Craft Center : Jewelry/Glass Art

Selection of 50 beads and beaded objects from the collection of The Corning Museum of Glass

All art objects, whether they be paintings, pottery, sculpture, or any other media, represent the people who created them, and jewelry is no exception. In this volume, approximately 75 entries spanning ancient times to the present, describe the people, places, terms, and tools in the history of jewelry. Readers will learn how the economic, geographic, political, religious, and social circumstances of a place and time influence the materials that are used to make jewelry, the signs and symbols in that jewelry, and way it is worn. More than just pretty pieces, jewelry often has great symbolism and tradition attached to it that is handed down through generations. Both students and collectors will find this resource helpful for discovering the lands and people represented by their jewelry.

The allure of glass beads remains as strong as ever and this book shows how to make your own with a few simple tools and readily available materials. Detailed instructions and step-by-step color photographs will guide you through each technique, and examples of beads made by talented artists will inspire you to new creative heights.

What makes a piece of jewelry special isn't the cost--it's the creativity, novelty, and originality that go into the design. And this imaginative and informative compendium of jewelry-making techniques, packed with more than 700 color images and written by the noted jeweler and instructor Carles Codina, features a range of contemporary alternative materials. From paper, wood, and polymer clay to glass, new metal formats, and plastics, each material receives detailed attention, with the key techniques demonstrated in a single, finished project.