Collectible Silver Jewelry by Fred Rezazadeh (2000, Hardcover, Illustrated)

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Frank Rezazadeh's "Collectible Silver Jewelry Identification and Value Guide" (2001) is still one of the very best books on the subject. This high quality, full-color, hardcover guide is organized by country or geographic region. Most reference books on collectible jewelry are organized chronologically. It includes a table of standard silver fineness, a history of the use of silver, the silver jewelry industry and advice on purchasing collectible pieces. There is a nice balance of information on the widely collected types of silver jewelry, such as Mexican and Scandinavian. However, Rezazadeh also devotes chapters to the Middle East, Central Asia and the Far East. In the section called "Other Eurpean Countries," he covers Dutch, Russian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Portugese, French and Swiss silver jewelry. Some of his anecdotal "research" about buying and selling collectible silver jewelry on Ebay seems a little out of date and of little value. But the rest of the book is fascinating and fun to look at. It includes an A-Z listing of silver jewelry makers with a short summary and clear examples of marks found on their work. The item descriptions are adequate and include value estimates. The last chapters on umarked silver jewelry, current silver jewelry and mass produced pieces are the least interesting of all the book's content. But they may help a reader to find a newer studio treasure or to steer clear of a contemporary mass produced piece made in Thailand or Italy. Overall, a very good reference book that is practical for any user. Filled with photos of interesting and stunning examples of collectible silver jewelry.