Writing Talent: What Renowned Authors Love About Jewellery

As a contributing editor to British Vogue, Carol Woolton has a front row seat to some of the most exceptional jewellery. Carol challenged the status quo and became Tatler magazine’s first ever jewellery director, before transferring within Conde Nast to British Vogue, where she has worked for the last twenty years. She is the author of five books, including Vogue the Jewellery and, more recently, The New Stone Age. “Jewellery captivates me in a way nothing else does. I love the way it communicates who and where we are and gives me something in common with every person I meet,” she says. Carol is also a stone collector, with rock crystal, agate spheres and mineral specimens on her shelves. Her latest project, If Jewels Could Talk…, is a podcast series due to launch in the spring of 2021.

As the founder and editorial director of The Adventurine, Marion Fasel is as well versed in the latest high jewellery collections as she is the historic jewels of days gone by. “I could never imagine doing anything else besides writing about contemporary designs and historical jewels,” she says. “Despite the fact that I have been studying the subject for 30 years, I feel there is still so much to learn and so many stories to share. Jewels are the tangible creations that reflect a culture as well as personal experiences. Studying it makes me feel like an archaeologist and it provides a link to speak to the past and illuminates the present.” During the course of her career, Marion has written nine books on the history of 20th century jewellery and curated several exhibitions, including Beautiful Creatures: Jewelry Inspired by the Animal Kingdom, the Bulgari Collection Trilogy, and exhibit catalogues for Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. She is also a regular lecturer on the subject of jewellery history, as well as more contemporary jewellery trends, which allows her to pass her knowledge along to other jewellery aficionados.

Thanks to her appearances on the popular UK television show, Antiques Roadshow, Joanna Hardy is a recognisable jewellery specialist who’s shared her wisdom with brands, auction houses and the public. She started her career by training as a goldsmith at the Sir John Cass College in London, before working as a rough diamond valuer and grader for De Beers Group. She then became one of the first woman to be a polished diamond dealer in Antwerp and later joined Phillips the Auctioneers and Sotheby’s as a jewellery specialist. Her tomes include Collect Contemporary Jewelry, the much-loved coffee table books Emerald and Ruby (Sapphire will be released in September 2021), and contributions to books on Graff and the famous Cartier Panthère. When she’s not writing, Joanna is an Independent Registered Valuer for the National Association of Jewellers, UK, and a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. She says: “I never planned to have a career in jewellery and gemstones but by following my interest and being curious about all aspects of the industry led me into a wonderful career. The more I learnt the more I wanted to know, and that curiosity has never waned. I have become more appreciative of the social history one can learn from jewellery […] It is the people I meet, the places I travel to, the creativity behind each jewel and the wonderment of nature behind each gemstone that will keep me from ever retiring.”