Jewels Verne fighting fish bracelet thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Jewellery, Rooms 91, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Jewels Verne fighting fish bracelet

Bracelet
2009 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Stephen Webster’s jewellery is amongst the most glamorous fine jewellery being made in London today, his status underlined and enhanced by celebrity customers which include Madonna, Elton John and Tracey Emin. His success is international, with shops in London, Beverley Hills, Kyiv (Kiev), Moscow and St Petersburg. His innovative and distinctive designs, noted for their fine lines and unexpected subject matter, have won many awards. They combine precious materials with technical rigour and attention to detail in a very distinctive and contemporary expression of luxury.

This bracelet reflects Webster’s long-standing fascination with the sea and marine life. Its swirling form is cast in titanium and this difficult metal also forms the settings for the gems. It is a sumptuous example of his style, dramatic in outline and subtle in colour – the black spinels, blue sapphires and white diamonds toning elegantly with the dark blue of the titanium.

His website notes that his jewellery is ‘founded upon 38 years of exquisite craftsmanship and fearless creativity’. The skills he initially learned at Medway College were honed in the trade both in the UK and Canada. In addition to his own brand, Webster has been the creative director of Garrard & Co. since 2008, and in 2013 was awarded an M.B.E. for services to training and skills in the British jewellery industry.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Bracelet
  • Case
TitleJewels Verne fighting fish bracelet (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
The bracelet contains 44.87g of titanium set with 189 black spinels (2.84 carats), 229 blue sapphires (5.83 carats) and 24 white diamonds (0.28 carats)
Brief description
'Fighting Fish' bracelet by Stephen Webster; titanium set with sapphires, diamonds and black spinels; and case. England, 2009.
Physical description
An exotic fish of dark blue titanium set with sapphire scales and diamond eyes. Its rippling fins and the long tail which forms the bracelet band have areas of openwork and gem-set areas which shade from black spinels, through dark and pale blue sapphires, to white diamonds. On the side opposite the hinge is catch in the form of a tiny fish.
Dimensions
  • Bracelet height: 83.5mm
  • Bracelet width: 67.3mm
  • Bracelet depth: 60.5mm
  • Case height: 90mm
  • Case width: 92.2mm
  • Case depth: 130mm
Production typeUnique
Credit line
Given by Stephen Webster
Object history
The bracelet with a companion brooch was exhibited in Selfridge's Wonder Room in May 2011 as part of Selfridge's green campaign 'Project Ocean'.
Summary
Stephen Webster’s jewellery is amongst the most glamorous fine jewellery being made in London today, his status underlined and enhanced by celebrity customers which include Madonna, Elton John and Tracey Emin. His success is international, with shops in London, Beverley Hills, Kyiv (Kiev), Moscow and St Petersburg. His innovative and distinctive designs, noted for their fine lines and unexpected subject matter, have won many awards. They combine precious materials with technical rigour and attention to detail in a very distinctive and contemporary expression of luxury.

This bracelet reflects Webster’s long-standing fascination with the sea and marine life. Its swirling form is cast in titanium and this difficult metal also forms the settings for the gems. It is a sumptuous example of his style, dramatic in outline and subtle in colour – the black spinels, blue sapphires and white diamonds toning elegantly with the dark blue of the titanium.

His website notes that his jewellery is ‘founded upon 38 years of exquisite craftsmanship and fearless creativity’. The skills he initially learned at Medway College were honed in the trade both in the UK and Canada. In addition to his own brand, Webster has been the creative director of Garrard & Co. since 2008, and in 2013 was awarded an M.B.E. for services to training and skills in the British jewellery industry.
Collection
Accession number
M.7:1,2-2014

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 17, 2014
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest