Arthur King Brutalist Emerald Diamond Gold Pendant Brooch
View Similar Items
Arthur King Brutalist Emerald Diamond Gold Pendant Brooch
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Stone:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1970
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Cincinnati, OH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: JU13081224427
Arthur King
Self-taught American jeweler Arthur King worked with baroque pearls, geodes, and raw semi-precious gemstones to create distinctive modernist jewelry during the mid-20th century.
Like many of the accessories that populate our jewelry boxes, the forms of King’s provocative vintage brooches, necklaces, rings and other jewels were inspired by the natural world, but the pieces’ metalwork is sculptural and shapely, resembling gnarled tree branches or the surface of an elm’s aging trunk.
King was born in New Jersey in 1921. He became interested in art at a young age and was fascinated with the lost-wax casting technique practiced by some sculptors. King taught himself the process using scrap metals, and his jewelry and objets d’art would come to share common ground with abstract art in the years to come.
While stationed overseas in the Merchant Marines in World War II, King began to work with metal and dabble in jewelry making, integrating sharks’ teeth, white scrap metal and whatever else he could find into his modest “art jewelry,” a term that has been used to describe adornments created by Alexander Calder, pioneering African American studio jeweler Art Smith, Andrew Grima and others over the years. Upon returning from the war, King continued to develop his skills — eventually opening his first shop in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood.
King truly distinguished himself from other jewelers of the time — at his workbench, he shaped the brass and silver settings for his often unpolished, chunky stones that featured asymmetrical cuts and employed the age-old technique of lost-wax casting, which sees objects cast from wax models. His early pieces mainly featured silver settings, but his popularity soared once he began to craft jewelry in gold.
In 1961, King's work was exhibited at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London as part of the “International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery” and a year later, he opened his flagship store on Madison Avenue. His success allowed him to open more locations in London, Cape Cod, Havana, Miami and elsewhere.
King used a dizzying array of gems and other materials in his unconventional pieces. And as much as the jewelry of the 1960s featured eye-catching candy-colored stones, it was also an era of new textures and freeform gold settings, and King was at the forefront, creating audacious designs that contrasted sharply with the work of the world’s leading luxury houses.
King’s work has been celebrated at a range of institutions over the years including the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (now the Museum of Arts and Design), the Cultured Pearl Association of Japan, the Victoria and Albert Museum and more. His jewelry was exhibited at the Cincinnati Art Museum’s “Simply Brilliant: Artist-Jewelers of the 1960s and 1970s,” which opened in 2021.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Arthur King brooches, rings, necklaces and more.
- Modernist Gold Brutalist Pendant, C 1960Located in Cincinnati, OHGold Modernist pendant necklace. The 2" x 2" 14K squircular shaped , heavily textured yellow gold pendant with a hinged bale and pin clasp. Inspired by nature of some form, this pendant could relate to the texture of the moon, a close-up of foliage or perhaps the artists rendition of his own inner feelings. Many studio jewelers of the 60's and early 70's were influenced by not only nature, but grew out of a period of "Abstract Expressionism" that seemed to inform the bold jewelry...Category
Vintage 1960s American Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Materials14k Gold, Gold
- 1970s Gold Pearl and Diamond Freeform Pendant BroochBy Arthur KingLocated in Cincinnati, OHBrutalist 70s Pendant/brooch in the manner of Arthur King. The large 3 1/4 x 2" 14k tendril-like gold work freeform pendant/brooch with four freshwate...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold
- MARIANNE OSTIER Gold Emerald and Diamond Brooch/Ear ClipsBy Marianne OstierLocated in Cincinnati, OHAn elegant suite of 18k yellow gold diamond and emerald jewelry by Marianne Ostier. The brooch with textured "feathers"a 3ct cabachon emerald and 3 round full-cut diamonds. The earri...Category
American Brooches
- Andrew Grima Diamond and Tourmaline Brooch 1970By Andrew GrimaLocated in Cincinnati, OHAndrew Grima ,a pretty tourmaline brooch. The 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" 18k yellow gold brooch with 4 carats of emerald-cut tourmaline, accented with .25cts pf round white diamonds. An sculptu...Category
Vintage 1970s British Artisan Brooches
MaterialsTourmaline, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold
- Gold and Beryl Crystal Brooch, Dutch, c 1970Located in Cincinnati, OHA sculptural yellow gold and beryl brooch. The three natural crystal cylinders enhanced by faceting rise boldly from a polished stylized trefoil brooch....Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Brooches
MaterialsBeryl, Crystal, Gold, 14k Gold
- Natural Lemon Citrine Crystal Brooch, Dutch, circa 1960 Natural Lemon QuartzLocated in Cincinnati, OHA modernist yellow gold and lemon citrine quartz brooch. Three natural crystal cylinders enhanced by faceting rise boldly from a polished stylized trefoil 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" 14k brooch...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Brooches
MaterialsCitrine, Quartz, Beryl, Crystal, Gold, 14k Gold
$1,250 Sale Price44% OffFree Shipping
- Arthur King Turquoise Gold Pendant BroochBy Arthur KingLocated in New York, NYArthur King turquoise gold pendant brooch, large model Round-cut diamonds of approximately 0.58 carat, three turquoises each measuring approxim...Category
Vintage 1970s Brooches
MaterialsTurquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
- Antique Egyptian Revival Gold, Emerald, and Diamond Scarab Brooch / PendantLocated in New York, NYAn antique Egyptian Revival convertible gold and gem-set pendant-brooch in the form of a scarab, the back adorned with emeralds and old-mine-cut, cushion-cut, and rose-cut diamonds, the legs and underside realistically rendered in gold, with removable pin stem and pendant bale...Category
Antique 1860s Egyptian Revival Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Gold
- Paul Flato Emerald Gold Leaf Brooch PendantBy Paul FlatoLocated in New York, NY18k yellow gold brooch/pendant by Paul Flato, depicting leaves, decorated with vibrant emeralds. Brooch measures 2.5" x 2.5". Marked with Paul Flato signature. Weight - 26.1 grams.Category
20th Century American Brooches
MaterialsEmerald, Gold
- Christian Lacroix Vintage Gold Toned Brutalist Cross Brooch PendantBy Christian LacroixLocated in Nice, FRCHRISTIAN LACROIX vintage toned and textured brutalist cross brooch/pendant. Could be used as a brooch or pendant. Marked CHRISTIAN LACROIX E94 Made ...Category
20th Century French Brooches
MaterialsGilt Metal
- Georgios Collections 18 Karat Yellow Gold Emerald Ruby Diamond Pendant BroochBy Georgios Collections IncLocated in Astoria, NYS.Georgios designer pendant enhancer is handmade in 18 Karat yellow gold. It is microscopically decorated with granulation work beads and wires and has a gorgeous unique velvet backg...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Byzantine Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby, Emerald, White Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
$3,675 Sale Price30% Off - Micro Mosaic 15 Karat Gold Pendant Brooch King Charles SpanielLocated in Wallkill, NYWonderful Micro-Mosaic Brooch and Pendant, Depicting a King Charles Spaniel. Does double duty, truly a wonderful piece. Antique C style pin back. Set in 15kt Yellow Gold . Measuring...Category
Antique 1860s Italian Brooches
MaterialsGold, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold