In Germany the design principles of the pre-war Bauhaus and the various modernist movements had a lasting influence. Designers reduced their concepts and ornament to the bare essentials; geometry became predominant.

Friedrich Becker was a key figure in modern jewellery since the late 50s. He was a prolific jeweller, who made silver vessels as well also large sculptures. With ease he could transfer from the miniature to the monumental and vice versa. He was best known as the inventor of kinetics in jewellery.

In the Fifties he developed almost invisible settings enabling gemstones to be interchangeable, followed by variable jewellery with endless permutations, and then kinetic jewellery with their optical illusions. His background as aeronautical engineer led to the precision of his work and simplicity of form.

This bracelet is characteristic of his work. Becker explored stainless steel as a material in jewellery. Synthetic gemstones were cut to his specification. He was adamant that even a layperson should be able to identify that the shapes and dimensions could simply not be found in nature. He once stated 'the scroll of today is the cone'.

Becker had his first solo exhibition in Goldsmiths’ Hall, London in 1966. During a state visit in 1965 Elizabeth II, her Majesty the Queen was presented with the honorary finger ring of the City of Düsseldorf made by Friedrich Becker.