With Maria Callas, our opera singer Mistress of Ari Onassis, who was left behind temporarily when he married the windowed First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, on the cover, who wouldn't want to see what fabulously expensive gems she owned. And another of our Mistresses, Wallis Simpson - who became Duchess of Windsor when the King abdicated so he could marry her, is included. Besides bios of some of the world's wealthiest and arguably most beautiful and accomplished women in the world included (what about that Daisy Fellowes?! Or what about Ganna Walska?!) you might want to page through this one and read the bios but also, as I did, think to yourself, that a piece is gaudy or that you wish you could own a mock-up with cubic zirconia if not the real thing! I and a friend paged through together and did think a lot of the jewelry was too much, that it overwhelmed the wearer and the dress in most cases. But something very lovely about this book is that the necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings photographed are shown with photographs and paintings of the women wearing the items, putting them in scale, as well as some design sketches done before a single stone was reset. Now famous jewelers and designers are name dropped in this book as you might expect - Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Boivin. Boucheron, Faberge. Some of these jewelers remade pieces to update them or to combine the gemstones from more than one old necklace. (Kind of like my old friend K who wore a diamond ring that used her husband's mother's and grandmother's stones.) You may decide you like diamonds mixed with turquoise or red coral or not. The tiger motif was very popular apparently. And then there are the diamonds and pearls that are worth more than you'll earn in a lifetime. As for Onassis, you will find him in this book looking unexpectedly dapper and handsome when he was younger with more society babes than diva Maria. As for the Duchess of Windsor, who was plain old Wallis Simpson before she made her inroads into British society, those of you who are fascinated with this women will be happy to see photographs of her happy and having a good time and looking radiant and even beautiful; she wasn't always sullen or looking lonely out a window!
Interested in Maria Callas? - in my archives for Maria Callas she is Mistress of the Month for January 2010.
Interested in Wallis Simpson? - Duchess of Windsor - in my archives for Wallis Simpson Windsor, she is Mistress of the Month, August 2010.
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