title: Lydia Courteille: Extraordinary Jewellery of Imagination and Dreams
author:  Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld 
description: Her jewelry is art--it is colorful beyond all rainbows and in a league of its own. (<i>Gem Gossip</i>)<br /><br />One of the most crucial aspects for a book of this genre is its photographs, which in this case happen to be just about as good as it gets. Readers can see for themselves why this jewelry is not for the faint of heart. Her thematically designed pieces are ablaze in color stones and finishes. (Jeffrey Felner <i>New York Journal of Books, November 7, 2016</i>)<br /><br />Covering her life story and 20 collections, the book is a comprehensive look at how Ms. Courteille became a jewelry designer A fresh side to Ms. Courteille's work is revealed. (<i>The New York Times</i>)<br /><br />Written by jewelry expert Julia Weir de la Rochefoucauld, the book recounts Courteille's childhood and the traits that eventually manifested themselves in her jewelry design: an extreme curiosity about the world's diverse cultures (she corresponded with 18 pen pals worldwide), a love of narrative, and an eye for aesthetically interesting objects, such as the stones she saw at the mineralogical museum in Paris. (<i>National Jeweler</i>)<br /><br />This volume brings the whimsical world of Parisian jeweler LYDIA COURTEILLE'S spectacular designs to your coffee table. Whether you offer this book for purchase or have it displayed for inspirational browsing, its colorful contents are sure to delight. accpublishinggroup.com. (<i>In Store Magazine</i>)<br /><br />A rockstar in the rarefied world of bespoke jewelry, Parisian jeweler Lydia Courteille has been making a name for herself over the past 30 years with her edgy and avant-garde designs. Using stunning photography, this monograph highlights her amazing handicraft, which takes inspiration from both cultural landmarks in France and numerous historical and literary sources. Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld - Lydia Courteille: Extraordinary Jewellery of Imagination and Dreams - Hardcover, 240 pages, Antique Collectors Club Dist. (antiquecollectorsclub.com/en). (<i>Sophisticated Living</i>)
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  **Chapter 5**
  
  
  ![flourish](images/flourish.png)
  
  
  The Vicomte de St. Luc drew in his breath in a sharp hiss. "Magnificent," he
  murmured. The jewels in his hands flashed red, green and blue—the finest of
  cut stones available in France. As a man raised to believe in his inalienable
  right to such baubles, but without the wherewithal to purchase them, he felt a
  deep resentment toward the young woman who was planning to sell them that day
  with his help. Did she not know what she held in her dainty little hands?
  Jewels such as these were a sacred trust, to be passed from generation to
  generation. They were not to be sold for mere trifles, like financing a
  counterrevolution. It was fools such as Stephanie de la Riviére who had
  disposed of his heritage and left him in the degrading position in which he
  found himself. His burning resentment was soothed only a little by the sweet
  revenge of his plan to cheat her of a substantial portion of the proceeds of
  the sale.
  