Indispensable Books  &  Book Links

The "Indispensable" Books List    

This list is composed of jewelry books regarded as 'indispensable' by SilverForum subscribers. It is a work in progress, and new suggestions are welcome. There are some excellent books that did not make it on this list simply because they are out of print and/or hard to find, but exceptions were necessary in some cases and are noted '(op)'. Also, single artist monographs are for the most part not included, with only a few notable exceptions, due to their specialized nature. Many of these more narrowly defined works are to be found referenced in the books listed below.

Ordering of the list has been problematical. In some cases the books are arranged by style or period, in others by country of origin, or sheer breadth of coverage. Within each category all listings are alphabetical by title. Dates given are of the copies in my library, both older and newer versions are possible.

Also suggested were auction catalogues, gallery catalogues, and often out of print but invaluable 'how to' books on jewelry making from the period of interest.

No rating system has been employed here because by being on this list a book should be indispensable.

Comments, questions, criticism?.....email at ck4artsake@aol.com

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GENERAL WORKS

American Jewelry Manufacturers, Dorothy T. Rainwater, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1988 

American Silver Manufacturers, Dorothy T. Rainwater, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1986

An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, Harold Newman, Thames and Hudson, London UK, 1981

The Art of Jewelry, Graham Hughes, Viking Press, New York NY, 1972 (op)

Contemporary Jewelry: A Craftsman's Handbook, Phillip Morton, Holt Rhinehart & Winston, New York NY,   1970 (op)

Gemstones of the World, Walter Schumann, Sterling Publishing, New York NY, 1977

International Hallmarks on Silver, Tardy, Paris France, 1993

Jackson's Hallmarks, Pocket Edition, Ian Pickford, ed., Antique Collector's Club, Suffolk UK, 1994

Jewelry: Concepts and Technology, Oppi Untracht, Doubleday, New York NY, 1985

Modern Jewelry, Graham Hughes, Crown Publishers, New York NY, 1968 (op)

Silver Jewelry Designs: Evaluating Quality, Nancy Schiffer, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1996

Warman's Jewelry 1st Edition, Christie Romero, Wallace-Homestead, Radnor PA, 1995

Warman's Jewelry 2nd Edition, Christie Romero, Krause Publications, Iola WI, 1998

What's It Made Of? A Jewelry Materials Identification Guide, Sheryl Gross Shatz, published by the author,
1991

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MEXICAN (TAXCO) JEWELRY

Mexican Jewelry, Mary L. Davis and Greta Pack, University of Texas Press Austin, 1989

Mexican Silver, 20th Century Handwrought Jewelry and Metalwork, Penny Morrill and Carole Berk, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1995

Silver Masters of Mexico, Penny Morrill, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1996

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STUDIO JEWELRY

Jewelry By Artists in Italy 1945-1995, Luisa Somaini and Claudio Cerritelli, Electa/Gingko, Milan Italy, 1995

Jewelry in Europe and America: New Times, New Thinking, Ralph Turner, Thames and Hudson, London UK, 1996

Jewelry of Our Time: Art, Ornament and Obsession, Helen W. Drutt English and Peter Dormer, Rizzoli Publishing, New York NY, 1995

Messengers of Modernism: American Studio Jewelry 1940-1960, essay by Toni Greenbaum, Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts in association with Flammarion, Paris France, 1996

One Of A Kind: American Art Jewelry Today, Susan Grant Lewin, Abrams, New York NY, 1985

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SCANDINAVIAN JEWELRY

Danske Smykker / Danish Jewelry, Jacob Thage, Komma & Clausen, Denmark, 1990

European Designer Jewelry, Ginger Moro, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1995

Finnish Silver, Tuula Poutasuo, ed., Teema Oy, Helsinki Finland, 1989

Georg Jensen: A Tradition of Splendid Silver, Janet Drucker, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1997

Nordisk Smykkekunst / Nordic Jewellery, Lars Dybdahl et al, Nyt Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck, Denmark, 1995

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NATIVE AMERICAN JEWELRY

Hallmarks of the Southwest, Barton Wright, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1989

Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing, Margaret Nickelsen Wright, Northland Press, Flagstaff AZ, 1976 (op)

Southwest Indian Jewelry, Dexter Cirillo, Abbeville Press, New York NY, 1992

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ARTS AND CRAFTS / ART NOUVEAU JEWELRY

Art Nouveau Jewelry, Vivienne Becker, E.P. Dutton, New York NY, 1985 (op)

The Glitter and the Gold: Fashioning America's Jewelry, Ulysses G. Dietz, ed., The Newark Museum, 1997 (op)

The Jewelry and Enamels of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Janet Zapata, Abrams, New York NY, 1993

Jewelry and Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition, Elyse Zorn Karlin, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1993

Pre-Raphaelite to Arts and Crafts Jewellry, Charlotte Gere and Geoffrey C. Munn, Antique Collectors' Club, Wappingers' Falls NY, 1996

Theodor Fahrner Jewelry: Between Avant-Garde and Tradition, Ulrike von Hase-Schmundt et al, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA, 1991

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ART DECO JEWELRY

Art Deco Jewelry, Sylvie Raulet, Rizzoli, New York NY, 1984 (op)

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VICTORIAN JEWELRY

Victorian Jewelry: Unexplored Treasures, Davidov and Dawes, Abbeville Press, New York NY, 1991

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Links to Book Sites 

        http://www.bibliofind.com

This site searches the inventory of a tremendous number of used and rare book dealers. You can often find books you are looking for there at widely varying prices.  "I recently looked for a Tiffany book, it was listed from $15.00 for a 7th edition to $75.00 or so for a first...I just wanted it to read, so guess which book I got!! Great place to do searches."

(information provided by Richard Hodges)

http://www.design.dk/org/ds/index.htm

This is a site regarding Danish Silversmiths from 1991-96 which includes designers: Ib Andersen, Claus Bjerring, Mogens Bjorn-Andersen, Jorgen Dahlerup, KarlGustav Hansen, Allan Scharff, and Erik Sjodahl. 

(information provided by Richard Hodges)

http://hamiltonbook.com/index.html

Old, new, and hard to find books on many subjects including some great books on jewelry.

(information provided by Richard Hodges)

http://www.nordicartbooks.com/

Scandinavian books on Art & Architecture (including jewelry)

(information provided by Patrick Kapty)

http://www.silversmithing.com/books.htm

Books specifically on silver, all kinds, including jewelry, flatware, hollow ware, and some gold included also, with many extensive reviews written for Jewelers

(information provided by Isabelle Bryman)