Silver has been the traditional white metal used by jewellers throughout the ages. During the Industrial Revolution, however, steel became fashionable for jewellery. It regained importance in the second half of the 20th century, as did aluminium, which had been discovered in the early 19th century but was initially very expensive. Platinum, one of the most valuable of metals, usually used in fine settings for diamonds, also found a modern interpretation.

Jewellers of the 1970s explored many ways of treating the surfaces of these non-tarnishable and non-corroding silvery-white metals to give them a new appearance.

This neckpiece belongs to a phase of work from the 1970s and early 1980s when Poston forged steel into linear forms. The metal was sometimes, inlaid or incised and combined with titanium.

In his early work, he rejected the use of precious materials for jewellery and was also critical of the idea of jewellery being a status symbol. He turned to unconventional material combinations. In 1995 he curated for the Crafts Council an exhibition titled 'What is Jewellery' analysing the different categories of jewellery and its function.

Poston studied jewellery design at the Hornsey College of Art and Design, London.