1967 Brutalist Ring
Brutalist ring made in London in 1967. Inspired by the International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery in 1961 at Goldsmiths' Hall, the '60s and '70s saw a radical change in direction amongst jewellery designers - it was, if you will, a Second Craft Revival after the World Wars and austerity had a crippling effect on innovation in jewellery (and, indeed, design at large):
"Andrew Grima, Gilian Packard, John Donald, Gerda Flöckinger, just a few - still upcoming, largely under the radar - on display alongside Fouquet, Cartier, Picasso, Dali, in a celebration of Modernist Art promoted by De Beers, The V&A Museum, and the Goldsmith Company.
"After two world wars, Modernism is reborn again. It’s another chance.
"This landmark 1961 exhibition hopes to...
"'encourage cooperation and mutual confidence between all aspects of the trade and the artist-craftsmen... and… revitalise what was seen as the stagnant, value-orientated state of jewellery design at the close of the 1950s'" *
Brutalism, in jewellery, is a melting pot of various flavours of 20th century modernism: geometry and repetition was not exact and mathematical, but now flowing, as though improvised; the organic forms and textures that Constructivism had dispensed with were restored; and sometimes combined with weaving contours and rough, unfinished edges favoured in Surrealism. "In Geoffrey Munn’s forward to a book on Andrew Grima, he notes a return to splendour in the 1960s which in the interwar period until the immediate post-war1950s had largely been lost…
"'It is, as they say, always darkest before dawn and in the early 1960s a small band of artist craftsmen were determined to revive and maintain the high standards of the past'
"In 1961 that small band (the British modernists at the Goldsmith Exhibition) weren't so 'splendorous' yet. Nevertheless, from their small studios - several in London's Art Schools - an incipient proto- Brutalism was indeed taking shape..." *
And a final note from John Donald, one of the movement's leading figures, "In the early days we could not afford gold, so we made them in silver and gilded the final piece..."
[*Source: Post-War Modernism and Talismanic Numinousness, the Lost Owl Blog]
Era: Post-War Modern, 1967
Ring size: L 1/2 or 6 US. Not resizable.
Width: 1.5cm (ish)
Hallmarks: English, London, Sterling Silver, 1967
Condition: Great vintage condition; light wear consistent with age.
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[Last updated: 28th February 2026]
Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£55 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
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Condition
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