Tiffany's 20th Century: A Portrait of American Style
The house of Miriam Haskell was to costume jewelry what Tiffany has been to fine jewelry. Museum curator Cera (Jewels of Fantasy: Costume Jewelry of the 20th Century, LJ 9/1/93) offers the first book about Haskell's company, from 1924 to the present. Miriam Haskell jewelry was prized by movie stars and sold in exclusive boutiques. The provenance of early Haskell jewelry was difficult to ascertain, but an identifiable style emerged: the use of elaborate clusters of colorful elements handcrafted as imaginatively as Tiffany's. As the company grew, leading designers produced distinguished works, and they and their pieces are profiled here. Collectors will also appreciate the hundreds of full-color photographs. Loring, who has written several books on Tiffany style (Tiffany Parties, LJ 2/1/94), here celebrates 100 years of precious jewelry prized in the United States and abroad. Hundreds of brooches, bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, and accessories are shown in color against vintage photographs and drawings, including rare images from the Tiffany archives. Sometimes the busy backgrounds make the jewels difficult to see, but overall Loring provides a good overview. This and the Miriam Haskell volume prove that American creativity can be as rich as any. Design collections will have to have both, as will libraries where there is interest in jewelry as collecting.?Therese Duzinkiewicz Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling GreenCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.