Yewn: Contemporary Jewels and the Silk Road

• A detailed study of contemporary artist and jewelry creator, Dickson Yewn, renowned as the designer worn by the likes of Michelle Obama
• Focuses on Yewn’s inspirations, influences and the integral place of Han Chinese culture in his work
• One of the most important pioneers in bringing Han Chinese culture back into the modern and contemporary jewelry world of today
• First-of-its-kind art book narrating worldly and philosophical Han Chinese culture in the language of jewelry art
• Informative background research on Yewn’s creative process, bolstered by stunning high-quality photography from museum archives
• Text by Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld, renowned jewelry historian, and layout by artistic and creative director Dickson Yewn

Dickson Yewn is the quintessential modern-day literatus. His contemporary jewelry is a crystallization of thousands of years of Chinese material history. Square rings rub shoulders with antique porcelain forms, shapes taken from Ming furniture and the geometric latticework found in Chinese architecture. Yewn focuses on these traditional Chinese motifs, but also understands the significance of different materials. Wood, one of the five elements in Chinese philosophy, is present in most of his collections.

To wear a contemporary jewel by Dickson Yewn is to delve back into China’s works of art and its history, blended with a contemporary twist. This new monograph of his work details the inspiration Yewn has drawn from the Imperial court, exploring its influence on the art of jewelry, from silks, embroidery, painting, architecture and cloisonné enamel to courtesan culture. Beautiful, detailed illustrations and photographs highlight Yewn’s fealty to the artisanal techniques employed by the Imperial courts. Esteemed jewelry writer Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld invites the reader to explore the deeper symbolism behind Yewn’s jewels.

Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld is an expert on jewelry both contemporary and classical. From family ties to the jewelers of old - her great grandfather, Thomas Weir, founded the Weir & Sons jewelers in Dublin, Ireland - to her career at Sotheby’s, and at Drouot, Paris and as a member of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem A), Juliet has lived a platinum-plated life. Her previous books with ACC include Women Jewelry Designers, Lydia Courteille and 21st-Century Jewellery Designers.