Category: Art in Books

Vincent Meylan’s book “Queens Jewels” has been, according to his introduction, more difficult to research than his books on famous jewellery houses and their masterpieces. Whilst those houses let him check their archives and gave him their confidence, the royal houses were not interested in giving a statement. But being an accomplished French journalist on… Continue reading “Queens’ Jewels” by Vincent Meylan

Arriving in Johannesburg can mean many things. Most people arrive at the airport and are whisked away immediately. Their travel agency arranged for transport, hotel and three carefree weeks of short city visits and beautiful longer stays in nature to see the wildlife. Some people arrive to get their car or meet their driver at… Continue reading “The Joburg Book” by Nechama Brodie

Alain Blottiere wrote a wonderful book about tourism in Egypt in the years between 1870 and 1935. It is fittingly called “Vintage Egypt, Cruising the Nile in the Golden Age of Travel”. Buying it, the thought of the Agatha Christy thriller “Death on the Nile” came to my mind almost immediately. Not in the sense… Continue reading Egypt, the Nile and Tourism – Timeless Fascination

All books by Vincent Meylan about famous jewellers are a feast for the eyes. I have not encountered one mediocre book, and I have them all, checking online regularly in the hope he might have published something new. Some of his books I even bought in French because I could not wait for it being… Continue reading “FRED – the sunlight jeweller” by Vincent Meylan

This article features just one book and wants to pay respect to it and its author. Water: big rivers, lakes, but most prominently the sea, touch a chord in our hearts. The sea conveys a thought of freedom even to those, who do not want to swim in it or sail in a ship on… Continue reading Simply the Best – “Beach Life” by Stefan Maiwald

Is it possible not to know Leonard Cohen? Or more precise, not to know one of his songs? His poetry became the background voice of our lives. Many, many famous artists interpreted his song, sometimes making them far more famous than when he sung them. I got my first two CD’s of Leonard Cohen around… Continue reading Touching Humankind – Leonard Cohen

Melania Trump, no doubt, gets defined through her marriage that catapulted her from a semi-successful model to an international celebrity. You like her husband? You think her lucky to have made such a catch. You hate her husband? You wonder how she can live with him and if she is held prisoner like Britney Spears… Continue reading Captain of Her Soul – a Respectful Look at Melania Trump

Conch pearls are as elusive as they are beautiful. One of the very rare gems, there is not much common knowledge about them in books or in the internet. As there is no open market for the pearls, people do not know about them.  Most of us cannot afford a real pink conch pearl, so… Continue reading The Pink Pearl – A Natural Treasure of the Caribbean

“…jewels are beautiful for the element of fantasy that they contain, not for the price our society puts upon them… it is beauty, not luxury, that I value…” Tony Duquette (the very first quote in the book this article is based upon, on the inside of the dust jacket) Tony Duquette is most famous for… Continue reading Colours are life – the jewellery of Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson

On rare occasions something more perfect than reality is created by artists. Anyone who leafs through “The Italian Dream – Wine, Heritage, Soul” with the pictures of Aline Coquelle and the stories of Count Gelasio Gaetani D’Aragona Lovatelli and is not envious of everyone in the book must be without a heart and unfulfilled dreams,… Continue reading The Italian Dream – Wine, Heritage, Soul