Crowe, Judith

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Crowe, Judith

PERSONAL:

Female.

ADDRESSES:

Home—London, England.

CAREER:

Jewelry maker and designer.

WRITINGS:

The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones: A Complete Guide to Appraising and Using Precious Stones, from Cut and Color to Shape and Setting, Firefly Books (Buffalo, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Judith Crowe is a jewelry maker and jewelry designer, as well as a dealer in the types of gemstones commonly used in the making of fine jewelry. She bases her craft and shop in London, England. Crowe's theory of jewelry design stems from her love for gems, and she operates under the idea that the gem itself should be the starting point for any true artistic piece of jewelry, with the design of the piece working to highlight and make the most of the stone's color, shape, size, and cut. Crowe's favorite types of stones to work with are those gems that offer the greatest reflection of light, whether due to cut or the number of facets used, or the creativity of the setting that shows the stone to its best advantage. Only after the stone itself is cut and polished to make the most of its natural attributes does Crowe consider what type of setting will work with the gem and what type of jewelry would be most appropriate, whether it be a necklace or a pendant, bracelet, or earrings. In her first book, The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones: A Complete Guide to Appraising and Using Precious Stones, from Cut and Color to Shape and Setting, Crowe shares her knowledge about gemstones and jewelry with her readers. The book offers a primer of the different types of gems, as well as complete information regarding how to appraise the stone to determine its worth and how it might be displayed to minimize any flaws while drawing attention to its finest attributes. In addition, Crowe discusses the different shapes, cuts, and colors that are available in various stones, with illustrations to help readers discern subtle differences between similar stones. Much of the material will assist readers in understanding different methods of creating special pieces that highlight unusual gemstones. While the book is geared primarily toward readers who are interested in making jewelry themselves, and are therefore seeking practical, how-to types of advice, it can also be read by those who are simply interested in gems or jewelry for the sake of beauty, collection, or investment. Reviewers noted that jewelers will also find the directory useful, both as a reference book and as a way to gain an added insight into the choices made by jewelry designers during the process of crafting their works of art. A contributor for California Bookwatch remarked of the book that ‘libraries will find this holds wide appeal for a range of gem crafters."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

California Bookwatch, July, 2007, review of The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones: A Complete Guide to Appraising and Using Precious Stones, from Cut and Color to Shape and Setting.

SciTech Book News, March, 2007, review of The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones.