Jewels of the Pharaohs: Egyptian Jewelry of the Dynastic Period Review

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(More customer reviews)I have always been interested in ancient Egypt but this book focused on the jewelry, which I had only read about in general terms.
In the section about the recovery of ancient Egyptian jewelry, the author talked about how discoveries are more often made by accident than by a deliberate, planned search. Many treasures have been dispersed all over the world because of being found by private persons.
Materials were selected for their color rather than for their "refractive powers, brilliance, or rarity."
Next the author discussed the uses of jewelry in ancient Egypt. Jewelry was used for personal adornment of men as much as for women, and used in burials, for the shrines of the gods, and as temple furnishings. The most common use of jewelry was as amulets - to protect the wearers from harm.
The materials used by craftsmen to make jewelry in ancient Egypt were shells, horns, tusks, claws, stones, and gold. Some of the most popular stones were carnellian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise (very different from the veiny turquoise we see here in the U.S).
A very informative book.

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Beaded Collars: 10 Decorative Neckpieces Built with Ladder Stitch Review

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(More customer reviews)I've greatly admired Julia Pretl's fantastic collars and pre-ordered this book. I hope that Julia considers putting out an advanced version - because I'd hoped to learn how she incorporated bead embroidered pieces into her collars and didn't find any reference to that here. Still, I give her book full marks as a reference and learning tool. The information is clear, the illustrations second-to-none and the projects are interesting. Although the concept of the collars is simple - learning how to construct and use a template, how to use one or two needle methods and her many tips are invaluable. I know I'll enjoy teaching myself her methods. Next book - my wish list is some additional embellishment techniques and a gallery section, but for now - I feel I more than got my money's worth from this excellent book.

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There is no other book on the market that presents broadcollar projects for beaders-a traditional form.
Julia S. Pretl, author of Little Bead Boxes and Bead Knitted Bags, has created a collection of beaded neckpieces, inspired by broadcollars, the dramatic jewelry worn by the ancient Egyptians and a well-known form among beadworkers. She has adapted the traditional form-a broad, beaded necklace-to create ten original designs for the modern beadworker, with skill levels ranging from beginner to more advanced.
With step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow patterns, Julia leads the reader through the techniques for creating the stitched "ladderö -the basic unit that is combined and joined in various ways to create each of the unique designs. She also teaches readers how to build a custom-sized template, choose a color palette, and create decorative fringe, layers, pendants, and netting to add the finishing touch. The introductory chapters present the basic beading and assembly techniques, illustrated with clear, digitally rendered, and color-coded drawings. Four-color photographs of each of the 10 designs and 10 detail photos illustrate each project.

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