The Triumph of Love: Jewelry 1530–1930

Summary:

Throughout the centuries, a young man courting a young woman, a monarch celebrating his or her dynastic marriage, a long-wedded woman wishing to affirm her abiding love for her husband, people both famous and unknown, have chosen jewels of all sorts to mark the sentiment and the occasion. This is a tradition of long standing which continues to be practised today. Geoffrey Munn is widely recognised as a leading expert on the history of these ornaments, all of them expressing the strong emotions of the donor. Here are splendid rings, brooches and necklaces, exquisitely worked by master craftsmen with hearts and arrows, intertwined initials, vines, flowers and other symbolic motifs, all showing the special language known to lovers. Most of these radiant jewels also have a fascinating story behind them, and the author tells all that is known about their origin: the giver and the receiver, the designer, and above all the deeper meaning of the piece. As a romantic inspiration, a Valentine's Day gift for a loved one, or a captivating study in the art of jewelry and its tender purposes, this is a book that will be treasured for many years