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Bookseller Spotlight Lillian Cole – A Passion for Jewelry & Gemology "Antiquarian and rare books is a stimulating and fascinating profession providing the opportunity to meet other booksellers, the salt of the earth…to my mind some of the most interesting and dedicated people. The specialty of jewelry and gem books brought me into an additional world, that of the lovers of the gifts from the earth, mined and faceted and shaped and designed into beautiful jewels. The story of how and where they are discovered and mined, how they are used in society, their cultural and historic significance, their art and history, have given me the opportunity of meeting some of the writers of these books, the jewelry historians, knowledgeable librarians in the field, the collectors, and a whole universe that was previously unknown to me. I am most grateful for the experience." We asked Lillian Cole to share her knowledge about collecting Jewelry and Gemology books.  |
Tell us the history of your business. What led you to this career? A confluence of events led me to do what I always wanted to do. All of my life I have loved books – and old books have a special allure for me. In 1984, a confluence of events occurred:
These three major events started me on the road to my own antiquarian and rare book business. Michael Hurley was an L.A. bibliophile /bibliomaniac, known to every bookseller in town. When he died, his small home overflowed with books, with many unopened cartons of books lining the walls and ceilings,, and while Dawson’s Book Shop, highly respected Los Angeles booksellers catalogued many of the books in two volumes, the Public Administrator was assigned the task of auctioning the remainder which they did in approximately four separate auctions. It was there that I experienced my very first auction, as well as the acquisition of hundreds of books that became my starter inventory. They were wonderful books on all subjects: travel, poetry, literature, children’s and one gemological book – The Book of the Pearl by Kunz and Stevenson, published 1908. While I recognized it as a very special and unique book, I didn’t have a specialty of any kind at that time, and so tucked it away very carefully for some future time. During the time I was cataloging the Hurley books plus others that I’d gathered over time, I took a week off from my job at UCLA and attended the week long Out-Of Print and Antiquarian Book Market Seminar Workshop at the University of Denver. Tell us about your specialization in Jewelry and Gemology. What attracted you to this area? Soon after my return I began to work on Saturdays with my new found friend and rare book dealer, Harry Levinson in Beverly Hills, who specialized in incunabula and other Antiquarian books. I learned a lot from him and am forever grateful for having the privilege of working with him. I learned that I needed a specialty, and after considering several, decided upon jewelry and gemology, because my daughter was studying the subject and I thought it would be interesting and a bit out of the ordinary. The Kunz & Stevenson Book of the Pearl was a high point to start my specialty with, because it is one that most gemologists and jewelry historians lust for. It was a great introduction for me - a beautifully made book with decorative covers, good paper, great illustrations, and formidable and comprehensive information about every aspect of pearls. Unfortunately I don’t have a copy in my inventory at this time, but over the years I have sold more than a dozen of this highly desirable, very beautiful book and have watched with amazement as the price escalated over the years. To acquire this very specialized jewelry and gem book inventory, I placed ‘Want’ ads in “AB” – a wonderful bookseller’s journal ( no longer published) edited by Jake Chernofsky – and bought many gem books from booksellers’ quotes , attended book fairs, and scouted the books stores of Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Ventura, Orange County, checking out their sections of art books, earth science, geology, decorative arts, history, travel, - anything that might possibly hold a book with relevance to my specialty. Thus over time, my inventory mounted. By that time, the Internet was becoming a force for booksellers, but my mind was closed to it – even as far back as 1985 at the Denver Antiquarian Seminar when computers and their use in bookselling was discussed, I refused to consider it…However some wonderful bookseller friends, Jean and Jerry Parmer in San Diego offered to help me find books on the Internet, - and they are responsible for opening me up to the great possibilities for finding the huge variety of gem and jewelry books that I have since accumulated. At last, about 2 ½ years ago, my mind finally opened to the amazing possibilities of the Internet, and I joined Abebooks. As a novice , I needed lots of help and Abebooks was always there for me, fully accessible by phone or e-mail. At the same time, my husband and I traveled extensively all over the world, to South East Asia, China, Europe and Russia, Australia, New Zealand, South America – and in nearly every country, I bought gem and jewelry books, in every foreign language. Book hunting gave our travels a focus that led us to memorable experiences. What Advice Can You Give Someone Interested In Collecting These Types Of Books? This is a narrow and relatively young field of collecting, so there are opportunities for finding fine material. Essential tools to book collectors are good bibliographies, and in 1993, The Scarecrow Press published Gemology. An Annotated Bibliography – a two volume work by John Sinkankas with 7458 entries, its own 7 page bibliography and extensive index. It is an invaluable aid to collectors and booksellers, and is in constant use by me. Gem and jewelry books are rich in history and social customs and beautifully illustrated as well. Condition, is a major factor for the collector, and the best copy available should be selected. To attest to the growing interest and importance of these books are several important major auctions in the past 17 or so years, - a 4 part auction of historical gem books at Christie’s in New York, another one by Christies in Geneva, and others by Swann, Pacific Book Auction, Sotheby’s, and the most recent two part auction of the Henry Polissack Library held by Swann in 2003 and 2004. What Are The Most Valuable Or Interesting Books You Have Listed On Abebooks? Tell Us What Makes These Items Unique Some of my most interesting, desirable, valuable and collectible books are :
A HISTORY OF THE CROWN JEWELS OF EUROPE
The above books are listed to give an idea of the variety and scope of the collection |
Lillian Cole , Bookseller 
