Many of the ornate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings in the exhibition have not been publicly displayed before, which makes them even more special to behold. It’s also fascinating to see how these object, crafted decades ago in a time and place far removed from our own, continue to inspire today’s contemporary jewelry designers. To illuminate that connection, we invited jewelry expert Kate Egan to tour Desert Jewels and discuss her favorite pieces. Egan is particularly well-known in Philadelphia for her sharp eye. She studied photography and earned her MFA at the University of Pennsylvania and later worked alongside famed jewelry designer Ted Muehling. In 2008, Egan opened her boutique, Egan Day, in Rittenhouse Square, where jewelry is elevated to true art.
What follows is a slideshow of Egan’s favorite pieces in the exhibition, along with her thoughts and comments on why each piece is especially note-worthy or just worth a second glance. Click here to launch the slideshow.
Image credits: All images from the exhibition catalog, Desert Jewels: North African Jewelry and Photography from the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès Collection by Kristyne Loughran and Cynthia Becker, © 2008.
