1975 Constructivist Ring by Joel Degen

Degen's jewellery is not sculpted; it is constructed. Joel Degen (born 1941) is a self-taught jeweller who moved to London from France in 1965 and joined what is now Contemporary Applied Arts the following year, beginning a membership that has now lasted sixty years. His early work combined silver with unexpected materials such as anodised aluminium, onyx and even computer fittings, and rings from this period are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. From the start, Degen treated jewellery as something to be constructed rather than sculpted: a 1976 design drawing in the V&A shows rings whose coloured stones lock into place or are held by hidden springs so they can be swapped and reconfigured. This ring, hallmarked in London in 1975, belongs to that inventive silver period. It is a constructivist piece in silver, onyx and carnelian, made in two interlinking parts that fit together in multiple ways. Later in the decade Degen turned to titanium, winning first prizes at De Beers Diamonds Today in 1978 and 1981, and his work is now in the collections of Goldsmiths’ Hall, the V&A, the Crafts Council and the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia. Era: Post-War Modern, 1975 Stones: Onyx & Carnelian Ring size: L 1/2 or 6 US. Not resizable. Head: 19mm by 9.7mm Hallmarks: English, Sterling Silver, London, 1975. JD maker's mark. Condition: Great vintage condition; light wear consistent with age