Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

A pair of 18ct gold ‘nugget’ cufflinks by Gilian Packard, 1969, the textured irregular nugget panels on rigid mounts, the swivel fittings with pyramidal terminals, maker’s mark ‘GEP’, London hallmark, panel length 24.5cm. £1,000-£1,200

Purchased from Gilian E. Packard & Co., 1-2 Ramillies Street, London in 1971.


Gilian Packard was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1938. Named Gilian (with one ‘l’ - because, as she said ‘my father couldn’t spell’), she established herself as one of the leading modern jewellers of the 1960s.

She studied at the Kingston School of Art, the Central School and the Royal College of Art. After her third year at the RCA, her Diploma exhibition coincided with the public opening of their new building in June 1962. Gilian acquired from it one or two commissions for special pieces. With £50 prize money, she was able to purchase materials to fulfil these modest orders, hire a corner of a workshop (in Soho) and set to work. From these gentle beginnings the work began to snowball.

Most of her work was for private customers. The other part of her production went to retail outlets such as Richard Ogden in Burlington Arcade or Cameo Corner. She went on to win many important jewellery awards and become the first woman to become a Freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company.

She promoted modern jewellery design through her work as a teacher, becoming Professor of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Glasgow School of Art and at the Sir John Cass Department of Silversmithing, Jewellery and Allied Arts at London’s Guildhall University.

She died in Aldeburgh in 1997. Examples of her work can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and in many public and private collections.

With thanks to the Goldsmiths’ Hall for additional information.
See: Obituary : Arline M Fisch in Craftnotes from CRAFTS JAN/FEB 1998.