Makers & Designers

Margaret Richardson also know as Lilly Margaret Richardson, received her goldsmithing education in the 1930s in Germany and emigrated to South Africa after World War II.

Richardson established her own studio in Cape Town where she worked until relocating to Johannesburg in 1957. She favoured materials such as copper and sterling silver and had a deep appreciation for South African semi-precious stones which she personally sourced and incorporated into her pieces. Some of her pieces are signed LMR, as she was born Ulli/ Lilly Margarete Samuelson in Russia in 1908.

Her career in South Africa spanned from the late 1940s to the early 1970s, after which she relocated to the United Kingdom. Her bold forms, craftmanship and use of local materials left a lasting stamp on South African jewellery design.

She was a pioneer of the 'Safari jewellery' movement, a design style that celebrated bold, organic motifs drawing inspiration from South African landscapes and cultures.