"I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can't possess radiance, you can only admire it." Elizabeth Taylor In this magnificent collection of the most spectacular jewels of the twentieth century, fine jewellery historian Vivienne Becker selects the quintessential bijoux that represent the milestones of jewellery design of the last one hundred years. From Art Nouveau to the brink of the new millennium, Becker's selections range from the Wiener Werkstatte and Tiffany Studios, to Egyptian-inspired Art Deco masterpieces by Cartier and midcentury designs by Verdura for Chanel, to Graff's and De Beer's Millennium diamond creations. A new addition to Assouline's Ultimate Collection, this beautiful volume is a must-have for fine jewellery collectors and lovers of precious objects. Sparkling with stunning photography, this hand-bound luxury edition features hand-tipped images and is presented in a linen clamshell case. AUTHOR: Vivienne Becker is an award-winning journalist, jewelry historian, and author of several books on the history of jewelry design. Based in London, she is a contributing editor to the Financial Times's How To Spend It magazine and writes regularly for the Saturday Telegraph magazine and for newspapers and magazines around the world.

She organized and wrote the catalog for the first major exhibition of the jewelry of Rene Lalique, and curated Jewels of Fantasy, a traveling exhibition of twentieth-century costume jewelry. She also lectures and broadcasts regularly on her subject. 100 Plates.