Beyond Adornment

A look at the roots and rise of ART JEWELLERY in South Africa, and the CONTEMPORARY MAKERS redefining it today.

- JO BUITENDACH

ART JEWELLERY pushes beyond traditional jewels and gold to focus on ideas, creative expression and one-of-a-kind pieces that act as sculptures for the body. Often made with unconventional materials, it challenges expectations of what jewellery can be.

In South Africa, the movement emerged in the mid-20th century and grew through generations of makers who blur the line between art and adornment. Its defining feature is an emphasis on the artist's vision over the intrinsic value of materials, resulting in unique, meaningful pieces rather than mass-produced objects. Its significance was underscored in October 2025 when auction house Strauss & Co (straussart.co.za), together with Stellenbosch University's Creative Jewellery and Metal Design division, presented “Origins & Legacy of Art Jewellery in South Africa” - an online auction and exhibition that traced the movement from its Mid-century pioneers to contemporary leaders.

South African art jewellery took shape as European goldsmiths arrived after World War II and began to experiment with more modern ideas, new forms and materials that were unconventional. Early figures such as Erich Frey, Else Wongtschowski, Dieter Dill, Kurt Jobst, Egon Guenther, Eone de Wet, Mauro Pagliari, Margaret Richardson, Maia Holm and Frida Blumenberg helped to establish an exploratory, artist-driven approach that connected jewellery to wider creative movements.

Today, the local scene may be small, but its makers are exceptionally inventive. We spoke to a select group about what drives their work.