#InMyInbox - Winter Reading From #GIA - Recent #BookReviews

Reprinted with links to the full book reviews on the GIA website...

London-based jeweler Graff Diamonds was founded in 1960. Since that time, Graff has become an internationally known and important purveyor of large diamonds of historical renown. With stores around the globe, the Graff name has become synonymous with opulence and rarity in jewelry circles. Graff Diamonds has been awarded the Queen’s Award for International Trade multiple times, and Graff himself was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2013. This luxurious, large-format book pays homage to the jewelry house in eight lavish chapters.

Full Review at:  http://www.gia.edu/book-review-graff

The Swiss gemologist Dr. Edward J. Gübelin (1913–2005) will be forever linked to the study of inclusions in gems. His work revolutionized gemology: As a result of his groundbreaking research and photomicrography, these internal features are now recognized for their diagnostic value, as indicators of a gem’s identity, geographic source, treated or untreated condition, and natural or synthetic origin.
 
This book, written by several family members, chronicles Edward Gübelin’s 65 years of pioneering research but also provides insight into his profound humanity. Even though the work of a research gemologist is often solitary, Dr. Gübelin touched thousands of lives through his prolific writings and photomicrographs, his extensive travels, the work of his laboratory, the educational organizations he helped establish, and the important gem collection he assembled.

Full Review at:  http://www.gia.edu/book-review-eduard-josef-gubelin-story-art-science-gems

Beth Bernstein’s If These Jewels Could Talk is a lush visual treat for anyone interested in the history of cinema, important jewelry and gemstones, and the place of powerful women in Western culture. The timeless jewelry pieces, by some of the biggest names in the jewelry industry, almost outshine the celebrities who owned and wore them.

Full Review at: http://www.gia.edu/book-review-if-these-jewels-could-talk-legends-behind-celebrity-gems

The Hellenistic period refers to the era between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the rise of ancient Rome circa 30 BC. The spread of Greek culture through Alexander’s invasion of eastern lands, from the Mediterranean basin to modern-day Pakistan, influenced many indigenous cultures of these regions and left a significant mark on the region’s history, arts, science, and literature.

Full Review at:  http://www.gia.edu/book-review-arts-hellenized-east-precious-metalwork-gems-pre-islamic-era

This volume is a pleasing combination of coffee-table book, reference book, and guide to a museum collection. It is the 25th anniversary revised edition of the authors’ Gems and Crystals: From the American Museum of Natural History (1990). There is a certain sense of continuity conveyed by having the same authors still working in the field adding to the collection and knowledge base.

Full Review at:  http://www.gia.edu/book-review-gems-crystals-from-one-worlds-great-collections

With the September 2015 release of “A Heritage in Bloom,” the world’s most expensive diamond necklace, Chinese jewelry designer Wallace Chan returned to center stage. The exquisite necklace showcases the 104.27 ct D-color, internally flawless Cullinan Heritage diamond, together with 23 D–IF stones cut from the same rough, pink diamonds, white diamonds of different sizes, mutton-fat nephrite jade, and green jadeite. The piece is considered a milestone for Chow Tai Fook, the world’s largest jewelry retailer; it also symbolizes a new height of his design career, a path outlined in the recently released Wallace Chan: Dream Light Water. Written by Juliet Weir de La Rochefoucauld and Chan himself, the book takes readers on a colorful tour of the designer’s master works over the past 42 years. Through the 86 pieces selected, one reaches a better understanding of Chan’s life and design philosophy.

Full Review at:  http://www.gia.edu/book-review-wallace-chan-dream-light-water

Stoned is an approachable and entertaining web of stories that sheds light on epic jewellery lore while unravelling some of the most notorious and familiar legends. Author Aja Raden takes a classic yet playful American point of view, concentrating on value and worth over the artfulness of the jewellery itself.

Full Review at:  http://www.gia.edu/book-review-stoned-jewelry-obsession-desire-shapes-world

Patent Protection Granted for Ring Jacket Design - Murray's Jewelers

Todd Murray has been designing and selling jewelry for 42 years at his Muncie, Indiana store...Murray's Jewelers.  This is the first time he has looked into patenting a design

According to the Star Press - Murray has designed a ring jacket or as the Patent Abstract states “a jewelry ring configuration having interchangeable elements.” Murray said he noticed that with many rings that had jackets, or outer bands, the center ring would slip and rotate around the finger. So, he created a jacket that would lock that center ring in place. With a multi-sided shape in the center, the interchangeable center ring doesn’t shift. He describes it as working like a puzzle piece."

Jewelry designs rarely seek or receive patent protection because designs are usually copyrighted, but Murray's design was actually a utility piece.

"There are three major things you look for when you (are) getting a patent,” Patent Lawyer Ritchison said. “It needs to be new or novel, useful and not obvious as to other things that are out there."

Murray came up with his concept in 2013, and then he started the process for obtaining the patent. He received official documentation Sept. 13. The store now has patents pending in 28 European countries, which if they go through, would allow the store to manufacture the product overseas.