Andrew Grima Jewelry
A widely respected postwar British-Italian jewelry designer, Andrew Grima is often regarded as the father of modern jewelry. Grima was entirely self-taught and unafraid to take bold risks. His pioneering designs of the 1960s — set with amethysts, emeralds and other vibrantly colored stones — included cocktail rings, pendant necklaces and clip-on earrings in sculptural and eye-catching styles that sharply contrasted with the adornments of the era.
Grima was born in Rome in 1921, but he grew up in London. Though he came from an artistic family, he initially studied mechanical engineering at the University of Nottingham and served in the Royal Engineers during World War II. Upon returning from the war, in 1946, Grima joined his father-in-law's London jewelry business. He started as an accountant but quickly began experimenting with jewelry design.
By the mid-1960s, Grima's innovative techniques and abstract designs had catapulted him to fame, and his creations were in high demand. He opened his own exclusive gallery in London's West End, which featured an opulent spiral staircase. Candy-colored gems had captivated magazine editors and jewelry lovers everywhere, and Grima's prestigious clientele included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, artist Barbara Hepworth and the British Royal family. In the 1970s, Grima also expanded into watchmaking, creating the "About Time" collection for Omega and a line of gold watches for Pulsar.
Grima received numerous awards over his career for his contributions to jewelry design. He was the winner of the De Beers Diamonds International Award a record number of 11 times and he was the only jeweler to win the Duke of Edinburgh Prize for Elegant Design. Today, his high-profile collectors include the likes of Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs, and his work is held in the collections of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Grima passed away in 2007, but his wife and his daughter carried on his legacy. Every year, they enlist a team of specially selected goldsmiths to produce a small collection of original jewelry in his unique style.
Today's designers and collectors recognize the importance of Grima's work and its impact on the jewelry industry. In 2018, New York jewelry dealer Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos featured Grima's groundbreaking designs in her "London Originals: The Jeweler’s Art in Radical Times" exhibit.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Andrew Grima rings, brooches and earrings.
1970s British Artisan Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Tourmaline, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold
1980s English Modern Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Aquamarine, Diamond, Yellow Gold
1960s British Modernist Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Antique Andrew Grima Jewelry
20th Century British Modernist Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
1970s Unknown Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, Tourmaline, Paraiba, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, Tourmaline, Paraiba, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Art Deco Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
White Diamond, Tourmaline, Diamond, Platinum
20th Century Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, Tourmaline, Paraiba, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s American Modern Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Agate, 18k Gold
1970s British Modernist Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
1960s English Modernist Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
1980s British Modernist Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Black Pearl, 18k Gold
1960s British Modernist Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
1960s Modernist Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
1970s British Modernist Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
1980s British Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
18k Gold
English Andrew Grima Jewelry
English Andrew Grima Jewelry
The ring, a deep red cabochon garnet measuring 1 1/4" x 1" with a "Grima" modified triangular ring...
English Andrew Grima Jewelry
British Andrew Grima Jewelry
1960s British Vintage Andrew Grima Jewelry
Agate, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, 18k Gold