Book Review: If Jewels Could Talk

We are all connected by the jewelry we wear, says jewelry historian, editor and
author Carol Woolton, whose new book, If Jewels Could Talk, offers readers a deep dive into the fascinating role these ornaments have played throughout history.

Zeroing in on seven essential jewelry categories — hoops, rings, beads, charms, brooches, cuffs and head ornaments — she provides an in-depth biography of each one, from its beginnings to how it evolved in form and function as new generations claimed it.

Whether grander or simpler, made of precious stones or feathers or pebbles, jewelry fundamentally fulfills “a need for human adornment,” Woolton tells Rapaport Magazine. “The necklace lying across King Tutankhamun’s chest [when archaeologist Howard Carter found his tomb] is made of beads…the same jewels that we’ll wear this autumn following the Boho chic trend, [even if those are] not as old or as precious.”

Human beings “adorned ourselves before we began to daub cave paintings,” she continues. That’s because wearing jewelry “means something to us, aligning ourselves to our ‘tribe’ while at the same time [having] the ability to set us apart as individuals…. Our human history is told through these objects. Jewelry tells the story of how we live and who we are.”

When civilizations have disappeared, she says, their jewelry remains as fresh a conversation topic as ever. “It’s the most personal thing you wear every day — and arguably, therefore, the most important, because it expresses who you are.”

New trends tap into an entire jewelry legacy, she stresses. “For someone who spent over 20 years at Vogue fighting to show and write about new collections first for the magazine, it’s a surprise to realize that in fact, everything links back through history and that hailing a hot new statement-cuff trend that might dominate a runway show or season is, in fact, a nod to our long cultural saga. I didn’t like the way jewelry was often relegated [to being] a frivolous ‘accessory,’ sometimes featuring below even lingerie on the list. Hopefully this book addresses that misconception.”

Asked which jewels speak to her personally, Woolton singles out “green stones such as peridot and beryl…with their verdant flashes of nature, optimism and hope. I’ve just bought some peridot drops from Dolce & Gabbana this summer for those reasons…and it’s my birthstone. I have a French geometric modernist ring in the style of Jean Deprés or Raymond Templier, stripped of any unnecessary decoration. Its streamlined design, resembling a wheel and camshaft, feels eternally modern and exciting to me.”

If Jewels Could Talk was published in September by Simon & Schuster.

Main Image: Author Carol Woolton with her book If Jewels Could Talk. (Simon & Schuster)

This article is from the October-November 2024 issue of Rapaport Magazine. View other articles here.