{"title":"Usha R Balakrishnan","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"diamonds-across-time-book-usha-r-balakrishnan-9781838048402","title":"Diamonds Across Time","description":"Diamonds tell stories that are captivating and timeless. On the one hand, they are just stones, pieces of pure carbon with optical properties that make them glitter and sparkle like stars.  On the other, they are mystical entities hypnotically drawing the viewer into a time machine as it were, wherein a cinematic montage of their journey unfolds. Diamonds Across Time presents a sweeping overview of diamonds across time and space, featuring ten essays by world-renowned scholars in love the stone. Here, these authors present new discoveries; explore extraordinary collections; investigate histories, science, and trade; the nature of diamonds; legendary gems, jewellery collections, and great designers. Above all, they tell the human stories that underpin the adoration of diamonds.    Diamonds Across Time is a richly illustrated publication with high-quality images of gems and jewels, archival documents, rare drawings, and fabulous photographs. The volume places diamonds in the context of the time in which they were discovered, and on the political, social, and cultural stage on which their histories were etched. In a rapidly changing world, diamonds are eternal. They were created by nature and grew in the womb of the earth. They tell stories, and they record history. With this book, diamonds will finally have their own storytellers.    The book was compiled and edited by the World Diamond Museum’s chief curator and world-renowned jewellery expert Dr. Usha R Balakrishnan. She and nine other distinguished authors wrote ten monographs written in the order in appearance: Introduction;  The Nizam Diamond: Bala Koh-i-Noor, in the Sacred Trust of the Nizam of Hyderabad - Usha R. Balakrishnan;  Diamonds of the French Crown Jewels: Between East and West - François Farges;  A Concise History of Diamonds from Borneo - Derek J. Content;  Indian Diamonds and the Portuguese Duriing the Rise of the Mughal Empire - Hugo Miguel Crespo;  Two Large Diamonds from India - Jack Ogden  The Romanov Diamonds: History of Splendour - Stefano Papi;  The Londonderry Jewels, 1819-1959 - Diana Scarisbrick;  Dress to Impress in Southeast Asia - René Brus;  Powerful Women, Important Diamonds - Ruth Peltason;  One in Ten Thousand: The Unique World of Coloured Diamonds - John M. 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Munnu: Vision \u0026amp; Passion chronicles the metamorphosis of The Gem Palace from a local jewellery firm to an international jewellery house, an evolution synchronous with Munnu’s life. From the creation of the ‘T-shirt’ necklace to dreaming up settings that fused gemstone and metal in unique ways, Munnu produced a new genre of jewels that bridged the historical past with an uber-stylish present.    While Munnu loved and admired traditional Indian opulence and grandeur, he brought a unique vision and passion, a rare sensibility and elegance to all his designs, establishing his unique style. To Munnu, a piece of jewellery was a beautiful creation, to be liberated from the confines of the conventional. Published as a tribute to Munnu, this book documents his design journey for more than two decades.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52653848264977,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52653848690961,"sku":"NLS9781838048419","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781838048419.jpg?v=1762213044"},{"product_id":"silver-and-gold-book-usha-r-balakrishnan-9789385360886","title":"Silver and Gold","description":"\u003cb\u003ePresents unique Indian jewels in all their glory, and as a visual language communicating design, aesthetics, tradition and the artistic expression of adorning the body.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e More than 40 years ago, two friends, united by a passion for the decorative arts, embarked on an exploration of the unique jewels of India. They were motivated by the everyday jewels of the people in the villages--to discover the sources of their inspiration and to unravel the complex ritual of adornment that resulted in ornaments being fabricated for every part of the body, from the top of the head to the toes. The result was the creation of the Amrapali Collection of Indian Jewellery, one of the largest collections of pastoral silver jewellery in the world.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The manifold communities that this collection represents come from different religions, with linguistic differences and diverse cultural sensibilities, but the land that the jewels encompass is geographically contiguous. They exhibit the amazing technical expertise of simple gold- and silversmiths. This volume presents the jewels in all their glory, and as a visual language communicating design, aesthetics, tradition and, above all, the artistic expression of adorning the body.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53342389272849,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53342389403921,"sku":"NIN9789385360886","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9789385360886.jpg?v=1774489106"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-usha-r-balakrishnan.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}