Joanna Hardy

This is the most ambitious book ever published on the ruby, the king of gems. From Emperors and Empresses, Kings and Queens, Maharanis to Hollywood royalty, a stunning array of style icons are shown wearing their favourite ruby jewelry, alongside classic images of rubies from art, advertising and fashion. The book also showcases sixty of the world’s most significant and renowned pieces of ruby jewelry, including many previously unseen designs from royal and private collections. Historic creations are represented alongside pieces from major modern jewelry houses, among them Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet, Harry Winston and Graff. Additionally, Ruby offers practical guidance on what to look for in a quality ruby.

Sapphire is the third and final instalment in Thames & Hudson’s showstopping series on coloured gemstones, created by Violette Editions. A feast for all the senses, the book features page after page of exquisite sapphire jewels and artefacts from the 4th century BC to the present day, interspersed with text exploring the history of this beautiful gemstone and its enduring popularity with style icons, past and present. Joanna Hardy, the highly regarded jewelry and gemstone expert, reviews the sapphire’s history with captivating stories told in a succinct exhilarating style. She takes the reader on a journey from early trade along the Silk Route and the creation of medieval talismans, to the jewelry collections of the great royal houses of Europe and the finest designers at work today. Along the way, she showcases spectacular jewels worn by many notable figures, including Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Windsor, as well as pieces by such iconic jewelry houses as Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet and Tiffany. A selection of work by 21st-century jewelry designers such as Shaun Leane, Hemmerle, Lauren Adriana, Bina Goenka and Mish is featured. There is also an exclusive insight into six major private collections, including previously unpublished pieces. With its rich, royal-blue silk cover and gold-foil blocking, Sapphire is a beautiful addition to any gem-lover’s library.

Matthew Brensilver, JoAnna Hardy and Oren Jay Sofer provide a powerful guide to help teachers master the essential competencies needed to successfully share mindfulness practices with teens and adolescents. Incorporating anecdotes from actual teaching, they blend the latest scientific research with innovative, original techniques for making the practices accessible and interesting to this age group. This text is an indispensable handbook for mindfulness instruction in its own right, and a robust companion volume for teachers using The Mindful Schools Curriculum for Adolescents.

Lavishly illustrated and exquisitely deisgned, this book opens with a stunning series of images of style icons – historic and modern – wearing their favoured emerald jewelry. As befits a prized gemstone that is twenty times rarer than diamond, here we see together, for the first time, pieces worn by celebrities ranging from filmstars to royalty, all alongside classic images of emeralds from art, advertising and fashion, celebrated in a text by Franca Sozzani, editor of Vogue Italia . The second part of this major volume showcases more than forty of the world’s most significant and famous pieces of emerald jewelry, including many previously unseen designs from private and royal collections. Historic creations that are up to 5,500 years old are represented alongside all the modern jewelry houses. The third and final part of Emerald tells the story of the emerald trade from mine to market, illustrated with specially commissioned photography taken across four continents.

How does one identify the ‘antiques of tomorrow’ in the contemporary jewelry market – those pieces that appeal to modern taste but also have the stamp of timeless collectible? Joanna Hardy’s selection of truly imaginative makers and pieces includes works to suit all tastes, from the more traditional to the adventurous, providing authoritative answers and expert direction in this hugely exciting and fast-developing market. In-depth profiles of 40 established and emerging contemporary artists from across Europe and the United States is complimented by useful background information about materials and techniques and a guide on how to take care of precious pieces. A concise reference section with biographical information for the artists; contact info for important galleries, museums and art dealers; fairs, events and schools; and a price guide to cover all collecting budgets will help the reader decide in which pieces to invest when confronted with such vast choice. This book is part of the ‘Collect Contemporary’ series which offers expert advice by leading specialists in the field who have many years’ experience in the auction market and a vast knowledge of the subject.