Arthur Joseph Gaskin was a designer, artist, and teacher born in Birmingham in 1862. He met Georgina, known as Georgie, a fellow designer who later became his wife, while they were both students at The Birmingham School of Art. The School had close ties to William Morris and the blossoming Arts and Crafts movement.

The influence of the Arts and Crafts style on the Gaskin’s jewellery designs is evident in the closely intertwined floral motifs, suited to skilful handmade production, which contrasted with the industrial techniques of the burgeoning Birmingham metalwork trade.

This album was produced while Arthur was headmaster of the Victoria Street School for Jewellers and Goldsmiths between 1902 and 1924. Contemporary sources indicate that Georgie produced the majority of these designs, while the jewellery production itself was a team effort by husband and wife, with help from their workshop.

Annotations beside some of the designs in this album indicate the names of buyers and commissioners of the jewellery, as well as the years in which the pieces were sold, although there is no indication of price.

The album was generously given to the V&A by the daughters of the designers, Mrs Joscelyne Verney Charlewood Turner and Mrs Margaret C. Dennery, in 1969. During the 1950s and 1960s Mrs Charlewood Turner also arranged several temporary loans to the V&A of jewellery designed by her parents to aid with research and exhibitions.

The designs in this album are mainly for silverware, interspersed with a variety of fine and paste gemstones. The album contains designs, both preliminary sketches and finished drawings, for necklaces, brooches, earrings, rings, pins, and combs.

The museum holds a small number of jewellery items designed by the Gaskins. This album contains the design for “Love-in-a-mist” (1910), a fine silver, pearl, and enamel necklace in the V&A collection.