News & Insights

Modernist Jewellery Makers

3rd October 2024. By Sarah Hardy

A Pair of Cartier Cufflinks (sold for £950 plus buyer’s premium)

Modernist jewellery makers have been much in demand at auction recently, with notable results achieved for leading names in the field. Here we take a closer look at some of the most sought after makers.

The Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale on 16^th November showcased a plethora of well-known names in jewellery design. Amongst the most prestigious names represented in the sale were Cartier, with A Pair of Cufflinks, stylishly simple and housed in a distinctive red Cartier box (sold for £950 all figures exclude buyer’s premium). Notable pieces from other long-established jewellery houses included A Cat’s Eye and Enamel Owl Brooch by Tiffany & Co. (sold for £2,200) and A Pair of Duckling Brooches by Boucheron (sold for £3,000).

A Cat’s Eye and Enamel Owl Brooch by Tiffany & Co. (sold for £2,200 plus buyer’s premium)

A Pair of Duckling Brooches by Boucheron (sold for £3,000 plus buyer’s premium)

The sale also included many interesting pieces from talented UK-based jewellery designers that produced quality pieces throughout the 20^th century, including those we focus on here.

A Pair of 18 Carat Gold Enamel Earrings by Leo de Vroomen (sold for £1,100 plus buyer’s premium)

Consigned from two private collections were a large number of jewellery pieces by de Vroomen. Following a stint as a lecturer in jewellery design, Dutchman Leo de Vroomen and his wife Ginnie began creating innovative jewellery designs over 50 years ago from their London base. The brand ethos is that stylish, well-crafted jewellery does not date, so it will never go out of fashion. With bold, chunky designs that could indeed have been created in any of the last five decades, the items offered included A Pair of 18 Carat Gold Enamel Earrings (sold for £1,100), A Pair of Citrine and Enamel Earrings (sold for £1,700), A Pair of 18 Carat Gold Diamond and Enamel Earrings (sold for £1,600), A Pair of 18 Carat Gold Amethyst Earrings (sold for £1,200), A Triple Row Cultured Pearl Necklace with a Diamond and Cultured Pearl Clasp (sold for £1,900), A Pair of 18 Carat Gold Enamel Cufflinks (sold for £1,200), and A Pair of 18 Carat Gold Sapphire and Enamel Cufflinks (sold for £1,200). De Vroomen’s designs explore the tactile malleability of gold and the many colours of enamel available to the jeweller, whilst sometimes featuring gemstones.

A Pair of 18 Carat Gold Diamond and Enamel Earrings by Leo de Vroomen (sold for £1,600 plus buyer’s premium)

A Triple Row Cultured Pearl Necklace with a Diamond and Cultured Pearl Clasp by Leo de Vroomen (sold for £1,900 plus buyer’s premium)

Andrew Grima (1921-2007) has been described as the father of modern jewellery. A mechanical engineering student, he joined the offices of his father’s London-based jewellery manufacturing firm shortly after the World War II. He began to design jewellery, and his work swiftly became sought after. Grima was undoubtedly to become one of the most influential names in jewellery design, with his focus on organic shapes and abstract forms, with textured gold finishes being one of his signature styles. Patronised by Royalty and high society world-wide, his designs remain highly collectable, and the Grima name is often linked to other jewellery craftspeople of note. A wonderful example, if arguably on the discreet side for Grima, was found in An 18 Carat Gold Diamond Ring (sold for £2,800), which is clearly signed GRIMA.

An 18 Carat Gold Diamond Ring by Andrew Grima (sold for £2,800 plus buyer’s premium)

Alan Gard worked for and with various jewellery designers before establishing his own company. Having worked with Andrew Grima it is unsurprising to see stylistic similarities in their work. Indeed An 18 Carat Gold Tourmaline and Diamond Brooch (sold for £2,800) was a fabulous example of a modernist brooch, which is of a quality and appearance that could have been made by one of several high-end jewellers. It is distinctive in its modernist style, and clearly marked for Gard.

An 18 Carat Gold Tourmaline and Diamond Brooch by Alan Gard (sold for £2,800 plus buyer’s premium)

Another UK jeweller whose name is linked to Andrew Grima is Thomas A. Payne. In 1963 he was one of four jewellers chosen to showcase their work in the United States, Andrew Grima being one of the others. A stunning 18 Carat White Gold Aquamarine and Diamond Necklace (sold for £2,000) was on offer. Typical in its bold form with “burst” design, it is perhaps more unusual in that it is in white rather than yellow gold.

An 18 Carat White Gold Aquamarine and Diamond Necklace by Thomas A Payne (sold for £2,000 plus buyer’s premium)

Kutchinsky was established in London in the late Victorian period, when founder Hirsch Kutchinsky arrived in the UK having fled Poland. Several generations of Kutchinskys focussed on their long-standing heritage of fine craftsmanship and superb service. Post-War, their designs were deliberately bold, celebrating the return of luxury and freedom. The firm is well-known for its whimsical designs, and An 18 Carat Gold Ruby and Diamond Brooch in the form of a squirrel (sold for £2,200) is no exception.

An 18 Carat Gold Ruby and Diamond Brooch by Kutchinsky (sold for £2,200 plus buyer’s premium)

Frances Margaret Beck was born in Ayrshire. Following her studies at the Glasgow School of Art, she met Ernest Blyth in London, who was working for Andrew Grima at the time. Blyth and Beck enjoyed great success with their Mayfair-based workshop, their designs being stocked by Garrard in London and other outlets across the world. An 18 Carat Gold Multi-Gem Set Brooch and A Single 18 Carat Gold Garnet Earring, by Frances Margaret Beck, was included in the sale (sold for £2,500).