Why we
are creating a documentary film on the study of the history of jewelry:
Did you know that ...
• the earliest known jewelry is 100,000 years old?
• during many wars precious metals were in short demand and jewelry
was made of alternative materials?
• the Victorians mounted hummingbird heads as jewelry? And Brazilian
beetles?
• many cultures wear jewelry to ward off evil spirits?
• the famed jewelry firm of Cartier bought the townhouse where their
headquarters is located in New York City by trading the owner for an
incredible necklace of natural pearls? (Natural pearls are rare today
since cultured pearls arrived on the scene circa 1900.)
• that diamonds can naturally be found in many colors?
• that in earlier times men wore more jewelry than women?
• that Harry Winston mailed the famed Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian
Institute by U.S. Mail? And that it was walked to the White House in
a gentleman’s pants pocket for the Shah of Iran to see?
These fascinating facts are just a very small part of what you might
learn if you study the history of jewelry. We view jewelry studies as
a "window" into the history of the world and a fun way to learn
about our own and other cultures.
Jewelry is not only a form of adornment and self-expression, it is a
part of one's family history, and a form of portable wealth. Its ownership
is intricately involved in our lives.
And anyone can join in learning...it doesn't take a lot of specialized
knowledge to understand this fascinating subject. If you are interested
in fashion, world events, anthropology, art, archaeology—any number
of subjects—you can relate to learning about jewelry.
Our personal jewelry does many things—represents the happiest
and sometimes the saddest moments in our lives, can signal our achievements,
tell others where we went to college, indicates our religious beliefs,
and can even relay our sense of fun. It can tell others, without a word,
how we view ourselves.
It is so universal that if two women who don't know each other stand
in an elevator one may comment on the other's jewelry.
This film will help a much wider audience gain an appreciation of how
much can be learned and how interesting learning more about jewelry can
be.
Documentary film maker Nicolas Cuellar, producer Harris Karlin, and
Elyse Zorn Karlin, the co-director of ASJRA, have teamed up to educate
the public on the story of jewelry and its place in our lives in the
film "A Story to Wear." We invite you to support this documentary
film and get some great rewards to show our appreciation for your donation.
Once the film is completed it will be available to any organization
with an interest in jewelry to show to its members, as well as to colleges
and universities that have metals' programs (jewelry making) and art
history courses. We will also put it online so the general public can
enjoy and learn from it as well. Help us tell the world about a subject
that touches all of our lives without us realizing it...think about what
your favorite piece of jewelry is and what it means to you!
Nicolas and Harris have extensive credits in the film world and Elyse
is a well-known jewelry historian, author, lecturer and freelance curator.
Together we will create a film to bring the fascinating world of jewelry
to everyone.
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