Summary

Print advertisement for G. K Jewellery detailing the handcrafted custom watch bands G. K Jewellery made to fit name brand watches. It features eight examples of custom bands in varying sizes, colours and finishes. One of the custom watch straps is displayed attached to a Christian Bernard men's watch face. The images of the watch and bands are overlaid onto a photograph of a navy blue satin fabric background to create a composite image. The advertisement is part of the documentation relating to George Kyriakides, and the successive silversmithing and jewellery businesses in which he was involved.

George Kyriakides was born in 1921 in Larnaca, on the southern coast of Cyprus. In his early working years he was apprenticed to his father Petrou Kyriacou as a silversmith and in 1948 George migrated to Melbourne, Australia. In 1949 he married Australian-born Silvia Sarandis, the child of Greek migrants and they had two children. Using his skills as a silversmith, he worked for a local silverware company and then proceeded to start his own silversmithing business under the name Saracen Plate Company, situated at 152 Lygon St, Carlton. A manufacturing wholesale business, they sold mainly to large clients such as Myers and Prouds Jewellery. In 1974 George sold the wholesale silversmithing part of the business due to the difficulty in obtaining pure metals, and continued to work as a Jeweller under the name GK Jewellery until his retirement and beyond. In later years George was known for his philanthropic generosity and in 2006 he died and is survived by his two children.

Physical Description

A4 sized, portrait orientated print advertisement for G.K Jewellery. Features eight custom gold watch straps, with one attached to a gold Christian Bernard watch face. Composite from a background of navy blue satin overlayed with sharp detailed images of the watch straps.

Significance

Statement of Historical Significance:
This collection offers a multi-faceted snapshot of a migrant small business in Lygon Street Carlton through tools of trade, product catalogue and a sample of the silverware produced for retail. It thus encapsulates a small business activity from production through to sale and distribution. It includes a beautiful filigree tray as well as more mainstream domestic silverware items. The collection enables the documentation of the passing on of trade traditions and skills from one generation to the next and the bringing of those skills to Australia, as well as capturing a particular craft, filigree work, which is a disappearing artform

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