Adams
Lot 107
AN OPAL AND DIAMOND BROOCH, BY GEOFFREY TURK, 1987Of openwork design, the central elongated opal cabochon, within wavy openwork frames pave-set with brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in 18K gold, with maker's mark 'GT' for Geoffrey Turk, with maker's case, English hallmarks for London 1987, width 4.1cm Geoffrey Turk was born in 1935 and studied Gemmology and Jewellery Design and Manufacture at The Central School of Art & Design in London.Turk was for many years the business partner of Andrew Grima, perhaps the largest name in modern jewellery. Turk and Grima travelled throughout Europe together in the 1960s and set up stores in New York, Sydney, and Tokyo. Turk founded his own company in 1977 in Soho with talented workmen creating one-off jewellery pieces using gold and precious and semiprecious stones.Turk was, to some degree, an eccentric, who for example would take his pet cockatoo Arthur out onto the streets of London. This eccentricity, and the lavishness of 1980’s design mixed with Art Deco inspiration, can be seen in Lots 107, 108 and 109. These pieces highlight the luminescence of their diamonds and gems and employ curving lines to a delightful effect.Turk’s younger son Dominic is involved in the business today and his elder son is Gavin Turk, one of the original celebrated Young British Artists.*A special thank you to Helen Turk for her assistance with this biographyCondition Report: Opal: with orange, blue and green flashesDiamonds: bright and livelyNormal signs of wear, overall in good conditionTotal gross weight approx. 7.1g
