Melanie Grant’s latest project, The Jewelry Book (Phaidon, $79.95), seems at first glance like a straightforward reference manual—an A-to-Z of the world’s most influential jewelers. But a deeper read across its 300+ pages reveals something bolder: Grant, a U.K.–based author and respected industry voice, is deliberately reshaping the conversation about who gets remembered in jewelry history.
Melanie Grant
The book doesn’t just celebrate the usual suspects—Boucheron, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels. Instead, Grant curates a provocative mix where hip-hop rappers, gem cutters, queens, collectors, and influencers all appear side by side. “Rarely, if ever, in the world of jewelry books do you see rappers share the stage with queens, goldsmiths, and gem cutters,” Grant told JCK. “That eclecticism is what sets this book apart.”
Van Cleef & Arpels diamond and platinum necklace commissioned by the Egyptian royal family and worn by Queen Nazli, with a matching tiara, to the 1939 wedding of Princess Fawzia of Egypt and the crown prince of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (photo: © Van Cleef & Arpels, est. 1906, Paris)
The lineup is as unconventional as it is inclusive: overlooked pioneers like Art Smith and Winifred Mason Chenet, contemporary disruptors like Johnny Nelson and Cindy Chao, and icons of influence from Elizabeth Taylor to the Notorious B.I.G. Galleries such as Mahnaz Collection and Elisabetta Cipriani make the cut for championing jewelry artists and challenging industry norms. Even muses and tastemakers—Diana Vreeland, Nina Simone, Queen Charlotte—find their place.
Hemmerle, est. 1893 in Munich, is represented in The Jewelry Book by this one-of-a-kind 2023 bracelet in iron and white gold set with a diamond weighing more than 16 cts. (Photo courtesy of hemmerle.com)
The book also highlights stone cutters and gem specialists often left out of mainstream narratives, like Maori jade carver Joel Marsters and gemologist George Frederick Kunz. Meanwhile, Wallace Chan, Daniela Villegas, and Hemmerle are shown alongside historic royals such as Queen Nazli of Egypt, proving that artistry and cultural symbolism are as critical as branding.
Daniela Villegas (from left) Cosquilleo ring in 18k yellow gold with sapphires; Sisters rings in 18k yellow gold with tourmaline and sapphires, stacked with Earthworm wedding band in 18k pink gold and diamonds; 18k yellow gold Koala rings in malachite and lapis with opal, rose-cut white diamonds, and multicolor sapphires and emeralds (photo courtesy of Daniela Villegas)
Wallace Chan Cosmos brooch in titanium set with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, tsavorite garnets, and jadeite slices, and a 5.84 ct. irregularly shaped diamond at the center of the pendulum (photo by DeMarcus Allen)
Grant’s follow-up to her 2020 hit Coveted (which asked, “Can jewelry be art?”) pushes the discussion even further. The Jewelry Book asserts that jewelry is not just art—it’s culture, politics, and personal identity. In this democratized vision, a four-finger hip-hop ring and a platinum Van Cleef necklace can coexist as equals.
Johnny Nelson 4 Fingers of Def and Her Freedom four-finger rings, worn by hip-hop artist Aurora Anthony, 2020 (photo by Danita Bethea)
From Lola Fenhirst (est. 2015, Paris), model Stephany Amado wears the Sybil seven-point diamond necklace in 18k yellow gold with bezel-set and pavé diamonds and Sybil diamond cocktail ring in 18k yellow and white gold with an inner cache of round brilliant-cut diamonds, 2021. (Photo by Menelik Puryear)
For some insiders, this rewriting of the canon feels long overdue. For others, it raises uncomfortable questions: if everyone from celebrities to collectors is “jewelry history,” what happens to the hierarchy that once defined high jewelry vs. costume jewelry? Grant’s work suggests the hierarchy itself is outdated.
One thing is clear: The Jewelry Book is more than a reference—it’s a manifesto. And whether you love it or hate it, it forces the industry to confront the fact that a new jewelry era has begun—one where lab-grown diamonds, hip-hop culture, and traditional houses all fight for equal space on the same page.
Is Melanie Grant democratizing jewelry history—or blurring the lines too far? Join AIDI’s global community to explore how the new jewelry era is shaping the future of design, culture, and diamonds.