Andrew Grima’s avant-garde jewellery designs

Grima jewellery — Clockwise from top left: Brooch in yellow gold textured wire with ruby and diamonds, 1966. Brooch in polished yellow gold wire with marquise emeralds and diamonds, 1964. Pine twigs brooch cast in yellow gold with carved cabochon sapphires and diamonds, 1962.

(Image credit: Johann Willsberger)

Andrew Grima marked a new era of avant-garde jewellery design with his jewels in the 1960s which became synonymous with a new modernity.

Now, in preparation for the 100th anniversary of jewellery designer Andrew Grima’s birth next year, a new book looks back upon an illustrious career. Drawing on the Grima archive as well as personal recollections of family and friends, it showcases his designs from the mid-Forties to the mid-2000s.

Andrew Grima’s jewels are characterised only by their capacity to surprise. Irregularly cut precious stones are placed unexpectedly; textures and styles are juxtaposed and materials can be surprising (casts of leaves and lichens, matches and pencil shavings have all appeared). A background in engineering allowed Grima to revolutionise the ways his pieces could be worn. He used textured gold wire from early on in his career to create rippling surfaces; other seemingly rigid pieces were crafted from wires and secret hinges so as to be comfortably light and flexible.

‘He managed to make his jewellery both elegant and wearable,’ says author William Grant. ‘It is one of the reasons why both the establishment and the fashionable crowd flocked to his stores and galleries around the world; collectors also love the fact that his jewellery is incredibly well made.’ His customers, including Jacqueline Onassis, Ursula Andress and the Royal family – Grima was appointed jeweller to the Queen in 1970 – also appreciated the unique nature of each piece.

Grima’s legacy continues today, with the brand producing a small number of one-of-a-kind jewels annually using experienced goldsmiths who worked with him. ‘The designs are sculptural, organic and abstract,’ says Grant. ‘They are different but they share the same design philosophy; the same DNA.’

INFORMATION

Andrew Grima - The Father of Modern Jewellery is published by ACC Art Books and released on 12 October

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Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.