Looking for a book that’s as beautiful to own as it is fascinating to read?

The Secret Language of Jewellery in Art takes you behind the glittering details of early modern paintings and reveals the hidden stories they were designed to tell. Why does a dead weasel wear a jewel-encrusted mask? Why do diamonds appear again and again in Medici portraits? And what does an eight-minute hourglass have to do with an accountant?

Stella Grace Lyons uncovers the secret meanings behind jewellery in art—from symbols of power, wealth and lineage to signs of desire, fertility, virtue and private anxiety. You’ll discover the hidden language woven into portraits of queens and courtesans, merchants and lovers, and even enslaved children.

And then there’s the cover: an unforgettable bubblegum pink, instantly recognisable and iconic in the way Tiffany’s blue has become synonymous with luxury. It’s a book you’ll want to display, pick up and return to again and again.

Whether you love art, jewellery, history or simply enjoy discovering the stories hiding in plain sight, this is a captivating addition to your collection—and a brilliant gift for anyone who appreciates beautiful books with something genuinely intriguing to say.

A visual treasure, a fascinating cultural history and a seriously covetable book—all in one.

Stella Grace Lyons is an art historian, writer and Arts Society accredited lecturer, known for bringing works of art vividly to life through storytelling. She is the founder of Stella Talks, her online lecture platform,which attracts a following across five continents. She lectures widely throughout the UK and internationally, in Europe and Asia. In 2022, she was invited to give a lecture marking the fortieth anniversary of Goldsmiths’ Jewellery Fair, where she first explored the overlooked role of jewellery in art – revealing a rich and largely unexamined field of study. From this lecture emerged The Secret Language of Jewellery in Art.