Artists Arthur and Georgie Gaskin. They are also jewelers, whose jewelry we want to admire even today
They met at the Birmingham School of Art. Fate brought them together again when they both became accomplished artists. They worked as illustrators. Work brought Arthur and Georgie closer together. After the wedding, their creative union will go down in history as Arthur and Georgie Gaskin. By the spouse’s surname.
Arthur Joseph Gaskin was born in 1862 in Birmingham. In 1883, he entered the Birmingham School of Art. Two years later, Gaskin was appointed a teacher, despite the fact that he did not complete his course.
Georgie studied there too. She was incredibly talented, received prizes for her creations in the field of design and drawing. Arthur was her teacher.
The couple married on March 21, 1894 and continued to work as illustrators. Both loved to draw. Their paintings were eagerly bought. From time to time, their works can be found at auctions for huge prices.
After five years, they mastered the skills of jewelry making. The business brought in a decent income, they founded a large workshop, hiring more jewelers. Their works were admired for the elegance of hand-made work.
At first, these were relatively inexpensive jewelry made of silver wire, decorated with colored stones and enamel. Inexpensive stones were used. Their jewelry was in great demand.
The design of their jewelry gradually began to resemble the work of Renaissance masters. These were complex works, in which one could often see intertwining twigs, flowers, tightly arranged leaves, decorated with precious stones.
The jewelry of the Gaskins was in demand among the nobility. This success and the right connections led to Arthur being appointed head of the Birmingham School of Silversmiths and Jewelers.
Two daughters were born in the family – Jocelyn and Margaret. The eldest, Jocelyn, later became an artist.
The jewellery of these masters is distinguished by its bold imagination for its time, elegance and perfection of execution. They were produced under the brand name “Mr and Mrs Arthur Gaskin”. They opened their shop on Vittoria Street, where they worked until 1924.
Then the couple retired and moved to Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, where they lived until the end of their days.
