Theo Fennell exhibition

'Skull Pilot' by Theo F ennell

One of Britain’s most revered jewellers, Theo Fennell, is hosting an exhibition by arrangement with the Royal Academy of Art at 6 Burlington Gardens this September. The title of the exhibition is Show Off! and will consist of installations, dioramas, paintings, presentations and sculptures each showcasing a piece of Fennell’s jewellery.

The idea behind the exhibition is to herald a return to the halcyon days of jewellery, when our hardware was less status symbol or fashion tag and more precious, perennial and personal. Advocating jewellery and silverware made with skill and traditional craftsmanship, Fennell has conjured-up a series of extraordinary vignettes, both thought provoking and amusing and all the while, driving home the timeless qualities and attitudes our forebears felt about jewellery.

Fennell explains his venture: ‘So much jewellery nowadays is badly conceived and made – be it huge, expensive stones strung thoughtlessly together or ‘branded’ gee-gaws put together with no heart. I wanted to show that great craftsmanship is still alive and thriving and, if combined with emotion and design, jewellery can be something magical and engaging; something talismanic and precious to its owner in a lasting way, not at the ephemeral whim of fashion: it can be truly owned.’