comprising of an oval shaped openwork panel of stylised foliate decoration mounted with faceted green pastes, interspersed with pink tourmaline flowerheads and pale blue faceted pastes, mounted in the centre with an elongated cabochon moonstone, suspending a single cabochon moonstone drop. Accompanied by its original silver chain with a bar and loop clasp.
Signed: ‘G’ to the reverse
Length: 6cm
For examples of jewels by Arthur and Georgina Gaskin, see The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for a gold and gem-set necklace (acquisition no.: 2017.384) as well as The Victoria and Albert Museum and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Arthur Joseph Gaskin (1862-1928) was an artist, illustrator, designer and teacher who was born and educated in Birmingham. He met his wife Georgina (1866-1934), an artist, designer and craftswoman, whilst they were both students at the Birmingham School of Art, an institution with close ties to William Morris. It would prove to be the source of many important Arts and Crafts designers, with the Pre-Raphaelite tradition imbuing the curriculum of the school. Arthur would become the headmaster of the Victoria Street School for Jewellers and Goldsmiths between 1902 and 1924 and through their prominent role in the artistic life of the country, they would befriend other prominent artists and designers such as May Morris (1862-1938) and Joseph Southall (1861-1944). They would move to Chipping Campden in 1924.
Original pencil and watercolour designs by Georgina Gaskin for jewels made circa 1902-1923 can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is believed that Georgina was responsible for the majority of the jewellery designs, whilst the manufacture of the jewels was undertaken by Georgina and Arthur.