IMMERSING readers into the rarefied world of limited edition and one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces, Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery, a new comprehensive book by writer and journalist Melanie Grant, offers readers an unrivalled survey of some of the most forward-thinking creations in jewellery design.
Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery, Melanie Grant, Phaidon
Focussing on jewellery as an art form, this extraordinary and beautiful book profiles over 75 world leaders in the field (Grant made her selection from 300 jewellers and jewellery houses) – including Cartier, Bulgari, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cindy Chao, Chopard, Hemmerle and Wallace Chan.
Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery, Melanie Grant, Phaidon
Discussing exceptional pieces from each designer, Grant dissects their conceptual approach, choice of materials and quality of design, while seeking to reveal what makes these creations not only sought-after fashion accessories but also works of art.
Divided into five chapters, the beautifully laid out and designed 208 pages trace high jewellery’s evolution throughout the ages and its growing association with the world of art – from Fabergé’s connection to Art Nouveau to Salvador Dalí’s collaboration with Verdura.
As well as this, the book considers the most relevant issues for contemporary high jewellery – Modernism, the growing empowerment of women, the cultural exchange between East and West and its effect on design, the evolution of innovative materials and the inspiration provided by the natural world.
Pages from Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery
Verdura, Theodora Byzantine Pendant Brooch, 2009
Roughly 150 exquisite colour illustrations, each paired with an informative caption, have been carefully selected to accompany the highly-detailed designer profiles – some made exclusively for the book and never before published.
Pages from Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery
Featured in Coveted – Van Cleef & Arpels, Vagues Mystérieuses Clip, 2015
Exact and exhaustive, Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery is a timely celebration of pioneering international designers and a thorough examination of an ever-expanding innovative field which has a global market in the hundreds of billions of pounds. “Jewellery has a relevance and meaning to us all,” Grant notes.
Coveted is a beautifully written and produced book – and ideal for the layperson who wants to learn more about the fascinating world of jewels as well as the aficionado.
by Joshua Hendren
Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery (£69.95) by Melanie Grant is published by Phaidon,