Stuart Devlin is an Australian-born gold and silversmith. He has been responsible for designing coins and other illustrious collector’s items during his long career. London-based during the peak of his career during the 1970s and 1980s. Devlin started as an art teacher then focussing upon gold and silversmithery. He has been described as having ‘the Midas touch’ by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
In 1957, Stuart Devlin was began study at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology for a Diploma of Art in gold and silversmithing. A scholarship at the Royal College of Art in London followed, before spending a two-year fellowship at Columbia University.
He began teaching in Australia in 1962 before becoming art school inspector. His career really began in 1964, upon winning a competition to design Australia’s first decimal coinage. Devlin has changed his style from his original minimal pieces that were Scandanavian in style. To what was called “a romantic use of precious metal”, which still retaining an element of characteristic simplicity.
London Beckons Stuart Devlin
The following year he moved to London and opened a workshop, soon carving out his own unique style. Then going on to employing nine craftsmen. The Easter eggs and Christmas boxes that he worked upon this era now switch hands for vast sums. This was at a time when gold and silversmiths were growing tired of producing mass market pieces that they felt were anonymous in style. Devlin deciding to focus on unique special limited edition pieces as a result.
The Car Manufacture & Devlin
In 1966, he was commissioned by Ford to produce a sculpture to mark the launch of the Mk IV Ford Zephyr & Zodiac vehicles. He was simultaneously working on a whole new series of idiosyncratic techniques. Devlin applied his versatile techniques to various commissions, including clocks, trophies, bowls and goblet as well as coins.
In 1975, he designed the medals for the honours system in his home country. He has in fact designed coins and medals for as many as 35 different countries. Devlin also ran a showroom in London’s Conduit Street between 1979 and 1985.
Honour Royal Warrant of Appointment
Devlin was granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment as Goldsmith and Jeweller to Her Majesty the Queen in 1982. This whilst being made Prime Warden of the Goldsmith’s Company in the mid-1990s. Devlin has continued his association with Goldsmiths since then. He helped to develop a new institute and taking on new commissions from time to time. Devlin took on a commission from Argyle Diamonds in 1987 to produce a diamond collection, and he also designed coins for the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Much of Devlin’s later work used techniques such as parcel gliding in order to make them unique. Many examples of Devlin’s work can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Devlin continues to work today at his workshop in Littlehampton, saying that his work is centred upon four different maxims; “That future is much more important than the past”, “That creativity is paramount”, “That skill is fundamental”, and “that the justification for being a goldsmith is to enrich the way people live and work.”
The End Of A Legend Stuart Devlin
Stuart Devlin, the goldsmith and silversmith, who died aged 86 in 2018
Discover other famous silversmiths. David Mellor CBE
