From the simple shell beads worn by Paleolithic hunters to the splendor of Renaissance goldwork and the sumptuousness of Art Nouveau enamels, here is a fascinating and informative guide to the development of Western jewelry. Offering a concise overview of the entire field, this book analyzes jewelry's changing fashions, explores it social context, and traces jewelers' responses to new sources of gems and the discovery of metals such as platinum and aluminum. Masterworks by unknown craftsmen and pieces designed by individual artists as diverse as Holbein, Pugin and Calder are illustrated alongside the glittering products of the major jewelry houses.