PREVIEW: JEWELLERY, SILVER & OBJECTS OF VERTU: 23 JUNE

Barbara Cartildge embodied the blossoming of post-war design talent in London in the 1960s and 70s, a pioneering jeweller who led the way for others.

Noonans are proud to offer a selection of her jewellery, from her personal collection, in the Jewellery, Silver & Objects of Vertu auction in London on 23 June.

Born to Jewish parents in Berlin in 1922, Barbara (neé Feistmann) spent her early life under the threat of the Nazis in Germany. In 1938, after completing school at the age of 16, Barbara and her family fled the country, first seeking refuge in Copenhagen and three months later relocating to Hampstead, North London.

Just before the end of the war, in 1944, Barbara met and married Derrick Cartlidge and moved into a house in South Hill Park Gardens, Hampstead, where she was to remain until her death.

Barbara was passionately interested in the arts and design, and attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts (later St Martins) from 1957-60 where she studied jewellery. Having completed her course, she set up a studio at home and was soon taking jewellery commissions.

With great prescience, she registered her brand in 1959, enjoying almost immediate success with a breakthrough solo exhibition at Heals in London in 1960, which attracted the attention of the fashion magazines Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

In June 1971 Barbara and fellow jeweller Ralph Turner co-founded the Electrum Gallery at 21 South Molton Street, Mayfair, London, the first gallery dedicated to showcasing the work of contemporary, international jewellers and designers. It quickly became one of the most prestigious and influential contemporary galleries in the world for established and emerging jewellery talent, over the years representing many hundreds of jewellers.

The Electrum Gallery established London as an international platform for artist jewellery, until finally closing in 2007.

In 1973, Barbara published her only book, Twentieth-Century Jewelry, and became a sought-after lecturer and teacher throughout the 1980s and ’90s. She was appointed Freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1978, and in 2016 Goldsmiths’ held a special exhibition of her work during the Goldsmiths’ Fair.

Barbara’s pieces are held in many public and private collections worldwide, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. “Fairly often I make a piece of jewellery which I cannot sell because I am so attached to it – so my own personal collection increases all the time,” Barbara observed.

Now Noonans and those who admire her talent are the beneficiaries of that approach as a selection of her jewellery, passed down through her family to the current vendor, presents a series of highlights for the 23 June sale.

They include an impressive bi-colour 18ct gold collar and amethyst crystal pendant, 1970, estimated to fetch £12,000-15,000, and a 9ct gold and citrine cuff bangle, 1966, estimated at £800-1200. Both are shown here.

“Barbara Cartlidge was a dedicated artist craftswoman whose passion, vision and hard work not only led to the creation of inspired pieces, but also paved the way for others to make their careers in the world of jewellery,” said Noonans’ Head of Jewellery, Frances Noble. “This sale is a wonderful opportunity for us to pay tribute to that talent and contribution.”