Dazzling and celebrity-filled, this anecdote-packed account of Raymond C. Yard and his remarkable jewelry is a classic rags-to-riches tale. Yard began his career in the jewelry business as a door boy at Marcus & Co. in 1898, just as the newly affluent American industrial families were beginning to patronize jewelers like Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and Marcus & Co. Rising from door boy to salesman and finally general manager, Yard gained the admiration of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who encouraged him to open his own company in 1922. Rockefeller recommended the Yard firm to his family and friends, and soon Yard was creating jewels for New York's elite families, including the Woolworths, Flaglers, DuPonts, and Havemeyers.<BR>Author Natasha Kuzmanovic takes the reader through the development and classic period of the Yard firm, and all the way up to the present day, showcasing more than three hundred pieces of jewelry, specially photographed for this book, including bracelets dripping with diamonds, Kashmir sapphires, and Burmese rubies; fabulous moonstone necklaces; seemingly endless strands of natural gem pearls; and for the lighthearted, whimsical figurative brooches featuring rabbits, lions, and fish. This wonderful book will appeal to anyone with a love of jewelry, fashion, and glamour.