'Engaging' Book Debuts This Month
By Carrie Soucy, Senior Editor -- JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 11/1/2004
With This Ring, a new book by award-winning jewelry historians and authors Penny Proddow and Marion Fasel, is set to be released Nov. 15. Ripe with romance and fascinating facts, the book covers all aspects of wedding jewelry, from the history of engagement rings to how to choose a ring.
The book is divided into three chapters. The first, "Storybook Style," is a historical look at wedding jewelry from centuries past. Readers can see what rings looked like hundreds of years ago, learn the origins of modern practices like the tradition of wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand, or discover how the diamond came to be the traditional gem for betrothal. The second, "Celebrity Style," showcases the lavish wedding jewelry of many famous style and Hollywood icons such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Reese Witherspoon, Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor, and many more. The final chapter, "Your Style," introduces the reader to a wide range of designs and discusses all the facts a woman (and her fiancé) should know before buying an engagement or wedding ring.
The book is artfully designed, with easy-to-read, engaging copy and witty, incisive illustrations by Sukhee Ko, who has created illustrative designs for clients such as Tiffany & Co., Gianni Versace, and Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Marie Claire magazines.
Ko's illustrations are complemented by the photography of Darrin Haddad, a still-life photographer in New York City, whose clients include Sony, Tommy Hilfiger, and InStyle and House & Garden magazines.
Proddow and Fasel have authored several books between them, and are contributing editors for InStyle magazine's fine-jewelry column. Early in the project, the authors approached the Diamond Information Center to ask for support for the book. DIC spokesperson Carson Glover said the project is not a direct partnership—nor is it an InStyle magazine project—but the DIC feels retail jewelers would find the book useful to sell in their stores, to use as a gift-with-purchase, or as a holiday gift for better customers.
The suggested retail price for the book is $24.95. Bulk purchase discounts are available as follows: 100-999 copies, 55% off retail price; 1,000-4,999 copies, 60% off retail price; 5,000-6,500 copies, 65% off retail price; and 6,501 copies or more, 70% off retail price. Jewelers interested in purchasing the book in volume should contact Suzanne Albert, director, special markets, Bulfinch Press, at (212) 522-8072, e-mail: suzanne.albert@twbg.com.
