British Jewellery: Short Bibliography

With an excellent collection of books, periodicals and images on British, continental and American jewellery, the library is one of the best places to study the history and development of this unique form of decorative art.

The first serious study of jewellery history was undertaken by the Victorians, who were fascinated by ancient lore and the global trade in gemstones. In the early 20th century, various writers, such as Joan Evans, undertook research using more scholarly methodology, and their work is still a valuable research resource. The first great overviews of British jewellery were produced in the middle of the century by Joan Evans, followed by Shirley Bury and Diana Scarisbrick, and over the decades their work was supplemented by a host of specialist monographs by academics, curators and collectors. The rise of ‘art’ jewellery in the 1960s and ‘new’ jewellery in the 1970s and 1980s also led to a series of works looking at these movements.

Today there are several new trends in jewellery scholarship. Despite its rich potential, the 20th century saw relatively little attention being paid to jewellery by those looking at the sociology and theory of design. This is now starting to change, as can be seen in books like Marcia Pointon’s Brilliant Effects (Yale, 2009). The larger overviews are also starting to be updated, with a new volume on Victorian jewellery being published in 2010 by the British Museum, the first since Bury’s authoritative work.

Bibliography (some books have an international focus with selections of British jewellery)

Overviews

BECKER, Vivienne. Antique and 20th century jewellery (London, NAG Press, 1980)

BRITISH MUSEUM. Jewellery through 7000 years (London, British Museum, 1976)

BENNETT, David & MASCETTI, Daniela. Understanding jewellery (Suffolk, Antique Collectors' Club Ltd, 1989)

EVANS, Joan. English Jewellery from the fifth century A.D. to 1800 (London, Methuen & co., 1921)

EVANS, Joan. A history of jewellery, 1100–1870 (London, Faber and Faber, 1970)

MARSHALL, Rosalind & DALGLEISH, George, eds. The art of jewellery in Scotland (Edinburgh, HMSO, 1991)

MASON, Shena. Jewellery making in Birmingham 1750-1995(Chichester, Phillimore, 1998)

OMAN, Charles. British rings 800-1914 (London, B.T. Batsford, 1974)

PHILLIPS, Clare. Jewelry from antiquity to the present (London, Thames & Hudson, 1996)

PHILLIPS, Clare. Jewels and jewellery (London, V&A, 2000)

POINTON, Marcia. Brilliant effects: a cultural history of gem stones and jewellery (New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 2009)

SCARISBRICK, Diana ed. Jewellery: makers, motifs, history, techniques (London, Thames & Hudson, 1989)

TAIT, Hugh, ed. The art of the jeweller: a catalogue of the Hull Grundy gift to the British Museum (London, British Museum, 2v., 1984)

Ancient to 19th century

COCKS, Anna Somers. An illustrated dictionary of jewellery (London, V&A, 1980)

HACKENBROCH, Yvonne. Renaissance jewellery (London, Sotheby Parke Bernet Publications, 1979)

JESSUP, Ronald. Anglo-Saxon  jewellery (London, Faber & Faber, 1950)

JOHNS, Catherine. The jewellery of Roman Britain, Celtic and Classical traditions (London, UCL Press, 1996)

LIGHTBROWN, Ronald. Mediaeval European jewellery (London, V&A, 1992)

Victorian jewellery

BURY, Shirley. Jewellery 1789-1910: The international era (Woodbridge, Antique Collectors’ Club, 2v., 1991)

BRADFORD, Ernle D.S. English Victorian jewellery (London, Country Life Ltd, 1959)

FLOWER, Margaret. Victorian jewellery (London, Cassell & Company Ltd, 1951)

GERE, Charlotte. Victorian jewellery design (London, William Kimber, 1972)

GERE, Charlotte & MUNN, Geoffery C. Artists' jewellery. Pre-Raphaelite to arts and crafts (Woodbridge, Antique Collectors’ Club, 1989)

GERE, Charlotte & RUDOE, Judy. Jewellery in the age of Queen Victoria (London, British Museum, 2010)

HINKS, Peter. Nineteenth-century jewellery (London, Faber & Faber, 1975)

O'DAY, Deirdre. Victorian jewellery (London, Charles Letts Books Ltd, 1982)

20th century jewellery

CARTLIDGE, Barbara. Twentieth-century jewellery (New York, Harry N. Abrams Inc. 1985)

DORMER, Peter & TURNER, Ralph.  The new jewelry, trends and traditions (London, Thames and Hudson, 1985)

DRUTT ENGLISH, Helen & DORMER, Peter. Jewelry in our time, art, ornament and obsession (London, Thames and Hudson, 1995)

GAME, Amanda & GORING, Elizabeth. Jewellery moves (Edinburgh, NMS Publishing, 1998)

HINKS, Peter. Twentieth century British jewellery 1900-1980 (London, Faber & Faber, 1983)

HUGHES, Graham. Modern jewellery (London, Studio Books, 1963)

HOGBEN, Carol. Modern artists' jewels.  An exhibition held in the Jewellery Gallery of the Victoria & Albert Museum, 11 September to 1 November 1984 (London, V&A, 1984)

21st century jewellery

ASTFALCK , Jivan, BROADHEAD, Caroline & DERREZ, Paul. New directions in jewellery (London, Black Dog Publishing, 2005)

CHERRY, Norman. Masters and protégés. Contemporary British jewellery (Birmingham, Birmingham City University, 2008)

CUNNINGHAM, Jack. Maker wearer viewer: contemporary narrative European jewellery (Glasgow, Glasgow School of Art, 2005)

MANSELL, Amanda. Adorn. New jewellery (London, Lawrence King Publishing Ltd, 2008)