NYC Jewelry Week presents Jewelry of the 1960’s & 1970’s

Jewelry of the 1960s and 1970s was as groundbreaking as the era itself. The shift in social norms that occurred during this period set the stage for jewelers whose work was as revolutionary as the times. This panel of curators and jewelry scholars will discuss individual makers and major jewelry houses as shown in an exhibition organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum. The exhibition was on view at DIVA, Antwerp and is on view at Cincinnati Art Museum from October 22, 2021 to Feb 6, 2022.
The individuals discussed refer to themselves as artists first, jewelers second, approaching their work as a modern art form. Largely utilizing yellow gold and incorporating both precious and semi-precious gems, they focused on organic forms and favored abstract shapes. They incorporated unconventional materials, were unrivaled in the texture they brought to jewelry, and used small faceted precious stones sparingly. Jewelers of the 1960s and 70s were preoccupied with subverting accepted jewelry design. For this new generation, jewelry-making was about creativity and they took their work to a new level of artistry.
The exhibition around which this conversation was organized, is drawn from the private collection of Cincinnatian Kimberly Klosterman. Independent jewelers such as Andrew Grima, Gilbert Albert, Arthur King, Thierry Vendome and Barbara Anton along with work created for Bulgari, Cartier, Boucheron and other major houses will be discussed.
This program originally aired during NYC Jewelry Week 2020.