Full Description
Eternal Jewels celebrates the World Jewellery Museum's 20th anniversary, inviting readers into the poetic vision of founder Lee Kangwon, whose museum is known as the 'Jewel of Seoul'. Published here for the first time, the book presents extraordinary pieces alongside Lee's untold stories from her diplomatic travels across four continents.
For Lee Kangwon, a collector and poet, each acquisition represents a spiritual journey transcending borders. The museum's aesthetic presentation reflects her poetic sensibilities, rooted in Korean traditions of meditation on beauty as a path to spiritual purity. From Colombian emerald mines and Tibetan temples to her family's royal heirloom jewels, the collection spans centuries and civilisations. Each piece - whether a ceremonial headpiece or intimate talisman - carries profound cultural significance and human connection. Through this carefully curated anthology, Lee fulfills her museum's mission to spread light full of beauty and wonder through jewellery, creating bridges between cultures, past and present, material and spiritual realms.
Contents
Foreword 6
Introduction 18
Amber: Three Stones of Fortune 28
Amber 34
The Diplomat's Wife 42
Rings 48
Ethiopia, My Love 54
Ethiopian Crosses 64
Emerald: The Poet's Stone 70
Sacred Objects from El Dorado 78
Anklets & Bracelets 88
Brooches & Pendants 102
Modern Masters 114
The Tree of Love: A Journey into the Amazon 122
San Telmo: Where Time Tangos 128
Blessed Jewels: From Sister to Señor 136
Necklaces 142
Earrings & Headdress 158
Precious Curiosities 174
Index 182
