This beautiful history of the art form begins with a liberal discussion of fine jewelry's ancient history as exotic amulets and symbolic ornaments, and proceeds to explain and profusely illustrate developing trends in European jewelry as symbols to the growing middle classes. The author shows jewelry examples from the Italian Renaissance, Dutch seventeenth century, Baroque, all manner of nineteenth century, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and the big-name houses of Tiffany, Cartier and Philipps in the twentieth century. Also, through many historical portraits of men and women, each style is displayed as it was shown by the artists of their day. In this one volume, more than 450 carefully selected jewelry creations display the entire history of evolving styles. This is an important reference and beautiful record of the jewelry our past generations have known.