Jewelry 'Campers' in Garden Spot

By Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA, Senior Editor -- JCK Online, April 1, 2001

The 22nd Annual Antique & Period Jewelry and Gemstone Conference—a.k.a. "Jewelry Camp"—is slated for July 18-22 at Adelphi University, Garden City, Long Island, N.Y. Because this year's camp is being held so close to downtown New York City, the assemblage of international faculty will include many from the influential New York jewelry community. New Yorkers include master craftsman André Chervin, international fine antique expert Camilla Bergeron, American Craft Museum curator David McFadden, art historian Donna Schneir, and artist William Harper, one of America's preeminent jewelers of the last part of the 20th century.

Seminars include "Masriera, Manufacturers of Art Nouveau Style Jewelry from 1895 to the Present" given by Joseph Meli, Masriera's director of U.S. operations, and Oriol Oliveras, co-owner of Bagués-Masriera in Madrid, Spain; and "The History and Archives of Bvlgari" by Amanda Triossi, world-renowned author and historian from London and Rome.

In all, 46 lectures and hands-on workshops make up the curriculum, designed for all levels of expertise and presented by 26 instructors—educators, museum curators, experts from major auction houses, dealers, authors, appraisers, gemologists, jewelry restorers, designers, and manufacturers. Campers will enjoy their own version of The Antiques Roadshow at the Jewelry Camp Road Show, with a panel of experts that includes jewelry appraisers for the PBS program.

"Jump Start," the pre-conference program, runs from July 14-17. Recommended for the neophyte or the professional who needs to "brush up," it introduces basic examination techniques and concepts essential to understanding jewelry. Topics include diamond identification and grading, metals testing, antique and period jewelry styles, construction techniques, and hallmarks.

The slate of antique and period jewelry topics for the main event includes: Bakelite and plastic jewelry 101, cameos, revival jewelry from the collector's eye, reproductions, identifying stone cuts in antique and period jewelry, pearls, and 19th-century enameling techniques.

There will be discussions of jewelry fashion influenced by historical world events, such as "Architectural Themes in Jewelry," "American Arts & Crafts Styles, Hallmarks, and Signatures," "Art Deco Jewelry," "Early Native American Jewelry," "Hollywood's Celebrity Jeweler, Neil Lane" (with Neil Lane), and "The Artist's View—Jewelry Depicted in 18th & 19th Century Portraiture."

Camp wouldn't be complete without a full review of gemstones and diamonds. "Identifying Stone Cuts in Antique and Period Jewelry," "Diamond Treatments," "Pricing Antique Jewelry," "Gem Identification Made Easy," "Introduction to Colored Stones," "Issues of Origin: Rubies, Sapphires & Emeralds," "The Legend, Lore, and Commerce of Opals," and "The ABCs of Jade" are a few of the sessions from which campers can choose.

For more information, contact Joyce Jonas & Associates, Inc., 215 E. 80th St., Suite 5K, New York, NY 10021-0539; (212) 535-2479, fax (212) 988-0721, e-mail: jwlrycamp@aol.com, Web site: www.jewelrycamp.org.