens Read More »
Céline Robin and Robert Mazlo, Sacrés Outils! Paris: Robert Mazlo Endowment Fund for Art and Contemporary Art Jewellery, 2022. Sacrés Outils! is one of the most curious books I’ve ever held. It sketches out jewelry tools of the past and highlights contemporary makers who make tool-related work. Also, it holds a list of institutions that teach jewelry.
2.2 Kilograms on Tools and Techniques Read More »
The second edition of the Lisbon International Biennial of Contemporary Jewellery will take place in various spaces from April to September 2024. Most events will take place in June Its theme is “Political Jewellery. Jewels of Power” Numerous Portuguese jewelers and international participants will reflect on the values of democratic society and the place and
What Hope Could Be Read More »
The book North By Northwest is engaging, informative, and very ably researched, with a lively graphic design Its large format is well-suited to presenting Laurie Hall’s work, which often consists of big narrative neckpieces with many components The authors present individual pieces with relevant backstories, personal circumstances, and useful explanations about social and historical references
Quirky, Playful, and Humorous Read More »
This bilingual catalog supported an exhibition of the same name Both the show and the book aimed to promote the role and history of women in Austria in the field of jewelry design and in Austrian jewelry history The book is not successful on a number of levels Ursula Guttmann, Susanne Hammer, and Gabriele Kutschera,
A Visual Mess that Leaves Out So Much Read More »
Art Jewelry Forum has expanded its efforts to connect more directly with the jewelry community by regularly hosting live chats online. These feature artist studio visits, talks with gallerists about shows they’re hosting, interviews with curators and authors, and other programming tied to various jewelry weeks from around the globe. We record these all and
AJF Live with Daniel Jocz Read More »
After two decades in existence, Galerie Elsa Vanier held its final exhibition at the end of 2022 For 18 months prior, Vanier had run her gallery as a nomadic affair, showing four exhibitions in three different spaces around Paris. Vanier closed shop with the intention of curating independent jewelry exhibitions AJF checked in to learn
Elsa Vanier Turns to Curatorial Projects Read More »
