British jeweler John Donald

British jeweler John Donald
He never planned to become a jeweler, but conquered this conservative world with his rebellious jewelry in a matter of days. John Donald’s jewelry design has become synonymous with luxury and British chic. The favorite jeweler of the British royal family, he began a new era in the history of design. His father was a professional golfer, and John chose between a sports career and an academic one, but chose the arts.
He studied for a while at Farnham Art College and planned to become a graphic designer. But in 1952 he was offered a transfer to the Faculty of Metalworking at the Royal College of Art in London. A regular visitor to the Museum of Natural History, he was one of the first to use “natural” crystals in combination with precious metals, bringing back the fashion for baroque pearls, which had long been considered “unworthy” material.
He graduated in 1955, and founded his own studio in 1960. Using gold rod and uncut crystal, he created expressive pieces which style and shape were absolutely unique. Noteworthy, brooches were the first pieces John Donald made using his innovative techniques. Thus, they launched his career as an artist-jeweller.

John Donald married in 1962 and soon had two children. In 1968 he opened a small gallery and workshop and his business expanded. He opened one retail store on Bond Street in 1971 and another in Richmond in 1973. In addition, in the 70s, Donald established a successful business in Geneva and developed an international reputation.

British jeweler John Donald

Gold, diamonds, organic shapes, raw crystals and uneven surfaces were John Donald’s hallmarks. Describing himself first as a designer and artist and second as a jeweler, he felt that a piece of jewelry cannot be truly alive until someone wears it.
The designer’s work can be seen in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Schmuck Museum in Pforzheim, the Royal Museum in Edinburgh and the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.