jewellery book review

Eternal Jewels: Lee Kangwon’s collector’s journey through world jewellery

Published October 22, 2025

Jewellery collections are as much part of the lives of their collectors as they are of the original cultures from which the pieces emerge. The collector’s eye, the journey of acquisition, the story behind each piece – these form the hidden backbone of any collection. And it’s not often that we get to see that point of view! In Eternal Jewels: A Collector’s Journey, Lee Kangwon shares her personal odyssey. And in doing so, she invites us into a world of flame-lit gemstones, ancient ornament, and a lifetime of passion. This art jewellery book captures both the emotion of collecting and the passion for world heritage.

A celebration of the World Jewellery Museum’s 20th anniversary

From the outset, Eternal Jewels defines itself as more than a mere catalogue. Published to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the World Jewellery Museum in Seoul, the volume positions Lee’s voice as central: collector, poet, traveller, and museum founder. It makes for a remarkable volume!

We meet a woman who has lived on four continents, whose diplomatic life exposed her to over a hundred countries. The result is a collection of over 3,500 pieces that spans the globe – the book takes us from Colombian emerald mines to Tibetan temples, from heirloom jewels in her own family to rare ceremonial headpieces, from traditional forms to modern-day design.

A collector’s journey across continents and cultures

Organised elegantly by type – rings, anklets, bracelets, brooches, pendants, necklaces, earrings, and headdresses – the book also features thematic essays on gems such as emeralds and amber, and on symbolic ornaments like Ethiopian silver crosses. The range of the collection is incredibly wide: from Western mourning jewellery to a Dinka corset, this books holds many surprises.

Alongside each category, Lee Kangwon shares vivid recollections: a meeting in Addis Ababa that sparked her journey of collecting, a negotiation in Bogotá, the quiet turning of a gem under museum lights. These moments make the jewellery collection breathe; we are not only looking at objects but following the collector on her journey – it reminded me of the book by Peter Hoesli (see more about that here).

The foreword, written by Elaine Kim, effortlessly weaves jewellery history and the use of adornment throughout the cycle of life together. I loved how this approach shows us how jewellery traditions across the world and through time are sometimes so similar – a point I cannot make often enough myself, and if you have been following this blog for a while, you will certainly recognise what I mean!

A visual feast: design, photography and emotion

Visually, Eternal Jewels is sumptuous. Large-format plates, crisp photography, and full-page spreads allow the reader to observe the beauty of each piece: surfaces glow, patinas deepen, and gemstones sparkle as though lit from within. Just see the cover of the book, where a translucent emerald cameo in an Italian jewel seems to be ablaze!

This is not a museum catalogue with its details and facts, but an art book invitation- a visual experience that honours the collector’s profound love for jewellery.

That love shines through in her introduction, where she shares how jewellery speaks about its journeys and its life: this is one of the very few books I have read where the jewels speak themselves, too.

Jewellery, legacy and the future of collections

This book blends personal narrative with jewellery curation. It gives us insight into how a collection is assembled, how aesthetic choices are made, and how cultural artefacts find new homes.

What makes it different from other jewellery books is that it reads as a biography, and as travel journal. The museum’s anniversary lends a further dimension: this is about legacy, about bridging cultures, about jewellery as material culture in the richest sense. So many private collections end up for sale again, their stories lost, their collectors forgotten: this collection continues to tell its stories through the care of the World Jewellery Museum.

A book like this reminds us how closely people and things are connected: the collections assembled over time are as much tangible memories of the collector as well as cultural heirlooms. And if they lose their voice, we lose so much: collective history, and personal memories. If you have a collection, start thinking about its future today – let this book inspire you!

Eternal Jewels: a tribute to jewellery as cultural story

Eternal Jewels does not aim to provide detailed comparative cultural context, although you will find short descriptions with many of the pieces highlighting the meaning of specific design details, colours, or uses within the culture that the piece comes from: its main strength lies in evoking the feeling of intimacy, poetry, and beauty.

Ultimately, Eternal Jewels: A Collector’s Journey is a beautiful book about human stories, both of the creators of these jewels as well as those of the collector. Lee Kangwon opens her world jewellery collection and memories to us. For anyone passionate about jewellery and collecting, this volume is a deeply satisfying companion. I enjoyed reading the personal memoires and, of course, the wonderful pieces themselves!

In short: definitely recommended for collectors, cultural travellers, and lovers of world jewellery heritage. It’s a beautiful read.

Eternal Jewels: A Collector’s Journey by Lee Kangwon, 2025. 184 pages, full-colour, in English.

Published by Kulturalis Ltd, London.

I received the book as a review copy.

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