Book excerpt: This selection of highlights from one of the most comprehensive jewelry collections in the world ranges from ancient Eygptian amulets to necklaces inspired by Calder mobiles A mode of expression that can be traced back to the earliest civilizations, jewelry can be as culturally revealing as it is stunningly beautiful. Artful Adornments: Jewelry from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston features over 100 works of the jeweler's art from one of the most comprehensive jewelry collections in the world. With nearly 200 color illustrations, the dazzling array ranges from an emerald and diamond brooch once owned by cereal-fortune heiress Merriweather Post, to a rock crystal and gold amulet found in tomb of an ancient Egyptian queen and a twentieth-century kinetic necklace influenced by the mobiles of Alexander Calder. Magical jewels, emblems of wealth and power, tokens of affection, adornment as dress, and jewelry as expressions of avant-garde art movements are all discussed, revealing how a jewel painted with chopped bits of a loved one's hair can be just as precious--and no less decorative--than one encrusted with gemstones. Spanning five continents and nearly six millennia, this book introduces the reader to the variety and brilliance of the jeweler's art from around the world and throughout the ages.