Curating

 

NEW YORK, NY [July 7, 2025] – In the autumn of 2025, Sotheby’s and Phaidon in collaboration with renowned jewelry writer Melanie Grant,  staged a landmark selling exhibition celebrating the extraordinary skill, imagination, and craftmanship of high jewelry. On view and open to the public in New York from 10-21 September, The Jewelry Book: An A to Z Exhibition, featured approximately 50 exceptional pieces by some of the world’s most talented jewelry designers and established houses featured in Phaidon’s The Jewelry Book — the single most authoritative survey of jewelry published to date, and the latest in Phaidon’s acclaimed series following The Art Book, The Fashion Book, and Photography Book.

The Jewelry Book ($79.95 US / $100.00 CAN, on sale September 2025), edited by Melanie Grant, author of Phaidon’s bestselling Coveted (2020), is a stunning and authoritative A-to-Z guide to 300 of jewelry’s greatest names spanning more than 200 years. From Chanel pearls and iron jewels at Hemmerle set with flawless diamonds to the Notorious B.I.G. and Greta Garbo, this book offers indispensable insight into the artists, creative houses, and style icons who have defined jewelry. Eminent creatives such as Wallace Chan, Elsa Schiaparelli, Suzanne Belperron, and Bhagat appear alongside such lesser-known trailblazers such as Maōri jade carver Joel Marsters and Winifred Mason Chenet, a pioneering metalsmith and designer. And, of course, no book on jewelry would be complete without pieces from the great heritage houses: Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Chaumet, Harry Winston, and Chopard.

Melanie Grant and Sotheby’s Vice Chairman of Jewelry, Frank Everett, brought the book’s vision to life through a selling exhibition. Visitors experienced masterpieces by innovative contemporary designers such as Hemmerle, Taffin, Bina Goenka, Jacqueline Rabun, Daniela Villegas, Ten Thousand Things, and Michele Oka Doner, alongside iconic pieces from legendary houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, David Webb, among others. On view at Sotheby’s New York galleries at 1334 York Avenue from 10-21 September 2025, a select number of the pieces in the show were available for private sale.

Frank Everett, Sotheby’s Vice Chairman of Jewelry, stated:

“Sotheby’s is thrilled to partner with Melanie Grant on another exciting project. The Jewelry Book is the long overdue and highly anticipated addition to Phaidon’s iconic series, and Melanie brings to it her own special perspective on the jewelry world.”

Melanie Grant, author and curator, commented:

“It is an honor to curate a living rendition from such a seminal work as The Jewelry Book—a project that took 3 years to complete and reflects the contributions of a host of advisors, experts, and writers. Spanning over 200 years, the book—and exhibition—reveal the transformative power of jewelry through creativity, ultimately to freedom.”

Deb Aaronson, Publisher of Phaidon, noted:

“For 100 years, Phaidon has published the world’s most important art books. With the publication of The Jewelry Book by Melanie Grant, we celebrate the art of jewelry as never before. We are grateful to Sotheby’s for hosting an exhibition bringing this important book to life.”

 

PRESS CONTACTS

Phaidon: Alex Coumbis, Publicity Director, acoumbis@phaidon.com

Sotheby’s: Amanda Bass, Vice President of Luxury Communications, North America, amanda.bass@sothebys.com

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium or overhead premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and overhead premium and art net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.

Images are available upon request

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Curating

 

In September 2025 The Jewelry Book, edited by Melanie and published by Phaidon came out as an authoritative A-Z guide of the last 200 years of jewelry history, from Chanel pearls and iron jewels at Hemmerle set with flawless diamonds to the Notorious B.I.G. and Greta Garbo, this book offers indispensable insight into the artists, creative houses, and style icons who have defined jewelry. Eminent creatives such as Wallace Chan, Elsa Schiaparelli, Suzanne Belperron, and Bhagat appear alongside such lesser-known trailblazers such as Maōri jade carver Joel Marsters and Winifred Mason Chenet, a pioneering metalsmith and designer. No book on jewelry would be complete without pieces from the great heritage houses: Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Chaumet, Harry Winston, and Chopard which all make an appearance.

In conjunction with the book’s launch, Melanie curated this exhibition at Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery in London launching on 24 September – the day of publication. The London exhibition, entitled Hotel 87 and other Relics, brought together over 20 artists and design houses featured in The Jewelry Book. Each expressed a personal connection to Italy, whether through inspiration drawn from its cultural and aesthetic legacy, or through a formative experience that has left a lasting and meaningful imprint.  The exhibition was framed around a conceptual installation composed of five objects collected during Melanie’s recent travels through Italy, each imbued with historical, cultural, and symbolic resonance.

A square handkerchief of handmade lace from the weavers of Pescocostanzo (Abruzzo), crafted by local villagers, evoked the enduring traditions of a place where time appears to stand still. A carved soap of Eredi Zucca, with its rich history in Milanese barbershops, represented a bygone era when such establishments were centres of social and political exchange. A rosary dedicated to Pope Francis encapsulated a moment of collective mourning witnessed at the Vatican, where pilgrims and Romans gathered to pay their respects.

A blackened silver horn (cornicello), gifted by an Italian goldsmith, serves as a protective talisman against the Evil Eye and drew connections to both Greek and Roman mythology. Finally, Hotel 87, a seemingly unremarkable yet deeply evocative hotel in Rome, symbolized the absurdity and unpredictability of contemporary life. Here, a pair of Umbro pants inexplicably hung from a bathroom door handle serving as a moment of unexpected surrealism, a sharp contrast to the other objects’ historical weight.

These talismanic objects served as conceptual anchors, inviting the artists to create jewellery pieces that drew inspiration from their own narratives. The exhibition brought together the contemporary and the historical, the sacred and the surreal, just as the book does, to interpret and transform the symbolic power of these objects and their meaning into wearable art through a new narrative. The intention was to create a dialogue between object and adornment, exploring how jewellery can serve as a vessel for storytelling, memory, and cultural continuity. The jewellery pieces, much like the original objects, acted as modern-day talismans — evocative, symbolic, and deeply rooted in the textures of Italian life. The exhibition not only showcased these pieces as stand-alone works of art but also positioned them within a broader narrative that connects contemporary artistic practice to Italy’s rich and layered cultural history.

 

The contemporary jewellery artists were:

Giampaolo Babetto

Louise Bourgeois – Courtesy Didier Limited

Bulgari – Courtesy Eleuturi London

Pol Bury

Wallace Chan

Attilio Codognato – Courtesy Eleuteri London

EC X EC LAB

Melanie Grant

Grima

Hedy Martinelli

Giuseppe Penone

Arnaldo Pomodoro – Courtesy Didier Limited

Cora Sheibani

Castro Smith

Sophia Vari

Giorgio Vigna

Selection of Vintage Jewelry– Courtesy Piccadilly Vaults

 

Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery

Exhibition dates: 23 – 27 September 2025

Press View: 23 September 10:00 am– 12:00 pm

Collector’s Preview: 23 September 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm by invitation only

Private Event: 23 September 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Opening: 24 September 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Engraving Masterclass with Castro Smith: 25 September 4:00 – 6:00 pm (pictured above)

25 September 10:00 – 3:00 pm

26-27 September: Collector’s tours: 10:00 – 6:00 pm by appointment

 

Curating

 

Once the home of the glittering Georgian court, Kensington Palace has been the scene of lavish parties for centuries; a place to see and be seen.  In the 18^th century, its candlelit rooms would have sparkled with elaborate jewellery, an essential feature in court dress.  This summer, the palace will once again host a spectacular collection of jewellery as part of its major new exhibition, Crown to Couture.  Showcasing remarkable Georgian fashion alongside a star-studded line up of contemporary couture, the exhibition explores the parallels between the Georgian Court and today’s red carpet with an intimate contemporary jewellery display curated by Melanie Grant in what is its largest exhibition to date.

Many of the pieces on display in the exhibition were worn at the Met Gala, one of the most high-profile events in the fashion calendar today.  The exhibition compares the Met Gala to the Georgian Court and explores the roles played by designers, stylists, and celebrities in showcasing the very best of contemporary creativity at this major global event.  A highlight will be a custom tiara by Lorraine Schwartz, worn by Blake Lively at the 2022 Met Gala.  The copper tiara, which was a collaborative design, was inspired by the Statue of Liberty.  Like the statue, it features seven points to reflect the seven seas and continents of the world, standing for welcomeness, inclusiveness, and freedom – all key themes of the 2022 Gala: ‘In America, an anthology of fashion.’  The tiara features over 100 carats of nude and bronze-coloured diamonds and Paraiba tourmaline gemstones and will be displayed alongside custom Lorraine Schwartz earrings worn by Blake Lively at the event.  The earrings feature approximately 90 carats of nude diamonds, alongside fan shaped mint green Colombian emeralds.

Another Met Gala highlight will be the ‘Rebel Black’ ring worn by Rihanna to the 2021 event and designed by Thelma West for Sotheby’s Brilliant & Black exhibition in New York of the same year, also curated by Grant.  West set a 5-carat pear shaped diamond from Botswana into a black ceramic and gold setting to create the dramatic piece.  The ‘Disco’ earrings worn by Emily Blunt to the Palm Springs Film Festival in 2019 will also go on display, as a celebration of light by the Brazilian designer, Fernando Jorge.  They feature 12.26 carats of brilliant cut diamonds set into a gold disco-ball inspired design that creates optical illusion.  The ‘Pensive’ Lizworks earrings worn by Cate Blanchett to the ‘Joker’ 2019 Premiere at the Venice Film Festiva and designed with Cindy Sherman are made of Sardonyx cameos set in gold with pink and lemon quartz and were hand-carved in Italy. These modern-day cameos were inspired by Sherman’s photography on Instagram and what she describes as the ‘original selfie’.

The subject of political dressing is a key theme of the exhibition – the use of fashion to make a statement, which was a common practice in the 18^th century court and continues to be an important communication tool today.  A Schiaperelli ‘Dove’ brooch will go on display, reflecting on the moment that Lady Gaga wore an identical brooch with a gown designed by David Roseberry to the inauguration of US President Joe Biden in 2020.  Following the outfit’s critical acclaim, the gilded pewter brooches were made available for purchase and proceeds donated to Gaga’s ‘Born this Way’ Foundation.

The exhibition is sponsored by Garrard, who have several pieces on display throughout the Palace.  Highlights include a replica of the pearl, diamond and sapphire ‘Marguerite’ necklace and earrings worn by Beyoncé to promote her ‘Mrs Carter’ world tour in 2019, and a replica of the Cullinan V brooch worn by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to London Fashion Week in 2018.  The royal connections don’t end there – a vintage gold and diamond ‘Feather Headdress’ tiara, part of the Verdura Museum collection, will also be displayed.  The tiara was commissioned by Ambassador John Hay Whitney for his wife Betsey Cushing Whitney, on their presentation to the Court of Saint James in 1957. The titanium orchid earrings from Chopard’s Red Carpet collection and worn at The Cannes Film Festival by Sharon Stone, demonstrate a new type of precious worn my modern-day Hollywood royalty. From gem encrusted stems bloom white enamel petals in an articulated cascade to the shoulder.

This stunning contemporary collection will be showcased alongside an array of historic jewellery and portraiture, bringing to life the jewellery and accessories worn at the Georgian court, where diamonds (real or paste) were a key part of the courtier’s fashion arsenal.  A portrait of Princess Augusta dripping with a full set of court diamonds will show how the royal family led and epitomised Georgian style.  Wearing diamonds – borrowed or otherwise – to court was an important way to demonstrate family or political allegiances.  Men were no exception and used badges, buttons and even shoe buckles to demonstrate their wealth and style.  A range of items in the exhibition will illustrate the Georgian male penchant for Jewellery.

Claudia Acott Williams, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said, “Dressing for the Georgian court may feel like a distant custom, but Crown to Couture will shine a new light on these historic traditions by directly placing them in conversation with similar high-profile fashion events of today. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with a wide variety of well-known fashion houses and jewellery designers in order to explore the fascinating world of the Georgian court through a new contemporary lens.”

 

The contemporary jewellery artists are:

Verdura (who’s feather headdress tiara is above)

Thelma West

Cindy Sherman via Liz Works

Chopard

Fernando Jorge

Frederick Leighton

Lorraine Schwartz

Sacred Skulls

Schiaperelli

Garrard.

 

For more information contact: Sophie Lemagnen in the Historic Royal Palaces Press Office via press@hrp.org.uk / 020 3166 6166

Crown to Couture opens at Kensington Palace on 5 April 2023, and will run until 29 October 2023.

Tickets: Adult £25.40 / Concession £20.30 / Child £12.70. Free for Historic Royal Palaces members.

 

Curating

In the summer of 2022, I was asked by Bella Newman and JB Jones who are the founders of New York Jewelry Week to curate a digital exhibition called ‘Exhibitionist’.  I selected six pioneering contemporary designers from around the world and asked each to respond to five prompts about their practise designed to reveal unlikely insights into their work.  Their stories revealed an often emotional narrative, intimate inspirations, thoughts about community and how they approach their practises.  JB and I followed that up with a live talk on Instagram during NYJW to discuss the show.

 

The designers were:

Arman Suciyan

Darcy & Jazz Jewellery

Dina Kamal

NN by Nghi

L’Enchanteur

Studio Renn

 

Images: Courtesy of the designers

Original page: https://www.exhibitionist.jewelry/work

Exhibitionist ran online in NYCJW 2022

 

Curating

In June 2022 TEFAF Maastricht, the world’s leading art, antiques and design fair invited me to select my top picks from their world-class array of jewelry exhibitors.  I chose to feature Hemmerle, Bhagat, Otto Jakob, Anna Hu, Ala Vieille Russie, Daniel Brush via Symbolic & Chase, Boghossian and Van Cleef & Arpels.  TEFAF has a reputation for academic excellence where museum curators, private collectors and art critics mass on the preview days before the fair opens to the public, to acquire some of the best art in the world.

This year there were 242 dealers from 20 countries, all hand-picked by a rigorous selection of committees.  The art was astounding and I was honoured to offer my recommendations which included pieces seen from Hemmerle’s ‘Infused Jewels’ collection which debuted at the fair.  Shot my TEFAF’s in-house film team, a reel was released of my curation with the following words on 26th of June on their digital platforms:

 

Images: Courtesy of the Hemmerle

Original page: Instagram @tefaf

TEFAF Maastricht ran from June 25-30, 2022

 

Curating

 

Images: Courtesy of DeMarcus Allen

Original page: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/brilliant-and-black

The Public exhibition ran in-person 22 September to 2nd October 2022 and continues on Sotheby’s Buy Now Marketplace. 

 

Curating

Continuing on with my mission to dismantle the boundaries between art and jewellery and following on from my book Coveted and the Sotheby’s Brilliant and Black exhibition, I invited 17 renowned contemporary artists to express their connection to nature through wearable sculpture in a selling exhibition curated by me at The Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery in London.  It launched on the evening of 18th November 2021 at a private recption with our friends from  The Serpentine Galleries and during the evening I staged a talk with Diane Venet, one of the foremost collectors of artist jewellery in the world.

The idea for the show came from chapter 4 of Coveted which focuses on the subject of Naturalism.  As Covid rages on, our evolving relationship with natural world and the peace it gives us inspired me to ask 17 artists to submit 40 jewels embracing both their figurative and abstract approaches.  This was the first time many of the artists have offered their art via a gallery including me as I made my first jewel called ‘Self’, a cuff in bronze, dark grey oxidised silver and white sapphires in an edition of 8 with the EC workshop in Rome (see the Curation info page) It was a dream come true in many ways.

 

Images: Courtesy of the artists

Original page: http://www.elisabettacipriani.com/force-of-nature/

The By appointment exhibition ran in-person 18-27th November 2021 and online until January 2022. 

 

Curating

On September 17th 2021 the first selling exhibition by a global auction house dedicated to black jewellery designers opened to the public at Sotheby’s New York.  I was the curator and had proposed the idea to Frank Everett, Director of Jewelry that February while discussing an event in connection with my book Coveted.  I was taken aback when he said yes almost immediately and one of the most thrilling creative journeys of my life began.

I invited 19 living designers and the estates of 2 important historical figures to submit 3 pieces, one of which they made for the show.  I wanted each artist to go bigger and bolder than ever before and this resulted in over 60 pieces of high jewellery in a plethora of styles from gothic romanticism to minimalist modernism with prices ranging from $1,500 – $1M.

 

Images: Courtesy of Menelik Puryear

Original page: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/brilliant-and-black

The Public exhibition ran in-person 17-26th September and on the Buy-Now marketplace from 17th September – 15th December 2021.