Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

A two colour 18ct gold and beryl set dress ring, by Charles de Temple, 1969, centred with a round-cut yellow/green beryl in four claw mount, within an angular four pointed setting, applied with two colour textured gold wirework detail, to broad tapering shank, signed ‘C de T’ and with full London hallmark for 1969, with original box, with gilt facsimile signature to the exterior, the interior silk reading ‘Designed exclusively for Watches of Switzerland Ltd 14, New Bond Street, London W1’, ring size L (leading edge). £1,500-£2,000

Born In America in 1929, Charles de Temple was the son of an American film actor, Tom Mix. With no formal artistic training, Charles was self taught, working first as a sculptor in America before deciding to concentrate on jewellery design. He moved to England in 1957, soon becoming part of the swinging London scene.

In Post war Britain, the Modernist jewellery movement took longer to develop than the modernist art movement, not helped by a heavy tax on luxury goods and limited access to raw materials which meant that during the 1950s, production still focused on traditional pieces for the export market. Therefore, it was not until the early 1960s that a prominent British Modernist style started to emerge from the jewellery studios of London lead by designers such as Andrew Grima, Charles De Temple, John Donald and David Thomas, with their pioneered methods of melting and transforming gold and other precious metals into abstract forms which embraced both shape and texture.

Charles De Temple rose to fame after designing several pieces that featured in the 1965 Bond movie Goldfinger, including the actual gold finger used in the film.

From circa 1969-1975, he created his series of ‘nervous jewels’, prickly cultural designs in two-coloured gold wire, of which the ring offered for sale here is an example.