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Lose Yourself in Frédéric Zaavy’s Creations With This New Book
“Stardust: The Work and Life of Jeweler Extraordinaire Frédéric Zaavy” was started before the French jeweler’s death in 2011.
Frédéric Zaavy’s Nymphéa bracelet featuring fancy colored diamonds and numerous colored gemstones—5,000 stones total, in fact—was inspired by the works of Monet and is featured in a new book highlighting the French jeweler’s life and career.
New York—The first monograph dedicated to the late renowned Parisian jeweler Frédéric Zaavy will be released this fall.
“Stardust: The Work and Life of Jeweler Extraordinaire Frédéric Zaavy” dives into the creations of the man who tried to reflect the beauty of the universe through his work in precious stones.
It features photographs from John Bigelow Taylor and Dianne Dubler, whose works have been featured in the pages of more than 300 books, to create a visual narrative throughout, and text by acclaimed French writer Gilles Hertzog.
Zaavy was the third generation of a family of diamond merchants. He studied at several art schools, including École des Arts Appliqués and the École des Beaux Arts, before deciding not to go into the family business.
Then in 1994, Zaavy started creating one-of-a-kind jewels, working alongside partner Lisa Chen, with whom he founded the Daring Enterprise Co., and in 2000 set up his first atelier.
In the years following, he worked to set new standards of craftsmanship in jewelry making, using his eye and unique view to create intricate pieces with multitudes of tiny gems that would, without a doubt, come together like objects of art.
In 2007, Phillips de Pury & Company featured his work in an exhibition in Paris, and a year later he became the exclusive jeweler for Faberge, creating a collection to celebrate the house’s 21st century revival. The latter allowed him to open a larger atelier near Place Vendôme.
In 2010, when he found out he would die from cancer, the jeweler started working with the two photographers to create “Stardust.”
The book features not only images of his jewelry and jewelry making but also accounts of Zaavy from close friends and family, inside the industry and out, and looks at both the lows and the highs of his career.
Zaavy died in September 2011.
“’Stardust’ is the origin of all matter in the universe, including the diamonds Frédéric ‘painted’ with and loved so much. He was fascinated that, in addition to their beauty, diamonds resonated deep time,” Bigelow and Dubler said in the epilogue.
“However, he was undaunted by time and space, which he deemed to be inconsequential.
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He thought of time in eons and knew his moment here would never be enough. Months before he died, he said to us, ‘I am already dead,’ but then carried on as if he would live forever! He often acknowledged that he had been here before and would someday return.”
The 240-page book, which is in English and Chinese, is published by Kubaba Books in the U.S. and Officina Libraria in Milan.
The book will be available this month through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all major bookstores, as well as some smaller retailers.
The 240-page book, which is in English and Chinese, is published by Kubaba Books in the U.S. and Officina Libraria in Milan.
The book will be available this month through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all major bookstores, as well as some smaller retailers.
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