By Kelsey Llewellyn
Originality is always in style, which makes Andrew Grima’s bold and imaginative jewelry fashionable this fall and for many years to come. Widely acknowledged as one of the 20th century’s premier modernist jewelry designers, Andrew Grima revolutionized jewelry design by redefining traditional jewelry standards. Inspired by nature, art and sculpture, he transformed pieces of jewelry into enchanting mini-sculptures and avant-garde works of art.
Andrew Grima 18K gold pendent earrings with amethyst, pre-sale estimate $7,800-10,500; 18K gold pendant with dioptase and diamond, pre-sale estimate $15,500-23,500; gold pencil shavings brooch with diamond, pre-sale estimate $5,200-7,800, bonhams.com/
Grima rejected the notion that a piece’s value is located in the carat weight of the costly diamonds and expensive gems that adorn it. Instead, he measured a piece’s worth in terms of its aesthetic configuration. Royals, celebrities, artists and socialites seemed to agree with Grima’s artistic vision, as his original clients included HRM The Queen, Princess Margaret, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Bond Girl Ursula Andress.
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Andrew Grima 18K gold necklace with citrine and diamond, pre-sale estimate $19,500-26,000; gold pendant necklace with boulder opal and diamond, $26,000-39,000; gold necklace with diamond, pre-sale estimate $5,200-7,800, bonhams.com/
At its fine jewelry sale on September 20th, Bonhams London will auction the largest private collection of Andrew Grima to ever appear under the hammer. This event will feature 55 groundbreaking pieces of jewelry designed by Grima during the Sixties, Seventies and Nineties, as well as a variety of pieces created just before his death in 2007. Don’t miss the About Time watch collection for Omega, which blends timekeeping with creative innovation, resulting in art that is not only unconventional, but also functional.
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Andrew Grima gold stepping stones watch bracelet with green beryl, pre-sale estimate $23,500-32,500; gold Greenland watch bangle with pink tourmaline, pre-sale estimate $26,000-39,000; gold Cerini watch bangle with citrine and diamond, pre-sale estimate $19,500-26,000, bonhams.com/
Grima’s techniques, such as his use of unique and uncut gemstone crystals as well as his irregular and intricate designs, express the simultaneous beauty and asymmetrical nature of the modern world. This artistic revelation transcends the post-war era in which many of the pieces were created, making them just as (if not more) relevant and stylish accessories today.
Andrew Grima bangle with citrine and diamond detail, pre-sale estimate $15,500-23,500; 18K gold ring with amethyst, emerald and diamond, pre-sale estimate $5,200-7,800; 18K gold ring with citrine and diamond, pre-sale estimate $5,200-7,800, bonhams.com/
