As the saying goes, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever,” and the desire to adorn one’s self with beautiful things is as old as humankind. A magnificent jewel provides the perfect complement to the fashion of the day, but more importantly, reflects its owner’s taste, lifestyle, wealth and status. This lecture will examine some of the great jewelry collections belonging to royals, aristocrats, divas, socialites and Hollywood starlets – from the famous to the infamous.  Learn how some jewels have been passed down through the centuries from one collection to the next, while others wound up on the auction block. We will also discuss things you need to know about your own jewelry collections from fine to faux, costume and vintage – their care, documentation, auctions and other collecting sources.

Jan Krulick is a museum and art consultant and an art and jewelry historian with more than 40 years’ experience at institutions including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Denver Art Museum, Beaumont (Texas) Art Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution. She is retired as Director of Education for the Phoenix Art Museum.