This bling thing

MODERN designer jewellery, or 'Bling, Bling' if you believe the Collin's English Dictionary, is coming to York. This is the first showing outside the capital and promises to impress even the most jaded fashion follower and style guru. Seventy five designers working in Britain during the past 40 years are represented in the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths' collection, considered to be one of the best in Britain.

Jewellery emerged as a serious contender for the fine art label in the 1960s when sculptors such as Elizabeth Frink, Susanna Heron and Breon O'Casey (a one time assistant to Barbara Hepworth) turned their attention to designs for small scale ornaments.

They and a host of artist-designers from about 30 countries were part of the groundbreaking 1961 International Exhibition of Jewellery held at Goldsmiths' Hall in London. This important show, sponsored by the diamond company De Beers, sought to encourage experimental and innovative ideas which reflected current thinking in fashion and design.

Interestingly, a large number of the commissioned artists chose not to use diamonds in their creations, concentrating instead on exploring new and unusual materials and developing new techniques.

De Beers were gracious enough to accept this unexpected omission and the resultant commissions were donated to the Goldsmiths' Company, which used them to form the nucleus for what is now an unrivalled assembly of modern designer jewellery.

In the 1960s, organic design and abstract expression were employed to great advantage. Makers like John Donald, Ernest Blyth and Andrew Grima relied on the inspiration of natural forms cast in gold, and often emphasised by the use of rough earthy texture, to provide the setting for uncut stones.

Another important designer who features prominently in the collection, Charlotte de Syllas, started her career under the watchful eye of Gerda Flockinger at Hornsey College of Art. Flockinger and Grima were the primary influences in the 1960s, but it was Sunderland-born Wendy Ramshaw and her husband, David Watkins, who helped push the boundaries even further in the 1970s.

Watkins, now professor of goldsmithing and jewellery at the Royal College of Art, continues to question the boundaries of contemporary design culture. His jewellery is cool, precise, geometric and uncompromising but always interesting. The gyro bracelet, for example, plays on the 1970s fascination with 'gimbal joints', a term we all came to understand and admire through the broadcasts of the Apollo astronauts.

The 1970s, however, was not an easy time for providers of luxury accessories. The economic recession in the UK was severe and everyone had to tighten their belts more than usual.

The Goldsmiths' Company, recognising the difficulties in the trade, was determined to support as many artist craftsmen as possible and introduced its 'loot' series of international exhibitions, which featured work by 325 designers all priced under £100.

The exhibitions helped launch a number of careers, in particular Rosamond Conway, Edward de Large and David Hensel, many of whom are featured in the collection.

The 1980s was a period of expansion for the Goldsmiths' Company collection and reflected a growing interest in jewellery amongst colleges, museums and other institutions. It was also the starting point for commissions by the curator, Rosemary Ransome Wallis, of virtuoso pieces by the likes of Leo de Vroomen, David Thomas and John Donald.

Other designers such as Jacquelina Mina and Kevin Coates, who will be coming to York to lecture on their work for Fairfax House from October 24 to November 7, have proved hugely influential. Mina's work with platinum offers a fresh interpretation of ancient craft forms, while Coates' masterpieces command our attention with their complex symbolism and fine sculptured modelling.

The last decade of the twentieth century, although a time when greater funding was available, did not lead to more jewels for the collection, but a more focused approach to the commissions and to the creation of pieces intended as ambassadors of their craft.

Some of these inspired pieces are represented in the show. The woven gold wire designs by Catherine Martin and Esther Ward, for example, are outstanding, and the impressive forged pieces by Susan May, who works silver to a smooth elastic finish and combines contrasting gold elements, are masterly examples of the jeweller's art. May says of her work: "I like to play with metal in much the same way a jazz musician improvises a melody."

The visual freshness of such an approach is certainly one of the great strengths of the collection, but it also highlights the work of jewellers who use a time-honoured approach, albeit with a contemporary perspective.

The latest piece on display, a bracelet made in 2000 by Charlotte de Syllas, for example, was carved from the revered ancient medium of jade, black from Wyoming and white from Russia, with the aid of computer technology.

It is tempting to think of designer jewellery as a relatively recent concept, but history shows this is not the case. What modern designers have done, apart from casting off the constraints of mechanised production, is to question the role and function of jewellery.

Is it body ornament or is it art? From what visitors will see in this spectacular exhibition, it can be both.

The exhibition runs until January 6 at Fairfax House in Castlegate, York. The museum is open Monday to Thursday and Saturday 11am-5pm; Sunday 1.30pm-5pm; and Friday guided tours only at 11am and 2pm. Phone 01904 655543 for more information.

Updated: 10:07 Tuesday, September 09, 2003