Andrew Grima (British, b. Italy, 1921–2007), Necklace with Pendant, 1973, gold, tourmaline, crystallized quartz, diamonds

Audio Description

Designed in 1973, this necklace and pendant was made by Andrew Grima, a British jeweler. Grima was born in Italy in 1921 and died in 2007.

This hoop necklace is made of white gold. It comes to a slight point at the center front. The pendant is a long, red striated, post-like stone with a round-ish geode attached towards the bottom. The geode is very textured and has a blue center surrounded by white. The top and bottom of the red post are set with various lengths of white gold that are set at random heights in relation to each other. Some of the white gold lengths have small, faceted diamonds at one end.

Label Copy

Designed in 1973, this necklace and pendant was made by Andrew Grima, a British jeweler. Grima was born in Italy in 1921 and died in 2007.

Grima’s 1973 Sticks and Stones Collection—of which this necklace is a part—represents some of the largest pieces made by the internationally renowned designer. The pendant alone on this necklace is almost five inches long. Coming to gemological design as a novice, Grima was not bound by pre-conceived notions of how jewelry should look. Purely design-driven, he aimed to make pieces that pleased himself first, never allowing the technicalities to limit his imagination. For Grima, jewelry was a means of artistically decorating a person.

Fascinated by interesting colors and unusual materials, he created radical designs that were unlike anything produced before. Three-dimensional shapes, craggy textures, large stones, and rough cuts appealed to him. All these elements come together in this rather simple pendant. Relying on balance and color, in Grima’s hands, these elements become a wearable sculpture.

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