Rhodochrosite set with a single 1 pt diamond, mounted in 18K gold and 18K gold plate brooch. Converts to a pendant. 1960, Stamped GRIMA, London assay marks. (1 5/8" circumference)

Andrew Grima had his signature shop in London on Jermyn Street and enjoyed quite a following all over Europe in the the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's. His clients included Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, (he was the royal jeweler from 1970-1986), and Lord Snowdon to name a distinguished few. His work is characterized by references to nature, and he often designed his pieces so that the mounting resembles the stone, such as in this example in which the frame imitates the grain of the rhodochrosite. After closing his shop on Jermyn Street, London he moved to Gstaad Switzerland and designed custom jewelry for a select clientele. Grima's pieces do not come up for auction very often, and rarely, if ever, in the United States. A major retrospective of his work was funded by Goldsmiths Hall in London, 1991 in honor of his 70th birthday. A wonderful biography, Grima, A Jeweler's World, was written 2003 by Graham Hughes.