Noble Smith Mid-century Modernist Jewelry

Noble Smith mid-century modernist jewelry (1950-60s)
Born in Noble County, Indiana in 1938, Shirley L Smith studied art at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. By creating unique jewelry pieces for a short period of time in the late 1950s and mid-1960s, Shirley made history in mid-century American modernist wearable art.
In fact, Shirley L Smith created most designs in limited editions, and even individual pieces for exhibitions, or as commissioned items. The last exhibition of her unique wearable art pieces took place in 2008 at an exhibition in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In her abstract geometric designs of sterling silver rings, pendants, bracelets, and brooches, Noble Smith used natural stones such as tourmaline.
Noteworthy, the earliest markings on her pieces included a cursive signature – S L SMITH, while later pieces are stamped “Noble Smith” and sterling. The name Noble may be related to her birthplace – Noble County, Indiana. Shirley L Smith died at age 73 years old, in 2011.