A GOLD AND GEM-SET BRACELET, BY ROY KING, Circa 1960

The mesh-link bracelet, the clasp set with circular-cut emeralds and sapphire accented with brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in 18K gold, with...

A GOLD AND GEM-SET BRACELET, BY ROY KING, Circa 1960

The mesh-link bracelet, the clasp set with circular-cut emeralds and sapphire accented with brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in 18K gold, with maker's mark 'RCK' for Roy King,  London hallmarks, length 20.5cm

 

Roy King was an admired and celebrated jewellery and watch designer who stands out as one of the great innovators of 20th Century British design. After a turbulent childhood King became an apprentice at the Hatton Garden jewellery firm MJ Greengross at only 14 years old in 1927. During this time King became adept at mounting diamonds and began to learn the mechanics of jewellery-making.

This artistic education was somewhat disrupted with the Second World War, during which King worked as a planning engineer in an aeroplane factory. King climbed the ranks and led a department of 100 workers, while also learning complex tool techniques. This wartime experience was translated into the design and manufacture of jewellery, with King making uncredited pieces for Rolex, Cartier, Asprey, and Garrard in the latter half of the 1930s.

King continued on to build his own company with a factory in Watford, Hertfordshire. He designed a plethora of jewellery pieces and was honoured with tie pins and five strawberry-leaf tiaras being worn at Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953. In 1965 King built a new factory and increased output of his work to an impressive 25,000 gold and silver pieces a year. In addition to mass production, the brand also played with aesthetic design, with their “bark finish” rings, bracelets, and watches being very popular. As a result, Pattie Boyd chose a “bark finish” wedding ring for her marriage to Beatle George Harrison in 1966. Lot 83, with its circular-cut emeralds and sapphires also shows King’s ability to create an exciting and pleasing piece.

The brand continued to grow and flourish, acquiring in particular more space in the watch market. King was therefore celebrated in exhibitions at Goldsmith’s Hall such as a 1984 solo show and being included in the 1999 Treasures of the 20th Century exhibit.

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