Hey there guys, I have this in my possession, it seems to be an Ola Gorie Brooch but is marked GMS SILVER when I was having a read about the GMS hallmark I found a man by the name of George Malcom Smith used unmarked Ola Gorie pieces, I’m having real trouble finding any of his other work, has anyone come across anything of his before as I’m looking to sell but find a price is difficult, at the moment it is on eBay, I’ve put it on an auction hoping to let others decide it’s worth, very cool piece
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Hi,
George Smith was based in Shetland. Ola Gorie bought his designs when he retired.
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"Ola Gorie was born in Kirkwall, Orkney. She attended Grays Art School in Aberdeen before returning to Orkney in 1960 to found the island’s first jewellery workshop and studio.
In the early days back in the 1960’s her inspiration came from the Celtic and Norse historical heritage of Orkney, in the Viking ruins and old medieval carvings on the island.
In later years in the 1980’s to 1990’s her admiration of the work of Glasgow art nouveau designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret was evident in her re interpretation of Mackintosh motifs in her jewellery designs.
The beauty of the scenery and wildlife around her in her Orkney home always provided inspiration for her designs with owls, otters, puffins and flowers featuring in her work.
In 1999 Ola Gorie was awarded an MBE for her services to jewellery,
The business continues to flourish to this day and is now run by her daughter Ingrid Tait.
George Malcolm Smith (often marked GMS) was a Shetland-based maker known for producing modernist and Celtic-inspired sterling silver jewelry, with some designs later produced by Ola Gorie. Active around the 1970s, his pieces are identified in Scottish silver records, sometimes appearing as unhallmarked or with provincial marks, often associated with early Orkney-style work.
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