This striking book represents the personal odyssey of antique dealer, collector, and jewelry-lover Mimi Lipton. Over the years, she has amassed a superb collection of uncut precious and semi-precious stones, along with antique pieces of carved amber and jade, all of them found or acquired on her many journeys around the globe. Now, in collaboration with seven international contemporary jewelers from France, China, Nepal, Iceland, Argentina, and the UK, these original elements have been transformed into more than eighty unusual and dramatic pieces of jewelry. These sculptural yet wearable objects are showcased in all their glorious originality, with imagination, individuality, and craftsmanship reigning supreme. Every gem evokes a journey to the furthest corners of the world, from Baltic amber to Tibetan coral, African ivory to Colombian emeralds. This inspiring volume is beautifully designed by Malgosia Szemberg, former art director of The World of Interiors magazine, and exquisitely photographed by Noelle Hoeppe. 260 color illustrations