For many centuries the collecting of precious jewels was the preserve of kings and queens, emperors and maharajahs. But in the aftermath of the First World War, royal gems passed into the hands of a different kind of elite. This book profiles eleven of these rich women, all of whom built up astonishing jewelry collections in the 20th century.
For many centuries precious jewels were only collected by kings and queens, emperors, popes and maharajahs. But during the 20th century, movie goddesses, opera singers, industrialists, real-estate investors and rock stars have joined those with the means to deck themselves in glittering bracelets and rings, necklaces and earrings. This work shows the collections of such society women as Daisy Fellowes and Barbara Hutton, aristocrats such as Umberto II of Italy and Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal (Princess Mary) of Great Britain, and of stars from the world of entertainment, like Merle Oberon, Joan Crawford and Ava Gardner.