New Books For The Jewelry Enthusiast From Three Renowned Houses

As the evenings get chillier and you begin staying inside where it is cozy and warm, what better way to escape than with three new jewelry books from the legendary houses of Cartier, Tiffany& Co. and Bulgari.

Tiffany & Co. Vision And Virtuosity (Assouline, Fall 2022) initially served as the accompanying catalog to the exhibition of the same name at the Saatchi Gallery in London, but it has become so much more, taking the reader on a journey through Tiffany & Co.’s most iconic designers, moments, memories and jewels. The book covers the vast heritage of the house, including the film that drew flocks of people from around the world to the shop on Fifth Avenue, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the modern women and celebrities that the image of Audrey Hepburn in the movie inspired. This book is not only informative but a glimpse into the gems, stories, romance, luxury and the global influences that created the legend it is today.

It is written in a lively, highly readable and enjoyable manner by esteemed jewelry author and historian Vivienne Becker. We are transported back in time to the beginning of its evolution when Charles Lewis Tiffany opened the first store in 1837, the jewelry of the 19^th century. And the reader is introduced to all of the designers that have graced the house’s studio, creating jewels ahead of their time. Luminaries such as Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso each ushered Tiffany into a new, original realm and modernity. The book covers the store’s witty advertisements and window displays, the Blue Book jewel collections, which started as a mailer catalog, the making of the ‘blue box’ and the yellow Tiffany Diamond for which Jean Schlumberger created a wardrobe of jewels.

This glorious tome with gorgeous photographs of the jewelry in a scaled-down version of a coffee table book is easier to handle and read. It captures the pioneering spirit of the company’s founder and reveals how Tiffany has crossed over into contemporary territory attracting new generations while staying true to its 185-year heritage as one of the most innovative, dynamic and relevant jewelers today.

Renowned fashion editor and author André Leon Talley (1948–2022) wrote the foreword for the book.

Cartier: 13 rue de la Paix (Flammarion, Pub date November 2022) by François Chaille traces the history and evolution of Cartier from its opening in 1899. The legendary title address is where Louis Cartier, and later Jeanne Toussaint, invented and mastered the house’s unique identity and the designs that are part of the legacy today.

This is the space where dreams were made and iconic celebrities and royalty from around the globe chose equally iconic jewels. The current transformation of this address in France –the reinvented architecture and décor goes hand in hand with Cartier’s ability to change with the times, granting the company a permanent space in jewelry’s history and today infusing it with a modern vibe. The book features archival photos that were the inspiration for the jewels, original drawings, the renowned jewels themselves against the backdrop of the architecture and redesign of the space. Previously unpublished work by celebrated photographers such as Laziz Hamani captures the rebirth of the jeweler’s emblematic address. The author François Chaille has written numerous books on jewelry and horology, with two previous books on different aspects of Cartier.

Cartier: 13 rue de la paix by François Chaille, © Flammarion, 2022.

Bvlgari Eden: The Garden of Wonders (Rizzoli New York, Pub date: Dec 2022) by Simone Marchetti and Lucia Silvestri is this year’s edition of the house’s high jewelry collection, which focuses on nature as a “limitless source of inspiration, vitality and energy” for its newest pieces. These feature the highest quality colored gemstones and elegantly executed design sensibility.

Around this time every year, Bvlgari comes out with a new book to capture in words, photographs and illustrations the story of its most recent collection and the legacy of the famed Roman brand known and revered worldwide. The jewels against the backdrop of botanicals photographed by Cho Gi-Seok are a feast for the senses. Additional contemporary photographers provide the themes of nature and the garden through a joyful and lush lens that features flowers, plants and trees. More mesmerizing jewels designed with rubies, sapphires, emeralds and spinels of various colors are highlighted in the book. Part of the narration of the three chapters: Blossoming Colors, Magnificent Nature and Joyful Wonders includes the perfect snippets of poetry on the subject from various periods, including stanzas by such renowned poets as Verlaine, Vita Sackville-West and Emily Dickinson, Federico García Lorca and Khwāju Kermani to name just a few.

Co-author Simone Marchetti is the director of Vanity Fair Italia, and Lucia Silvestri is the jewelry creative director at Bvlgari. Photographer Cho Gi-Seok is a fashion and art photographer raised and currently based in Seoul, Korea.