With the continuing overlap between jewellery and fine art, individual expression was as important as wearability. Although some artists used craftsmen to realise their concepts, the design and making of a piece were increasingly seen as a continuous creative activity.

Many artist-jewellers took pride in doing both, although printmaker Helga Zahn at times regretted that the time-consuming metalworking techniques made for a lack of spontaneity.

Helga Zahn always questioned the principles of jewellery ‘because of its limitations in self-expression and the materialistic overtone the word ‘jewellery’ carries’. By trying to break away from traditional values she achieved a radical change in jewellery making. Zahn used conventional materials, such as silver and gold, and combined them with unconventional ones such as pebbles and bones found in nature. Her designs showed clear forms and outlines.

Helga Zahn was born in Germany in 1936 and came to England in 1957. She studied at the Leeds College of Arts and then at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. She concentrated originally on painting and printmaking, but became an influential figure in the British contemporary jewellery scene in the 1960s and worked until her death from cancer in 1985.