Alan Gard was an apprentice at Crombie’s of Bond Street and worked for the renowned jewellery designer Andrew Grima before forming his own jewellery business in 1964 at the age of 29.
Breaking the Mould: Redefining Jewellery Design
He worked in the 1960s with contemporaries such as David Thomas, John Donald and Gillian Packard. Experimenting with various forms, Gard created wonderfully tactile and sculptural pieces, working with gold nest structures, bark-like textures, nugget forms and highly polished accents. Another of Gard’s design signatures was the sparing use of diamonds. They were frequently used as small accents to add a glint of light to dramatic gold settings, but were hardly ever the focus of the piece. He much preferred using raw, unpolished coloured gemstones. If they were polished, he wanted to highlight the gemstone’s natural inclusions and imperfections. His pieces were normally made in 18ct yellow gold. These are the pieces that are highly prized by collectors today.
The British Jewellery Renaissance: Alan Gard’s Role
Alan Gard was pivotal to the development of experimentation during the British ‘jewellery renaissance.’ During this period, jewellers rebelled against conventional design and the rigidity of the decades preceding it. They experimented in goldsmithing techniques, the way gemstones were set and bold sculptural forms. Gard continued to work until the 21st century, where he adapted and honed his style. He had his unique take on contemporary design, but it was his mid-century abstract pieces from the 1960s and earlier in his career that he is best known for.
Royal Recognition and High-Profile Commissions
Due to his expert skill and finely trained eye, Gard’s work soon achieved royal acclaim. His Lilypad brooch, created in 1967, was in Princess Margaret’s collection. In 2006, it sold at auction for a staggering £10,200. It consisted of multiple overlapping textured 18ct gold discs of various sizes, studded with small brilliant cut diamonds. The design was simple but highly effective.
In September 2023, at the amazing age of 87, he was commissioned by the famous author Jeffrey Archer to make a replica of the Imperial State Crown for his novel 'Traitors Gate'. The crown took Gard an impressive 500 hours to complete and was an exact copy. It was formed from a base metal alloy, cultured pearls, synthetic and paste stones.
Alan Gard sadly passed away this year at the age of 89. He was an expert at his craft, and his legacy will live on through his jewellery.
Alan Gard at Auction
Lot 303
ALAN GARD - a pair of 1970s 18ct gold diamond earrings.
Price Realised: £1,950.00
Lot 155
1960s 18ct gold diamond brooch, by Alan Gard
Price Realised: £1,690.00
Lot 206
18ct gold dioptase and diamond ring, by Alan Gard
Price Realised: £2,340.00
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