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Rating: 
Summary: An Inspirational How-To Book!
Review: As a beginning jeweler who has worked with polymer clay in the past, I was quite excited to read this book. Though it inspired me to create some new pieces, I found the projects offered to be a complete disgrace to the original artists.
Rating:
Summary: Classy, Inspirational and Fun!
Review: From start to finish this book is inspiratonal in concept, content, application and continental style. The photography and presentation is sublime. I have worked with polymer clay for 12 years, have art training and work in the art field. This book is both a classical feast for the eyes and very informative. The clay techniques are straight forward, easy and fun. The arthur lives in Paris, France, and so the book has a very continental classy appeal. The book is very different than the polymer clay books here in the US. It opens the door for thought and creativity. The close-ups of the classical jewelry pieces are breathtaking, and the special sketches are wonderful and easy to understand. The photography is from around the world. The book is simply a feast for the eyes. If you are into costume, portraiture, jewelry, paintings of the great masters,jewelry crafting in whatever medium, this book would be a lovely asset to your libray.
Rating:
Summary: Great even for a total beginner (like me!)
Review: I enjoy ren-fairs and I love old style jewelry. This book was an impulse buy entirely. I have no experience with clay (beyond the flour clay I had as a kid) and none with jewelry making.I bought some clay and today I tried the simple pendant near the end of the book. It turned out beautifully! The author's simple advice and step-by-step instructions were a great help. The clear photographs helped me to see what I was doing. All of the pieces in the book can be basically broken down into just a few shapes: the main shape, small balls of clay and spaghetti like strands used to simulate filigree. The pieces are modeled in black polymer clay and painted with patina which makes them look antique with very little effort. If you like the raw look of ancient jewelry, or if you want to broaden your artistic horizens, this book will be a help and an inspiration. I am excited and can't wait to try another piece.
Rating:
Summary: An Inspirational How-To Book!
Review: I just completed two projects in this book and the pieces turned out beautifully! This is my first foray into the polymer clay medium and I can't wait to create more pieces. I do not understand some of the previous reviewers' comments about the pieces being unsophisticated etc.... these are reproductions of ANTIQUE pieces which, by definition, didn't use modern "sleeker" methods of metallurgy etc... One reviewer also mentioned that painting with the model paints is a problem. Not so! My only conclusion is that the author of that review didn't try the techniques or didn't follow the directions for painting. The "Testor" brand paints I used worked great. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in recreating antique pieces. The projects are easy, fun, and a springboard to use one's own creativity.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Lovely Book with Beautiful Projects
Review: I just received the book today and have two projects in the oven as I write. Beautiful reproduction ideas and fairly simple directions to follow. Highly recommended for those who enjoy creating their own pieces of jewelry, without requiring a lot of jewelry making skills.
Rating:
Summary: No longer a beginner but still a fan
Review: I wrote an initial review of this book when I had never worked with polymer clay before. In the few months that have passed, I have gotten pretty excited about the medium and have a few varied projects under my belt. Which means this book is worthless, right? Wrong! This book is still quite an inspiration to me. I love the way the author blends stones and clay for an affect all her own. While such stones and jade and rose quartz can be simulated to near perfection with clay but rubies and emeralds and such must still be replicated with glass and semi precious stones since even the transparent clay is relatively opaque. This is most certainly a book for people who enjoy and can pull of chunkier, ancient looking jewelry and if you fit into this category I am certain this book will appeal. If you taste runs toward cute jewelry or more delicate stuff, there are plenty of polymer clay books that will fill your needs. This book is also ideal for rennaissance fair junkies, and people who need specialized ancient looking jewelry. One element I really enjoy about this book is the collection of pictures that show where the author got her inspiration. (many are paintings from the Louvre) So, you're really getting two books in one, a light art book and an instruction book. As to painting, the way I like to add a metallic look to black clay (after comapring many different instructions) is to dust it with powder and then add highlights with metallic wax. Both items are easily available. If you fit the profile of someone who would read this book, give it a try. If it isn't to your taste, shop around for another book and enjoy the wonderful medium of polymer clay.
Rating: 
Summary: inspirational, but poor technique
Review: The projects in this book are good sources of inspiration, but the techniques the author uses are not very sophisticated. There are other books by polymer clay artists, as well as videos, that would allow even a beginner to create more professional and realistic looking pieces than the ones presented in this book. I would recommend that anyone considering buying this book check out other offerings by Sue Heaser (Polymer Clay Techniques Book), Donna Kato, Syndee Holt, or Steven Ford & Leslie Dierks instead of or in addition to this book.
Rating:
Summary: From a user of polymer clay
Review: There is no doubt that the pieces are beautiful, the concept is brilliant and the book a joy to view. Those who love the ornate and heavy, 'chunky' quality found in antique jewellery will love this book - polymer clay really is the best medium from which to gain such an effect. However, most people with polymer clay experience know that enamel and oil paints do not dry on polymer clay, the basic material Dupouy employs. Yet 'model paint', generally enamel, is what Dupouy recommends to produce the metallic patina on black clay (the only colour used in the book). I would love to know what brand she uses and would recommend PearlEx powders for any readers who have experienced the frustration of a beautifully finished piece that refuses to dry. Some of the techniques will not appeal to experienced polymer clay users, as she uses semi-precious stones rather than cast clay 'gems' and employs no clay gun, moulds, or a broad range of techniques that makes clay work so enjoyable and, in some cases, produces a more professional piece. (Of course, the minimal tools is a strength in itself; the pieces are certainly easy to produce.)For those with even a little clay experience, this book would provide fabulous inspiration, but so would any other book on antique jewellery, as I doubt there are many techniques presented here that you would not be familiar with. For some, the cost of this book would not be worth the inspiration alone.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fabulous!!!
Review: This book is a must have for those who like to have some inspiration for jewelry that's just a touch different from the trendy stuff you see all around. It's not available in Dutch unfortunately, but I still bought it and haven't regretted it for a single moment. I've had it ever since it came out and I've used it as a source of inspiration lots of times already. I use it for making pendants especially...and the result is always super!!!
The fun thing about it, is that the artist was inspired by art and when I'm in a museum nowadays, I often find myself looking closely at painted jewelry.
This book shows how you can make wonderful and stylish jewelry of very cheap materials. Also, the techniques used are not as difficult or as painstaking as many other polymer clay techniques like making canes for instance. It's a matter of preparing your clay, shaping it in combination with stones, glass, shells...etc...adding some colour with metal powders, baking, cooling, (painting), polishing, varnishing and attaching some findings...Ready!!! You can have a splendid result in one afternoon's work!
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