I loved this book. The locales, the jewels, and the characters are all absolutely fabulous. What a fun read!

A writer is fascinated with an expensive piece of jewelry. This fascination shows from the first page and draws you into the book. I couldn't put it down. It is beautifully written. I lived this memoir.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

A writer becomes fascinated with a very highly coveted piece of jewelry crafted in the early 1930's by the famous Parisian jeweler House of Boivin. After seeing a starfish encrusted with rubies and amethysts she's drawn into a journey to learn about all of the dazzling originals that were made and what happened to them through the decades. She quickly learns that there has been a lot of secrecy surrounding them by the jewelers and buyers alike.

The starfish, created out of gold and encrusted with 71 cabochon rubies and 241 small amethysts, was distinctive because its five rays were articulated, meaning that they could curl and conform to the bustline or shoulder of the women who wore it. The House of Boivin made three to five of them. Two of the women who bought and wore the starfish were Claudette Colbert and Millicent Rogers. There were also some later copies made in the 1980's which weren't nearly as wonderful that were put into the market, that confused matters more but were fairly easy to spot by a trained eye. The book gives great background information on the jewelry scene and the artistry of the making of it. A fascinating look at how pieces are valued and how they move around through dealers and auctions and private owners. Thanks for reading. An advance copy was provided by NetGalley, Cherie Burns, and St. Martin's Press for my honest review.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

This is the kind of biography that you don't forget. Loved learning about vintage jewelry and the eccentric owners, sellers, and all those in between.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

Cherie Burns's excitement and awe of the starfish brooch will infect the most jaded jewelry lover/expert/reader. I loved feeling like I was journeying with her around the world. This is more than just a biography of the creators and owners of the starfish- its a story of desire and greed that is still ongoing today.

After writing a biography of heiress Millicent Rogers, Burns became interested in Burns' jewelry, particularly a piece made in the 1930s by Boisvin in Paris. The piece is not valuable because of a large jewel, or because it was the gift of a famous man--the brooch is a striking, cleverly articulated starfish made to curve around the form of the person who wears it, and its design was the work of an unusual, woman-led design house. Burns gets into the life of WWI widowed Jeanne Boisvin, her designer Juliette Moutard, Claudette Colbert (who bought the piece for herself), and the various people, auction houses and events the five pieces have encountered.

An fun read if you are interested in couture or fine jewelry. It's a bit dry in places and occasionally repetitive in descriptions.

Can you really write an entire book about a piece of jewelry and make it interesting? Yes! Burns tells the true story of French jewelry designer Juliette Moutard and the fabulous starfish brooch she created in the 1930s Burns saw the pin in jewelry store and Manhattan and was immediately struck by its beauty and whimsy. Thus began her obsession, tracking down information on its creator and the women who owned it. From its creation in Paris to its homes in Hollywood, New York and London, Burns leaves no stone unturned in her bid to find answers. Readers are left with a fascinating tale of both the brooch and the women who called it their own. Highly recommended