Members Opening — Simply Brilliant: Artist-Jewelers of the 1960s and 1970s

Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 5–7 p.m.

Jewelry of the 1960s and 1970s was as groundbreaking as the era itself. The space race, rock ‘n’ roll, the Beatles, the Vietnam War, the Kennedy assassinations, the Civil Rights movement, Pop Art, the Women’s Movement, the widespread use of drugs, the Pill, and the concept of free love were all facets of cultural change associated with these two decades. These social deviations set the stage for what jewelers had to offer, expressing individuality, nonconformity, and the aesthetic, political and intellectual values of those who wore it.

The individual makers represented in Simply Brilliant referred to themselves as artists first, jewelers second. They approached their work as a modern art form. Largely utilizing yellow gold and incorporating both precious and semi-precious gems, these artists were inspired by nature. They focused on organic forms, favored abstract shapes and concepts related to space-age trends. They used unconventional materials such as coral, shell, geodes and moldavite and were unrivaled in the texture they brought to jewelry. Theirs was a style that was appreciated by individuals who were looking for something different in an era when different was best.

This exhibition of approximately 120 pieces represents a single collector’s interest and explores the international renaissance in fine jewelry in the 1960s and ’70s. Drawn from one of the most important private collections in the world, assembled by Cincinnatian Kimberly Klosterman, this exhibition features the work of independent jewelers such as Andrew Grima, Gilbert Albert, Arthur King, Jean Vendome and Barbara Anton along with work created for Bulgari, Cartier, Boucheron and other major houses.

If you need accessibility accommodations for this program or event, please email [email protected]. Please contact us at least two weeks in advance to ensure accommodations can be made.

Thank you to our Membership Sponsor:

Presenting Sponsors:

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