As the end of year celebrations are fast approaching, I wanted to give you a few ideas that could be found under the Christmas tree at the beginning of November. To give as a gift or to be given as a gift. Far from the branded books that teach you little, I have chosen this year to offer you books that deal with jewellery and watchmaking, but above all books that will make you think. These are general works, short stories, essays, monographs… In short, a whole range of books that you might want to add to your library. Follow the links, they will take you directly to Amazon to order them. Get out the bolduc and the scissors, you’ll have a lot of things to wrap!
1- Les Arts Joailliers; published by Gallimard (🇫🇷🇬🇧)
Co-published by the École des Arts Joailliers, this remarkably well-written and illustrated book presents all the trades involved in the making of a piece of jewellery. And there are many of them! Written by Guillaume Glorieux, it is full of technical details and beautiful photos taken in the workshops of Place Vendôme: Boucheron, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels… etc. A good way to familiarise yourself with the jewellery environment and to learn some of its subtleties.
60 pages / 60 pages
ISBN : 9782072822599
14,50 €
2- Ramon Puig Cuyas, when the jewellery becomes a metaphor; by Sd Edicions (🇬🇧🇪🇸)
I might as well tell you that when I learned thata monograph dedicated to the 30 years of work of the contemporary jeweller Ramon Puig Cuyas was coming out, I was thrilled! His work is incredibly poetic and the last French retrospective of his work was at the Mazlo Gallery. I have a wonderful memory of it. Admittedly, the book is in English and Spanish, but who cares? If you have to buy a book, you should not miss this one. To whet your appetite, I invite you to re-read my article on his last French exhibition.
392 Pages
ISBN: 978-84120199-3-3
44 €
3- Cynicism and paradox; published by Éditions du Panthéon (🇫🇷)
“If you don’t have a Rolex by the time you’re 50, you’ve missed your life,” said Jacques Seguéla a few years ago. A well-known advertising executive, he nevertheless had this unfortunate remark that still sticks to his mind. Perhaps it was a good slogan! The Rolex is the object that arouses as much envy as rejection. The “Kalashnikov” of watches, as many of my friends describe it, can boast of being both loved and hated. This is precisely what the author of this short story – Mr Anthony Franzoïa – analyses in this little book that I found as funny as it was light. As the main character becomes the unwilling owner of a Rolex, he questions his own torments, the passing of time, but also reveals some of the mechanical subtleties of this strange object that is a watch. To be read on a rainy afternoon when time doesn’t matter!
120 pages
ISBN: 978-2-7547-4540-6
13,90€
4- De la joaillerie française; self-publishing (🇫🇷)
This very small book was written by Daniel Cambour, a figure of the French jewellery industry and President of the UFBJOP. Through this book, he questions the place of jewellery in society and the relationship we have with it. Because before being a jeweller, Daniel Cambour is also a philosopher. Self-published, the book is not available in bookshops but you can contact the HEJ to get it. Please also note the date of 7 November. On this occasion, Daniel Cambour will give a conference from 6.30 pm in the Cercle de l’Écrin. His book will be available on this occasion and he will sign it. To register, please send an e-mail to: communication@bjop.fr
5- Monograph of the Lacloche house; published by Norma (🇬🇧🇫🇷)
Famous in many ways, the House of Lacloche has never been the subject of a monograph or an exhibition. As 2019 draws to a close, the Van Cleef & Arpels School is offering a remarkable exhibition to accompany the publication of a book co-authored by Laurence Mouillefarine and Véronique Ristelhueber that sets out to tell you the little-known story of the famous house that used to be on Rue de Paix, right next door to the Cartier house. If you need to buy a book this winter, this one is a must. Also, note that the Paris exhibition will be open until 20 December 2019. Don’t miss it!
300 pages (500 illustrations)
ISBN: 2376660246
60€
6- The Cartier ; Ballantine Books (🇬🇧)
Francesca Cartier Brickell is the great-granddaughter of the youngest of the Cartier brothers. The rediscovery of her grandfather’s personal archives set her on the trail of her family history. In this book, she tells the story of the house but above all the story of a family that revolutionised the jewellery industry. Far from the story-telling that surrounds the most famous name in jewellery, Francesca details the workings of the house, recounts the search for the most beautiful stones and reveals a correspondence that was thought to have been lost long ago. An indispensable book! Official release on November 26th but available for pre-order on Amazon or elsewhere.
656 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593158091
35 €
See you soon and enjoy your reading!
