Receiving jewelry books for the holidays is one of my favorite things ever. I usually have some down time in between Christmas and New Year’s where I try to organize my life, my goals, get my mind focused, and a lot of this is done without leaving my house for a few days. Rather than feeling cooped up, I actually enjoy this time of year and take a few days off to lose myself into a good jewelry book. This time around I couldn’t wait to read Jewels on Queen by Anne Schofield, a gift from my mom. I read the entire book front to back in one sitting and it left me wanting more–so obviously that’s when Googling began. But overall, I felt this is such a lovely book.
So what exactly does this book feature? Unlike the title, you may first guess that the book is all about the Queen of England and her jewelry collection. The book actually does not mention the Queen at all–in fact, it is about another “queen,” a well-known antique shop located on Queen Street in Australia, Anne Schofield Antiques. This book is amazing because it delves into Anne’s collection–things she has purchased, sold and acquired–over the past 50 years of being an antiques dealer. It is like my “Jewelry Collection Stories” only in book form; more in depth and LOTS of pictures. If you enjoy that type of reading, then you’ll love this book as much as I do.
The beginning of Jewels on Queen gives you a little background and insight into Anne’s life and how she ended up being an antique jewelry dealer/shop owner. Her story is really unique and I actually related to a few parts that were almost identical to my story. The chapters are broken down into jewelry categories that Anne specialized the most in–like cameos, sentimental jewelry, souvenir jewelry, Art Deco, etc. Every chapter highlights her personal story relating to the topic and shows some really iconic pieces she has come across over her career. Anne has a special story about her visits to London–like visiting Wartski and SJ Phillips. I love the details and revelations about her personal life that she mixes in with the jewelry stories–it’s fun and easy reading.
Anne Schofield’s Antiques is still open today in Woollahra, Australia. If you can’t hop on a plane and visit, I suggest buying this book and learning about Anne and her story from the comfort of your home! Happy reading!
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Joe January 18, 2017 at 7:25 am:
Looks like a cool book. I enjoy studying the history of precious metals and the book by Ms. Schofield has excellent quality pictures. It's nice to see history preserved in such a way.