คู่มือเครื่องประดับ: สารานุกรมฉบับสมบูรณ์

I picked this up expecting pretty pictures and got a genuinely thoughtful history instead. The chapters on jewels as magical and sentimental objects had me rethinking my own grandmother's brooch.

The section on the sentimental and magical value of jewels genuinely surprised me—I expected a dry catalog but got something I read cover to cover in a weekend. The photos are gorgeous too, though I wish a few of the older pieces were printed larger.

The section on the sentimental and magical value of jewels is what kept me reading—it goes well beyond just gemstone facts. Only wish the photos were larger, since the close-up details of the pieces are hard to make out. Solid compendium overall though.