Lydia Courteille: Extraordinary Jewellery of Imagination and Dreams

Lydia Courteille can be classified as one of the most original and imaginative of the 21st century creators of haute joallier. She went from collector to designer with several detours in between which included being a degree in gemology, retailer, dealer, and authority. The author traces the trajectory of the designer with detailed text of her life from childhood to present day.

One of the most crucial aspects for a book of this genre is its photographs, which in this case happen to be just about as good as it gets. Readers can see for themselves why this jewelry is not for the faint of heart. Her thematically designed pieces are ablaze in color stones and finishes. These exquisite end results are an acquired taste as they do not follow in the path of the classical more well-known brands such as Harry Winston, Tiffany, Van Cleef, or Cartier. 

What is amazing is to realize is that the Courteille pieces echo the talents of Verdura, Schlumberger, Belperron, Codognato, and many more in the spirit as well as the art and craft of fine jewelry. Courteille is a jeweler of the future who uses the tried and true techniques and practices of the past to render pieces designed and firmly destined for the future.

Simply said is that the prospective reader should have a curiosity about the art and craft of precious jewelry in addition to having a most open mind when it comes to these jaw dropping figurative pieces that Courteille first conjures in her head and then turns from fantasy to reality. If you are a reader who wishes to learn about gemstones and jewels of the future then this is a book made for you. This is also a book that might be solely appreciated for its visual content, albeit without reading, you will miss a good deal of the pertinent and exacting details that only compound the visual stimulation.