Events & Awards

See a Preview of the Vintage Jewelry Design Exhibition Coming Stateside

Events & AwardsJun 21, 2021

See a Preview of the Vintage Jewelry Design Exhibition Coming Stateside

“Simply Brilliant: Artist-Jewelers of the 1960s and 1970s” is headed to the Cincinnati Art Museum this fall.

20210621_Cincinnati Art Museum - Chopard.jpg
Chopard (Swiss, est. 1860), Alexandra Watch, circa 1971, gold, diamonds, lapis lazuli, Courtesy of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Collection of Kimberly Klosterman, Photography by Tony Walsh
Cincinnati—An important jewelry collection with Midwestern roots has traveled around the world before finally making its hometown debut.

Coming to the Cincinnati Art Museum this fall, “Simply Brilliant: Artist-Jewelers of the 1960s and 1970s” explores the radical period in jewelry design that accompanied major shifts in society, marked by the civil rights movement, women’s movement, the space race, rock ‘n’ roll, hippie culture and the birth control pill. 

Just as young people were breaking with the expectations laid by generations before them, a number of jewelry designers leaned into the freedom of their own unencumbered self-expression.

Values like non-conformity and individuality appear in these designers’ work. 

The 120 pieces in the “Simply Brilliant” exhibition feature works from designers like Andrew Grima, Gilbert Albert, Arthur King, Jean Vendome, Barbara Anton, Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co., Bulgari and Cartier.

Every piece is from the collection of Cincinnati jewelry lover Kimberly Klosterman, and curated by the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Chief Curator and Curator of Fashion Arts and Textiles Cynthia Amnéus.

Amnéus remarked, “The jewelry in this exhibition is remarkable and examines a period in body adornment that is rarely explored or understood. You think about the rather prim jewelry of the 1950s, then suddenly these artist-jewelers are creating pieces that were big and bold.


“The work was overwhelmingly large, primarily gold and incorporated some very unusual materials. It was a new day. The times were changing and art, fashion, jewelry, all responded.”

Per the museum, the designers featured in Klosterman’s impressive personal collection considered themselves artists first and jewelry designers second. Their interest was in breaking away with fine jewelry norms, attracting a customer who appreciated standing out and being different from her counterparts.

Though every piece showcases its creator’s unique point-of-view, common visual themes are the use of yellow gold and large, abstracted shapes reminiscent of the Space Age.

Many designers experimented with unusual materials, incorporating coral, shells, geodes, and even elephant hair. Less expensive gemstones like lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye and moldavite feature more prominently than traditional diamonds, for example.

The exhibition’s accompanying catalogue, edited by Amnéus, puts the work into context, featuring designer or jewelry house biographies, essays from a number of scholars, full color images and details on certain pieces.

“Simply Brilliant” debuted last year in Antwerp, Belgium at the DIVA Museum for Diamonds, Jewellery and Silver, then traveled to Pforzheim, Germany’s Pforzheim Jewellery Museum.

It will finally make its hometown appearance at the Cincinnati Art Museum from Oct. 22 through Feb. 6. 

The exhibition will be presented for free and will kick off with a member preview on Thursday, Oct. 21, featuring a lecture from Italian jewelry scholar Amanda Triossi.

 Related stories will be right here … 

The Latest

CD Peacock Mansion in Oak Brook, Illinois
EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock Mansion

Step inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.

Xander Jane earrings
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl Studs

These punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.

Facets of Fire Pear and Marquise Diamonds
SourcingNov 22, 2024
Facets of Fire Expands to Include Pear, Marquise Diamonds

The company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.

Jewelers Mutual Group Cybersecurity
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for Jewelers

From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.

5 main.jpg
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry Catalog

Sponsored by Tasha R

Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
18-karat gold Tiffany & Co. pocket watch Captain Arthur Rostron
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2M

Three Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.

Harris Jewelry storefront
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund Requests

A federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.

Article-Top-Image.jpg
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYC

This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.

Cynthia Erivo wearing Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo collection
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ Collection

Cynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.

Rocksbox San Francisco store
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San Francisco

The new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.

Mary Moses Kinney
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team

Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.

Sotheby’s New York building
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax Fraud

The auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.

Model wearing pieces from Camera Oscura collection
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New Collection

The “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.

Columbia Gem House “Pebbles to Pines” fundraiser
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation Efforts

The money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.

Stock image of police cars with lights on
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry Store

Local reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.

Tsar Ferdinand I Bulgaria colored diamond pin and emerald diamond ring
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry Sale

A collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.

Trove NYC flagship exterior
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYC

The Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.

Snoop Dogg and Carolyn Rafaelian
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love

“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.

Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s Rebrand

Hampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.

Andrea Jose jewelry
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry Week

The group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.

Dolly Parton and Kendra Scott
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra Scott

The collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.

IGI Expressions
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition Returns

This year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.

New York Comic Con Javits Center crowd
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic Con

Senior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.

Marie Lichtenberg and Raiz’in collection
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ Designs

The latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.

Citizen 100th Anniversary Limited Edition #1 Pocket Watch
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket Watch

No. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.

My Next Question store security episode
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure

On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.

18th century diamond necklace
AuctionsNov 14, 2024
18th-Century Diamond Necklace Sells for Nearly $5M

Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy