The Brutalist Era: Andrew Grima

Throughout the centuries of jewellery making there have been so many advancements, all seeking to refine the cuts, polish and alloys of gemstones and precious metal to pure perfection in the eye of the beholder. These designs, especially during the Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian eras were often made to be pretty, perfect, soft and jewellers moulded these pieces of our earth to conform to what we believed was beautiful.  

Then in the mid century there is a shift, slow at first and emerging in the 1940-50s architecture, then bleeding through to fashion and jewellery in the 60s and 70s. A truly unique and new aesthetic, some would say this era is easily the most eye catching, extreme and unique period of jewellery design. The Brutalist era encompassed a celebration of raw, natural and unpolished forms. The style was hugely influenced by the Brutalist architecture movement (below). It is defined by its highly textured appearance which often featuring uneven edges, bold shapes and sculptural appearance. It was well removed from the traditional delicate style of the previous decades. It showed us that beauty could be natural, rough and unpolished, that the beauty of these pieces and their components was in their imperfections. It let jewellers unleash their designs as they no longer had to conform to standardised beauty.

One of the most celebrated and recognised designers of the era was Andrew Grima, often referred to as the father of modern jewellery. The Italian born jeweller lived and worked in London for the majority of his career. He was one of the pioneers of this new brutalist movement, where jewellery crossed over from it's classical designs to architectural art for the body. His designs are highly coveted and in collections such as Jacquie Onassis, Queen Elizabeth II, Betty Ford, Princess Margaret, Miuccia Prada to name a few! 

Other notable designers of the era included Charles de Temple (below), John Donald, David Thomas and you can learn more about them in The Modern British Jewellery Designers 1960-1980

I was fortunate enough to find some wonderful Grima pieces over the years. Let's have a look at them.

This first acquisition was from a period of design referred to as the 'Rock Revival' and I was drawn instantly to this particular design c1970s in which he uses raw gemstone crystals for his work.

Up until early 1970s Grima and many other London designers were using locally sourced gems for their work, however the rocks used in Grima's new collection, were sourced from all over the world.  They represented an exotic, intoxicating array of colours, forms and textures. They included slices of polished agate from Australia; royal blue sodalite from Canada; green banded malachite from the Urals; and from Minas Gerais in southwest Brazil, precious topaz, rough amethysts, tourmalines and citrine crystals. This piece features raw natural citrine crystal and his signature organic textured gold body of heavy 18ct yellow gold. This is a once in a lifetime find. I have not seen another pin from this era as you do tend to see more rings, necklaces and brooches. This was perhaps commissioned for a very fashionable client for their tie, hat or lapel. This features the Grima Hallmark and his daughter Francesca, who now runs the jewellery company was able to confirm its authenticity. 

next and perhaps my favourite piece by far! Hallmarked for Grima and made c1976, this simple yet striking band of staggered bars in 18ct gold it so tactile. Each textured bar has been placed along two rings of yellow gold allowing the outside of the ring to have such an organic, continuous and textured look.

This era of design is perhaps one of my favourites called 'Sticks and Stones'. Whereas rock revival was about chunks of naturally form rocks and crystal this collection was to be more elegant and linear. The 'sticks' were a combination of crystal and gold: long slender rods of pink and green tourmaline and the gold was in the form of matchstick like twigs. This was the penultimate of Andrew Grima's nature collections as his use of raw materials was so compelling. He was at the height of his fame and the pieces showed this relaxed approach and lightness of touch from someone who had nothing more to prove. 

Lastly this piece, whilst not being a piece by Andrew himself, still encompasses so many Brutalist qualities and is actually designed by Andrew Grimas first son Philip. If you look closely you can see the P Hallmark near the Grima mark, this is sometimes mistaken for Andrew Grima and sold as such. This was a lucky find online and made of 18ct white and yellow gold and pave set diamonds. I wear this a lot as it feels so comfortable for a wider ring and the weight is so well balanced. Andrew Grimas son Philip managed their small shop in Zurich in the 1980s they sold pieces manufactured in Italy. I have only ever seen one other from this collection so I feel very fortunate to have this obscure piece so closely tied to his family.

This collection is almost like a small time capsule of brutalist design. In a world where things are mass produced to purchase something so intricately made with the utmost skill is a privilege. The history in each piece is astounding and I was lucky to secure them as the popularity of his pieces have sky rocketed in the last decades making his pieces scarce. Owners and patrons of his work continue to grow and it's easy to see why, it's no surprise there is still so much demand for his works!

I hope you have a better appreciation for this era of design and Andrew Grimas impact on jewellery design. Stay tuned over of my Instagram as I will be releasing two pieces for sale. Thank you