In an article by Tamsin Lesley in Harper’s Bazaar, June 1968, Barbara Cartlidge comments ‘my predominant thing is rings because I like wearing them best’. She goes on to use rings to highlight the prohibitive level of purchase tax at this date (50%) and the difficulties jewellers faced making a living. As she explains ‘if I sell a ring for £20 to a shop I have to charge them £30 and I have to pay that £10 tax to the purchase tax people every few months’. A significant factor impeding the home market for contemporary British jewellery, purchase tax was reduced to 25% in 1972 and was replaced by VAT in 1973.

One of the early stockists of Barbara Cartlidge’s jewellery was Heals, although in practice outlets for this style of work were few and for most orders a client would deal directly with the jeweller. In 1971 Barbara Cartlidge and her husband Derrick became the first directors of the Electrum Gallery on London’s South Molton Street, which provided a link between maker and customer, and was pioneering in its championing of innovative international jewellers. It was for some years the only place in London such work could be seen, and it is for this and for her writing that she is now best known.

Barbara Cartlidge commented in the Harper’s Bazaar article ‘Fairly often I make a piece of jewellery which I cannot sell because I am so attached to it – so my own personal collection increases all the time’. This ring comes to the V&A as a gift from her personal collection.