This May, The Scottish Gallery has created an online tribute to one of the world’s finest contemporary jewellers – Wendy Ramshaw, CBE, RDI (1939-2018). The Scottish Gallery was honoured and grateful to have been a platform for her many projects and ideas. We have delved into our archives as well as the family archive to share some of Wendy’s personal letters and notes, which reveal fascinating personal and technical insights into some of her major projects such as Picasso’s Ladies, Prospero’s Table and Journey Through Glass. Wendy Ramshaw was a champion of modern jewellery and her work is represented in over 70 public collections worldwide.

To accompany this special online tribute we have created a blog to be released in six parts, allowing you to discover more about Wendy Ramshaw’s life and work in her words. You can read our blog here.

A series of films allow you to explore Wendy’s World and take a closer look at some of the key pieces from throughout her career that feature in the exhibition. You can view the films here.

Wendy Ramshaw

Photography by David Watkins

Born: 1939

Died: 2018

Wendy Ramshaw, CBE, RDI, was an international champion of modern jewellery. Her signature ringsets are represented in over 70 public collections worldwide. Ramshaw’s work also encompassed designs for textiles, screens, gateways and sculpture. The Scottish Gallery has exhibited some of her most ambitious ideas through exhibitions such as Picasso’s Ladies (1989), Rooms of Dreams (2002), Prospero’s Table (2004) and A Journey Through Glass (2007). Exhibitions such as Room of Dreams, which was designed and created as a theatrical stage set for the jewellery, have become embedded not only in Ramshaw’s spectacular career but also illustrate the commitment by The Gallery to truly original ideas.

Public Collections include:
Victoria & Albert Museum, London; National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA; National Gallery of Western Australia, Canberra; British Museum, London; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.

In August 2023 we presented Wendy Ramshaw – The Early Years as part of our Festival Presentation – Wonder Women. You can discover more about Wendy Ramshaw’s life and work in her words in our special blog series here.

Wendy’s World

Wendy Ramshaw

Join our mailing list